Thistle Hill Shelter

21 miles baby! (I will figure out actual mileage later... I am beat!) Last night it poured pretty hard while we slept but the sound was relaxing. I felt bad for all of the tenters (like 5 tents) who were going to have to pack wet gear in the morning. I was awake at 5:20 and on the trail before 6:00. I know that I had a ton of miles to cover so I wasn't 100% confident that I could make it happen.

In the end, it was a pretty strong day. I was able to get into a rhythm on the inclines that really helped me along. One of the cool things about today's hike was that it left the woods and went into fields and clearings near roads and hilltops.

I think in most cases it was old farming land. The result was a bit better views than I usually get to see. The only negatives were the fields were always dense with brush (I kept thinking about Lyme disease) and sometimes were very, very swampy. One cool thing was the lookout just above the hill from VT 12. There is a pretty impressive cabin up there which is open to AT hikers. Some of the wood looked like it was rotting but it was still a sweet spot.

By the time I hit Wintturi Shelter, I was about halfway and feeling pretty beat. I didn't think about how much further I had to go but focused on making it to the On The Edge Farm at VT 12 which was about 4 miles away at that point. Just before 1:00 I rolled in and feasted on a loaf of bread, sharp Cabot cheddar, a fresh tomatoe, a nectarine, a banana, 3 Gatorades... mmmmmm.


I was too full to eat their pie and ice cream but that looked amazing too. The woman working there (Lisa) was very friendly and we chatted a bit while I waited out the rainstorm that graciously waited for me to stop before it hit. Eventually another local stopped for ice cream and we all chatted on the porch for a while. After almost 2 hours, I decided I needed to go. I still had more than 7 miles to go!

The miles were tough but I made it in around 7:30. There are two others here (both NOBO like me) and they had a great fire going (Thank you!).


The water supply here is a little bit of a hike but it is beautiful. It is a waterfall. You just walk right up and at chest level, fill up!

Whike sitting on the porch st On The Edge I got to thinking about how few places have the lifestyle that these people enjoy. Not many. I don't think I could necessarily do it but I respect them nontheless. The local gentleman having ice cream had been in Pomfret his whole life (70 years) less the 4 1/2 years he spend doing sonar on a destroyer in the Navy!

Trail Names - Sofa King (say it slowly.... tee hee), Chowdah (woman from Boston, living in Colorado), Buddy - Chowdah's dog (I feel safe sleeping next to a Golden Lab for some reason!)

Mileage - .4 blue blaze to On The Edge Farm, 9.6 to Wintturi Shelter, .4 blue blaze to Wintturi Shelter, 3.7 to VT 12, 7.8 from VT 12 to Thistle Hill Shelter