The forecasts for rain were correct. The State of Vermont declared a State of Emergency this day because many places were facing severe flooding, including their capital, Montpelier. Not knowing what we faced on the trail, we chose to take a zero day and stay put at Corliss Camp.
Greg (Oxford)
Greg (Oxford), from Massachusetts, and his son were section hiking the northern section of the Long Trail. They had a family engagement the following weekend and couldn’t afford to take a zero day so they hiked on. Greg thruhiked the Appalachian Trail in 1989. It was on the Appalachian Trail that he met his wife. His son thruhiked the Appalachian Trail in 2019.
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope, also from Massachusetts, was solo thruhiking the Long Trail northbound (NOBO). She was almost finished, day 17 of 19, averaging 25 km a day, and just wanted to keep going. She had stealth camped the previous night and stayed fairly dry. Her stop at Corliss Camp was just for food. She left a ramen meal with us, in an effort to ditch any extra weight in her pack.
Pan
Pan, yet another Massachusetts NOBO thruhiker, stopped in to chat and sign the register. He was travelling light. So light, 6.5 lbs base weight, that he didn’t have a shelter or a stove. When he arrived he was soaked and chilled so we offered to cook up the ramen Kaleidoscope left behind. It was his first hot meal in days.