Norwich, VT 1750.6 to Hanover, NH 1752.9 (2.3 miles, 727.5 total miles)
The sky began to lighten at 4:30AM, with no trees around to block the sun, since we were sleeping in a gazebo in a big field. I snoozed a little till 6, then Shrek and I packed and headed back over to the deli for coffee and breakfast sandwiches at 7.
The breakfast sandwiches and coffee were quite good, and I bought a large day old pastry for $1. The cashier told us about the hiker box that was in the foyer on our way out.
It was a small box, but chock full of goodies. It was resupply day, and we found oatmeal, peanut butter packets, tortillas, olive oil, wet wipes, and fruit snacks. It was very well put together.
After eating, I did the road walk to Hanover with Shrek. We walked under 91 at a highway overpass, and over the bridge spanning the Connecticut River that marked the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire.
It was my first time getting to a state crossing in the company of any other hiker since the Maryland/Pennsylvania state crossing in Pen Mar State Park with Turtle and Zeus. That was around 650 miles back.
I was so happy to be with someone for the occasion, especially a trail family member, and we took a few pictures to commemorate. We hiked into Hanover, which all started to look familiar to me when we hit downtown.
It was Saturday, so there were people out and about, but it was only 9:30, so things weren’t too busy. We walked through the Main Street, past parts of Dartmouth campus, and to the park next to the Hanover Food Co-op, very close to where the trail re-enters the woods.
We dropped our packs and headed back into town. We got coffee at the Dirt Cowboy Cafe, and a perused a very cool used bookshop next door. We stopped at Molly’s Restaurant for their $3 margarita special, and watched Wimbledon, taking about plans for the next couple days.
The original plan was to resupply, eat in town, hike to a shelter 10 miles out, do a 12 the next day, then a 20 to Hiker’s Welcome Hostel, where we would take a zero to gear up for the White Mountains.
We had a couple margaritas and some food, though I was still very full from breakfast. Shrek and I then walked around the Dartmouth campus for a bit, admiring the buildings. The day was sunny and perfect out, and people milled around the green. We headed over to the Co-op to resupply, and I got enough food to round out two days of hiking.
Back at the field, I repackaged everything and packed my bag with the new food. While we were there, a couple different hikers showed up. The first was a SOBO named Mickey D, and we gave him the rundown on what he had coming up ahead in northern Vermont.
Next was Uncle Iroh, whose name I was a big fan of. He sat and talked with us for a while after Mickey D left. Iroh is from Austin, so we talked about that for a while, and his experience hiking through the East Coast. He was easy to talk to, and we were chatting for quite a bit.
His friend, Bard, showed up a little later. He was also a SOBO that had taken a couple zeros in Hanover. We hung with them, while the day kept getting later. We first revised our plan to hike only 8 miles to Mink Brook, but it was looking like we might be having an unplanned nearo.
I had no problem with that, since I have no deadline and am not rushing anymore. Hiking with Shrek was definitely more laid back and flexible than with the rest of the Cult, and it made sense that she’d hung back to do her own thing for so long.
Eventually, her and I determined if we hiked a 22.5 the next day and the originally planned 20 the day after, we’d still get to the hostel at the same time. I was fine with that plan, since it wasn’t a whole week of 20s like before, and we were bookending it with a nearo and a zero.
As long as I got adequate rest I could definitely hike big miles. I’d also started to feel a lot stronger since all the time off I’d had in the past week. Rest really does equal recovery I was finding. Instead of rushing to camp every day like the Cult usually does, breaks during the day seemed to make a world of difference for me.
I was down to try out the new plan, and we knew either way we’d be dropping miles through the Whites. We’d talked earlier at Molly’s, and Shrek and I have both been saying we were having a really good time hiking together, and wanted to hike together at least through the Whites.
After that, it depended how quick both of us wanted to hit Katahdin, but mostly depended if Shrek wanted to take off faster than me, since she was getting to the end of her trip, while I was still only approaching halfway.
Now that our short term plan was decided, we walked over to Ramunto’s Brick n Brew Pizzeria, where thru hikers were lucky enough to receive a free slice of pizza. We got two slices each and sat eating, talking all the while. The food was absolutely delicious. I had a slice of pepperoni, and one of a bruschetta type with plenty of garlic.
We saw Clean Machine and Long Story arrive, and talked with them for a bit, mostly about the White Mountains up ahead. The same as I noticed last time on trail, the Whites get super hyped up and talked about for a while before getting there.
I have a slight advantage that I have hiked them before, and can give hikers the lowdown on what it’s like. I have enjoyed being a source of information, and I always try to encourage hikers that it’s really worth the extra work for the very magical mountains that the Whites are.
Even more than hiking New Hampshire, I am more excited than I can say to get into Maine. It’s an amazing state on the AT, it also will be farther north than I ever got on the trail before, and I will finally get to hike Katahdin.
When I was struggling on trail recently, I was scared I might start to doubt myself if I would be strong enough to finish. Crossing the 700 mile mark, and realizing I am 1/3 of the way through, and having now made it through two mental crises on trail and come out stronger, I’ve really felt like I’ve hit a new and more confident phase in my hike. A new chapter, as Shrek has heard said on the trail before.
After a quick stop at the Co-op one more time, we grabbed our bags from the field again, and walked to the trailhead where the forest began. There were several spots to camp right among the pines, and we got set up for the night.
A hiker named Stealth stopped on his way through and chatted with us. He knew Shrek, but we were meeting for the first time. I had heard about him, though. He is in his 40s or 50s, from Quebec, and hiking past Katahdin back home to Canada.
The AT extends further to the International Appalachian Trail, which gets hiked less often on a thru, but certainly interests me. Stealth was recovering from Lyme, but was doing much better.
Uncle Iroh showed up as well, and found a spot a little way up the hill from us. He came down to hang out for a bit later on. There was another hiker we didn’t know in an MSR tent nearby, too. Clean Machine and Long Story were staying in town.
It was more AT thru hikers other than the Cult that I had seen in one place in quite a while. It was great to see everyone, and to meet SOBOs that I might be seeing on the southern half of my hike.
I had a great day in Hanover with Shrek, and very much thought it was worth taking the day to hang out here and make up the miles tomorrow. It was so bittersweet to know the northern half was winding down, but some of the best parts of the trail were ahead, and for that I was very grateful.