Big Animal Country

There was an ominous sign at the start of the Trail this morning. It said “YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR COUNTRY” and reminded us of the food storage requirements. Less than two miles into this section, I spotted a large black bear running away from the Trail after he sensed me getting closer. He was a good five footer and it was such a thrill to be together in the same space. Such a beautiful animal.

It rained pretty hard all morning but my spirits were way up because I was picking up my new shoes that Bryan shipped to me. He was so sweet to also pack in two new shirts. He knows better than anyone how much I don’t want this trip to end and he bought me a shirt with the phrase “The Trail Never Ends.” I hope so and what a great gift for me right now. Two points for Bryan.

The post office in Killington was next to a deli and I had a nice breakfast and coffee while I laced up my new shoes. They felt amazing but one of the first things I did was take a hard fall on the road as I hiked out. I slipped on a piece of plastic and went sprawling all over the road. I’ve found that once you slip with a pack on you are almost guaranteed to fall backwards with all that weight. Best to just go along for the ride. Luckily, I was fine and back on my feet in no time. I wasn’t long on the Trail before I christened my new shoes in a big pile of moose scat. Well, they are broken in now.

The rain cleared and the rest of the hike was great. I saw a hundred or so of our orange gecko friends and a friendly snake that was out sunning in the Trail. I am still seeing a lot of frogs and butterflies. I have my eyes peeled for a moose and I am just hoping the iPhone is out and ready to capture a shot for you.