Oct 01: Skyline Lodge
 
Miles Today : 13.2
Total Miles : 35.3

What a great campsite, I stayed warm and cozy on this side of the ridge despite it being windy and cold on the other side, just a few feet away. 10 feet can make that much of a difference. The hiking today was again pleasant, but not as easy as yesterday. That will continue to be the story as I head north; bigger mountains, tougher climbs, shorted days. For most of this morning I bounced up and down the ridge, enjoying several limited views along the way. The temps have risen again, and I was hot hiking in my long sleeve tee shirt.

About 10 in the morning, I crossed VT route 100 and entered the Beadloaf Wilderness. As I began the climb out of the gap, I realized that I was not paying the price for that big mile day yesterday, as was Bear. Still, we had 5 miles to go over a bumpy ridge, so on we pushed.

We got here, to Skyline Lodge and Skylight Pond, right at noon. I had every intention of pushing on, but this spot is beautiful, so why should I kill myself (or my dog)? The sun was out, and it was actually warm, and the view of the pond was killer. I studied my Edible Plants book some, and tried eating Northern Mountain Ash berries. While edible, they are extremely tart., but while cooking some, I discovered that they make a pretty good tea.

I hung out with Bear, talked with some day-hikers and lounged around letting my body rest. I met a father and daughter, Jen and Jim. Jen lives in Boulder and Jim lives in South Africa now, but they are both originally from Tweksbury, MA. We shared some conversation for almost an hour before they had to move on. Before they left, they gave me an orange, two apples, some crackers and half of a peanut butter sandwich. That made my day for sure!

Now I am sharing the shelter with Bill and Emily, two people from Vermont hiking the Long Trail south. The are moving slow for now, but are having a great time. The temperature is much warmer tonight than the last couple of nights, and the weather is supposed to be great for at least the next three days.

-Chomp

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