August 2 Mile 1606
Bennington, VT, Hiway 9

Slept well and got up early as ever, even though it wasn't necessary. In fact, last evening, as it was starting to rain and we had nothing to do, we went to bed at about 6:30! Only 5 miles to go today to get to Route 9 to Bennington, VT, where my cousin is picking us up.  Kinda of cloudy, muggy morning. Only had two cool dry days in the past two weeks and I had expected more from New England. Interesting that the forests up here are just about as warm as our Southern woods, at least in July, anyway.  Pretty forest today, lots of ferns, mostly a ridge walk with a big downhill of 1000 feet at the end of the morning when we came down to Route 9.  Very steep with lots of steps. Better than going up I suppose. My left knee felt a little twitchy the day before and I had the same feeling today. Maybe good this is our last day. Maybe 145 miles and 2 weeks is my limit? Plan to finish, but over a period of years.  I think the amount left is 578 miles, this year anyway.  They are sure to continue to lengthen the Trail.  Cisco says Vermont gets prettier as we go and the boring parts are now past.  And New Hampshire and Maine are billed as spectacular. Can't wait. When we return to the spot we left on Hiway 9, it's straight up a couple of thousand feet in just a mile or so.  Tough beginning. I definitely need to get into shape before I return-Stairmaster is best, Cisco says.
Got down to the road about 10:30, and we were five miles from town. While trying to hitch a ride standing by a Trail parking lot, a guy sitting in a red truck came over and said. "I'm here on vacation, do you need  a ride into town?" "Yes!" we say.  "OK," he responded, "I'll do it for $5, to help pay for my vacation." $5 for 5 miles? Sounds great to me! So we said, "Great! let's go."  On the Trail your city reservations and fears fall away. Maybe, unwisely. Yes, I suppose this guy could be a serial killer, but with a ride to town, we'll take our chances.  Pleasant ride to town and the guy driving us talked about wanting to move to Vermont from Pennsylvania.  Dropped us off in the picturesque town of Bennington. VT, where we found a pub open to grab an early lunch while we waited. Even though we were only out for two weeks and had several town eating opportunities, it amazing how good city food tastes out here. I guess it's something about the deprivation, and knowing you can't have it on the Trail.

Fern Fields along the VT trail

Coming down near Bennington

Foggy Vermont morning

Picked up by 12:30 and in the car for a 130 mile ride to Burlington, stopping along the way at pretty VT towns to explore bookstores and ice cream shops.  Can't see this from the Trail, and I know the distance would take me almost two weeks to hike. Looking up from the road, I see all of the tough tall mountains we will have to climb on our return, whenever that will be. From southern Vermont the AT doesn't go that far north, but bends east at Killington about 90 miles north of where we got off, and goes into New Hampshire at Hanover, home of Dartmouth College, but we leave that for another day.......