03 2020-05-24 Sun – from Melville Nauheim to Goddard Shelter

07:04 It is cold, but everything is lit with sunlight. During the night I had to raise once to wrap my blue tarp around my sleeping bag cocoon. I slept in gloves even. It arrears that I forget to properly dry the tarp from previous trip, and when I unwrapped it in the middle of the cold night, I experienced a typical rotten smell of wet material. After adding additional layer for warmth, I slept comfortably till very morning. It is hard to move out of warm comfortable covers into an open cold morning air.
08:45 there is a cell signal here, so I can do my 10-minutes French lesson on Duolingo so that I do not interrupt my 177-day continuous streak. Had time for a morning porridge. I heard a steering in a bright green tent nearby and a woman emerged. She filed for her unemployment at 5 AM right from her tent and now she is ready for day adventures. Another consequence of COVID-19.
09:45 my late start of the hike. Today I have only 8.5 miles hike to the next shelter.
10:15 first quick stop to shed clothes and get an apple from backpack.
11:27 – 3 miles completed – sun is shining, temperature is rising. This is my second stop on a dead-end deviation trail called Little Pond. Change into all new, all blue summer clothes.
12:42 – third stop just short of Little Pond Mountain. Eating vegan bar with dates and nuts. Backpack is resting on a boulder.
14:11 – 7 miles completed – fourth stop – +18°C. One last climb just ahead. Sent Lira my GPS coordinates.
15:24 – arrived at my destination – Goddard Shelter. Woman from green tent is already here. Shelter does not have prohibiting signs. Good! Shelter does not have picnic table, but it is very spacious with a sleeping and with a staging/lounge area where you can spread your things, sit, cook food, and enjoy the sun. Water here is very plentiful from multiple clear springs despite you being only 0.3 from the Glastenbury summit. Today I am already on the last fourth page of the map, and my tomorrow’s goal is visible on the same sheet.
15:36 next shelter is Kid Gore. It is only 4 miles away, but I am only vaguely contemplating to continue hiking today.
I am talking to a couple of hikers from Cleveland, OH and Pittsburgh, PA. They drove in on Friday, parked their car in Bennington, VT and took a bus to Manchester, VT.
17:12 I am starting to cook vegan Backpacker’s Pantry Three Sisters Stew. Fire is lit. Discussing with a woman hiker from green tent. She did 7 times a 280 miles trail in California that you can apply and get permit only by lottery.
18:38 – 19:02 – climb the fire tower at the top of Glastenbury mountain with my stew and water. Nice view in all directions, but colder. You can see a wind farm to the South. All mountains around seem either very low or very far away. There is plenty of snow at the top, but you can walk around it.
19:37 – tea with dates bar – very good. I had to return to the tower for my walking stick.
20:00 – I can hear someone conversation on the phone nearby. One more couple just arrived from an unusual direction – directly from the South. Is there a trail there beyond the Privy?
One more person arrived already in the dark and quietly spread his sleeping think in the other shelter’s corner. Good night this day.