Sunday, July 17th
Zero Day
RETROFILE – Two Words
Gator/Sunrise: Today I slept in past 8 am for the first time since being on trail. The bed in the lodge was very comfy and it was perhaps the last time I could sleep in until we returned home after the thru-hike was completed.
Today was about relaxing on porch chairs, eating good food, drinking a few cocktails and watching fellow hikers on the AT as they passed through the grounds. I also watched a few furry friends that lived nearby who likewise passed through the grassy area as well as the pond.
Stevie & Christina visited friends today in Vermont. They met up with Christina’s hometown friend Kit, and Stevie’s high school friend CJ Buzzey who now owned a vineyard in the state.
On one occasion during the day, I did chat with a gentleman, who was sitting with his family on the lawn chairs, about our thru hike. He was extremely interested and asked several questions, many of them the same ones we heard time and again. However, this time it felt nice to thoughtfully answer them all because I was not in a rush to be anywhere, and he was genuinely interested in our our journey.
At night, the four of us ate dinner at The Garlic restaurant in Killington, an Italian place where we had enjoyed eating at last year, and it was just as amazing as it was then.
Believe it or not, when we returned to the lodge after dinner, I was exhausted (maybe catch-up sleep was needed), and I passed on staying up and making s’mores over the outside fire. There was a large family there and we would have needed to wait a little while, but I was ready to retire and perhaps watch a little tv. It was a great day!!
Croc: Similar to Gator, this was my best night of sleep on the trail. It was probably because I had a nice, comfy bed, but also because I woke up next to Christina and not some trashy hiker in a shelter. I finally felt clean for the first time in a while, sleeping in fresh sheets and clothes, and using real soap (not that low-quality stuff in hotels). This may be TMI, but most hikers develop rashes or bruises around their shoulders and hips due to the weight of their packs and the constant rubbing. Combined with sweat, dirt, and overall uncleanliness, it’s a disastrous combination for your skin. Using real soap to scrub these hardened areas and conditioner to get the knots out of my hair was a nice change of pace.
Christina and I finally made our way downstairs for a breakfast buffet and sat with Mom and Gator, who were already up. We grabbed some coffee and breakfast staples like eggs, bacon, toast, and some OJ. We discussed plans for the day, and Mom and Gator graciously lent us their truck so we could drive further north in VT to visit our friends.
Christina and I made our first stop of the day in Burlington, VT, to see her best friend Kit and Kit’s sister, Erin. Kit had her baby shower the day before, so this was a great way to make up for the absence. We made sure to stop by Ben and Jerry’s to grab some ice cream because “when in Rome.” Gator and I had several conversations on the trail about if we could tackle the Vermonster together with our hiker hunger. The Vermonster is 20 scoops of B&J’s ice cream, four bananas, three cookies, a giant brownie, four servings of hot fudge, ten scoops of nuts, a bottle of whipped cream, and two extra toppings (M&M’s, Oreo, sprinkles, etc.). I tried this challenge a few years back with three other friends and failed miserably, but I think the two of us could tackle it this time. Unfortunately, the Vermonster now costs upwards of $50+, and Gator wasn’t with me, so I opted for a Mini-Vermonster (only 4 scoops) and devoured it in minutes.
We then stopped by a few outfitters in Burlington to grab some compression socks for Gator and myself, as well as a few other resupplies like protein bars and hydration packets.
After we said our goodbyes, Christina and I headed over to Shelburne Vineyards to see where my high school friend CJ Buzzy worked and to grab a couple of bottles of his limited quantity, homemade “Buzzy” wine, which coincidentally had a hiker boot on its label. Unfortunately, the star of the show couldn’t make it to the vineyard (not surprising because who would want to go to their place of work on their day off?), so Christina and I grabbed a wine flight and then decided to just stop by his house a few miles down the road afterward.
After an eventful day, we drove back down to the lodge and grabbed some dinner with the parents at a fantastic garlic restaurant. This was the first time I tried the smeared garlic craze everyone was talking about, where you slow roast a whole garlic in the oven with oil, salt, and pepper until it turns into a hummus-like consistency to spread on bread. While eating, Gator and I contemplated doing a slack pack the next day to crank out some easy miles, but I think both of us secretly wanted to rest another day and spend some time with the ladies. Ultimately, Christina and Mom made the decision for us that we’d take the next day off, which immediately eliminated the “Sunday scaries” that I’m sure both of us were feeling.
We eventually headed back to the lodge with full tummies and passed out.
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