At times, it seems that our world expands on trail, opening into the wide, expansiveness of the trail (“When will we reach that road/trailhead/town?!”) and other times, like in Massachusetts and Vermont, it has felt like we are just one or two degrees separated from people who seem like strangers.

Serendipity #1

One of the first towns you visit in MA on trail is Great Barrington. I hadn’t been to it, but was looking forward to visiting because I recalled that Orion Magazine, a magazine I like, operated out of this town. We celebrated John’s birthday here with pizza and carrot cake, but didn’t want to stay long because the “budget” hotels were over $200/night. Another thing is that these parts of New England have almost no hostels. But there are a handful of private homes and owners who let hikers stay with them.

This is how we found ourselves with Jess Treat. Her lovely, cozy home is in Sheffield, just a short drive from Great Barrington. Through conversation, we learned that she was published by Coffee House Press before my time (in the ’90s). She runs a bed and breakfast for hikers, and we stayed with her for two nights and enjoyed a couple days without our packs, blueberry pancakes, and her company as well as her friend Heath’s.

We found ourselves climbing mountains again. Yes, these are small mountains but after so many miles of pretty easy trail, we had to re-engage our muscle memory for ascending Greylock.

The upside to all of this climbing is the forest. The change from leafy and muddy spaces to mossy, coniferous forests is something we look forward to every time our muscles start yelping with fatigue. The moss is so thick it feels like carpet or velvet, and it is teeming with life-critters and bugs, mushrooms, ferns, and plants.

We made a short visit at the residence of “the cookie lady,” just outside Dalton, MA. John helped her water her flowers (she had recently broken her clavicle), and we both ate some cookies and picked blueberries.

In North Adams, we trekked a full 0.6 miles off trail to score a breakfast and pack out a lunch at Renee’s. After a short chat with a couple at the diner, we later learned from the waitress that they bought us breakfast. Trail magic is amazing!

We made it to Vermont that same day, on August 15. With just three of fourteen states remaining, the end of the trail started to seem tangible.

Then we met the Vermont mud. The first forty or so miles were some of the muddiest we have had so far (though we hear Maine has a lot in store for us).

The rest of the trail in Vermont was pretty fast, maybe some of the smoothest terrain so far.

Vermont has a number of shelters and tent sites with caretakers and a small fee. We loved and took advantage of the “pond” sites. (These very large ponds made me wonder if there is actually a difference between a lake or a pond. For the limnologist view on the difference between lakes and ponds, I consulted this article from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Enjoy!) We stayed at both Stratton and Little Rock Ponds and enjoyed one of the last of our summer swims.

Maybe one of the most magical stays we have had was on Bromley Mountain, where they leave the ski patrol hut open to hikers. It’s a primitive cabin – no running water or electricity – but has the luxury of four walls, a door, and windows that open. It’s not usually safe to stay on a mountaintop without these amenities, and we were happy for the protection from the rain and thunderstorms. Additionally, Bromley has a chair lift with a safety net that makes for a cozy spot for taking in the first of the 360 degree views of the mountains. We listened to the thunderstorm that evening from the safety of the hut, and watched the sun rise and wash the mountains with its morning light. We left Bromley with a lot of anticipation for the mountains ahead of us.

Serendipity #2

We have mostly only hitched with a larger group of hikers. Once we were about to hitch into Glasgow, VA when a car pulled up for another hiker and we hopped in too. (Great Fish, thanks for standing out there and letting us mooch.)

But after Bromley, we needed to resupply and this required a hitch into and out of Manchester Center, VT. At the trailhead, we put our thumbs out for about five seconds before a small pickup pulled up with a woman named Susan behind the wheel and a lot of camping and hiking equipment in the cab. We jumped in to find out her daughter (“Little Beast”) is a thru-hiker we met back in Pearisburg, VA.

Serendipity #3

Hitching out of town was harder. We had filled up on town food (really good but pricey burgers at Depot Burger) and wanted to nap. But we smiled and tried to look harmless with our packs on and our thumbs out. After about ten minutes, a couple with a French accent pulled up and offered a ride. After some chatting, we discovered that the couple was from Boston and that the woman was a friend of a Wildflower teacher.

Killington Peak

We had another opportunity to have a friend join us on the trail. We shuttled ahead to the Inn At Long Trail and then went back to where we left off and hiked with Peter, a friend of John’s from business school, over Killington Peak.

Along the way, we enjoyed the moss and mushrooms and then a sign indicating that we had just 500 miles to go! We. Are. So. Close.

We felt so good about our proximity to our trail destination that we took a day off with Peter in Burlington. We enjoyed the drive through the Green Mountains of Vermont and relaxing and taking care of town chores in Burlington. We bought groceries at the co-op there, which included lots of Vermont cheddar cheese and croissants from a local bakery.

After seeing all the turquoise stained wood on trail, we finally found the accompanying mushrooms for chlorociboria aeruginascens or chlorociboria aeruginosa. They are tiny, delicate jewels, and so satisfying to spot.

And, as the weather cools and we find ourselves in alpine forests, the fungi scene is off the hook. Here are a few of the finest we have seen.

Starting in MA and VT, the caterpillars have been out in full force, along with a few chrysalides.