[at-l] Ready's Hike August 8 TD 55

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley)]

Up and out by 7 AM! Good start. I'd not slept well during the night.
My leg/back had been very painful. But this morning I feel ready
to hike, anyway.
We started out mildly, then started to climb. Through most of
today's hike we had climbing - interspersed with short downs
and level areas, sometimes rocky or webbed by tree roots.
The variable foot bed was just the kind of hiking that keeps my
leg/back gong strongly.
Early in the hike we passed a bird just off the side of the trail.
It was so sweet - spotted white breast and the size and wing
color of a robin; however, its head was a bit smaller and its
beak longer.
Just about an hour later we passed a southbound hiker wearing
  a teeshirt with an illustration of that bird on it. According to her
it was a hermit thrush, VT's state bird. One variety of thrush is
a wonderful songbird, but is becoming silent this late in the season.
You can learn so much out here on the trail!1
We walked through some filed and oast several ponds,all with
beaver dams. At one point, a dam had been built right onto the
trail's bog boards! Throughout this section we walked through
grown-in brush which crowded the trail and made my legs itch.
Spur said he liked it because it scratched his insect-bitten legs
for him, saving him the trouble!
We passed a Boston RedSox cap hanging from a tree limb just
above the trail. We considered taking it, but what if it belonged
to a southbounder? We'd be moving it farther away. We decided
  to leave it.
We had many a hazy view during all our climbs and crossed over
  many sweating rocks in the trail. We relished the cool breezes
that would occasionally waft past us. It was 93*, a record breaking
  day for VT.
We stopped at a stream and couldn't resist a little dip. A small
reservoir had been built up to form a Jacuzzi-like pool. I was able
to sit in it to a water depth up to my chin. Ahh, this is livin'!
We climbed up Glastenbury Mtn. Here is some of the most
ambitious stone staircase work I have ever seen. As we walked,
the redolent scent of balsam fir filled the air.
It seemed forever before we finally reached the Goddard shelter
where we got ice cold spring water and then continued up to the
fire tower about 1/4 mile further.
No tent sites were available - so many folks were up there already!
AWOL, Maniac, Hammock hanger, Joe, Bambi, and many others,
especially south bounders.
Polar bear was gracious enough to let us share his tiny tent site.
We pitched the tent in the middle of barren pine trees, the pointy
branches treacherously close, making moving about a real
challenge. You could poke an eye out!
An old metal pot and the remains of an iron stove were scattered
nearby - this must have been a spot for a house some time ago.
It had been 7:15 when we reached the summit. It was after 8 PM
before we had made camp. We cooked in the dwindling light and
  finish eating in the dark.
Once we retired to the tent, Spur got busy writing his journal entry
for the day; I fell promptly asleep. We'd covered 21.9 miles today.


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