8/15/99 Inn at Long Trail   Miles Today : 15.6 Miles to Katahdin : 484.1

We had a little tougher day than we wanted since we quit early yesterday. This morning, we donned our cold, wet clothing and headed out. The day started like every other lately; cold, drizzly, and foggy. The good news is that the 6 mile climb up Killington, a climb we were dreading, was a piece of cake. I made it up an hour quicker than I expected. At the top, I bumped into a 97 Thru-hiker, Fuzzy Goose, who gave me a beer!

Sweet Trail Magic. While hiking along the ridge, we bumped into John, the trail runner for that area. He told us about this ROGUE trail that leads to the Pico Alpine Slide, and that hikers can get a ride for free. We found the trail, dropped our packs and went flying down the mountain. It was a great little side trip. When we got back to the top, we talked to the lift attendants, told them we were heading to the Inn, and then they offered to send our packs down if we wanted another ride. Sweet, we officially Louge-Blazed just under a mile of the trail! I walked up to the Inn to find Michelle waiting for me! She didn't think that she was going to make it, but here she was! She had already got a room for us, while DB camped across the street since his funds are out until Hanover. The Inn at Long Trail is a very nice little place, with a GREAT irish bar that serves a warm, foamy, Guiness, complete with shamrock. For anyone who likes the mountains and a good beer, this place is a MUST! I met with a few more northbounders today, Mike, Walking Home and Red Baron to name a few. All and all today was a great day and the weather even took a turn for the better. I have a tough 15 miles tomorrow, but that is how it is going to be for a while now. I am excited about how close Katahdin is getting, but sad that my trip is winding down. But for now, I am happy to be in a place that feels like home.

-Chomp

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