Clarendon Gorge and Airport Overlook

Woody dog and I went for a hike today. Normally I just bring Buster. Woody is getting up there in age and he hurt his shoulder attempting to play soccer. He's yet to go hiking with me this season. But because he had to go to the vet to get a few shots I figured that he could go for a hike. I left Buster at home and went directly to the trail head after the vets. This is why Buster stayed home.

Clarendon Gorge is south of Rutland on 103. There's a pretty big parking lot where the Long Trail crosses the road, this crossing unlike the one at the base of Bromley, is well marked and visible from the road. I had read that there was an overlook just south of the gorge. So Woody and I went to investigate.
We got to the gorge and there is a suspension bridge. Woody wasn't too sure about crossing the bridge as it kind of swayed back and forth with each step but he made it across.

We then continued to go up an incline. The trail was pretty well marked, I could see the next white blaze ahead from the blaze I was next to. This has proven to be the case for most Long Trail/ Appalachian Trail hikes I've been on. Well marked and maintained. It was only a mile in from the parking lot but the incline was pretty steep. The higher you go the better your view is. I didn't realize how steep it was until I started going down. the trail doesn't switchback at all, and basically goes straight down a steep hill. Overall, not bad though. The view was great. It was windy and definitely acting like fall which is what I've missed living in West Africa.

I had a clear view of the airport from the lookout. there are actually two. There's a lower on that shows the view more on the northern side of things and then there's the higher view to the west. Unfortunately there were no planes flying in when I was up there, but maybe another time. Round trip it was 2 miles.

I've been having a great time exploring the trails that surround my house. I always have a hiking companion in my dogs and I like the solitude and peacefulness that is in every hike. It really is a form of meditation. I was reading On the Wild Edge and the author asked his wife 'what do you think about when you walk' her answer, 'nothing and everything.' That's how it is for me too. I think of nothing and everything at the same time. Going into the woods and walking around is an extended release of endorphins (fyi: endorphins are the chemical in your brain which make you feel happy). Because of this feeling that I get when I hike, I feel that I'm pursuing a career path which is right for me. Hiking and being outside make me happy, I think I'll try doing that for awhile.

Hiking

I've been on a few more hikes since I last posted. I first went over to White Rocks. I remember White Rocks and the Ice Beds being a great thing to do as a kid. I went back and frankly the trail was poorly marked and maintained. I decided I didn't need to get lost that day and decided to hike out. I've been lost in the woods a few times, which can be fun, but I had two dogs one with a bum shoulder. I unfortunately forgot to bring my camera for this hike, so there are no pictures of the overlook we did make it to.

The next hike I went on went much smoother. My mom and I had decided that we wanted to hike Pico Peak just north of Rutland. But because I had to work I got back too late to really give this hike the time that it deserved. By the time we got back to the house it would have been pushing 6pm, if the hike had taken longer than anticipated we would have been hiking out in the dark, not something that I enjoy. Instead we went over to Little Rock Pond. I had already been before, but the last time I went it was threatening rain the whole time, this time it was beautiful weather. We hiked a little further out around the pond to get to a rock overlooking the pond, great place for lunch.

Little Rock Pond is a favorite spot along the AT andLong Trail. I believe this is because it's easy to get to, well maintained and also peaceful. You can also take a round trip 4 mile hike to the pond, 5 mile hike to the rock, or 7 mile hike around the pond. We got home in good time and still felt accomplished.

Yesterday I got my hands on a new map of the Long Trail showing all the little day hikes I could do! I looked at the weather report and decided that I should go for a hike. I then picked Bromley Mountain as my destination. The trail looked easy enough to find, the AT/ Long Trail cut across Route 11 where there was apparently parking and that was where the trail started up Bromley. Figured this couldn't be too hard. I get to the area around 9:30, after going back and forth on route 11 looking for the trail I got frustrated and gave up. There were no clear signs, I went down numerous dirt roads, no trail head postings. Normally there is a big brown sign posting a topo map, trail conditions, and a sign in log. There was nothing. Not even a small sign to show where the AT/ Long Trail ran across the road. Seriously, if anyone know exactly where this is (note I was south of Bromley not north) please let me know. I headed back feeling a little defeated. My poor dog was in the back of my car with his hiking harness on, waiting patiently to go for a stroll in the woods and here I was ready to give up, I hadn't gotten him into his harness for nothing. I began to think of a few places we could go as a back. Little Rock Pond came up, we could have gone into it the back way as we saw where one of the roads intersected with Route 11. I've done that twice this summer though. I then thought about Haystack in Pawlet or Mount Tom in Woodstock. These seemed a little far. Thought about Clarendon Gorge, once again it was a little far from my present location. I considered Okemo because it's so close. This seemed a little long of a hike to start at 11:00. I then remembered as a kid I had gone to the Coolidge State Park in Plymouth. We had taken a field trip there and I had hiked some trial. I couldn't remember how long it was or why we where there but I did remember walking through the woods. I figured it was worth a shot.

I got out there and drove in a little ways to find a round trip 3 mile hike to a vista and back. Perfect.

The trail went along the side of a hill the whole time one side was open enough to see the scenery beyond it and to realize how high you really were. The trail was well marked and maintained, was nice to be off the AT/ Long Trail, the trail clearly had less traffic. The AT/Long Trail hikes I've been on have been wider, this trail was much slimmer. Lesson in Leave-No-Trace (LNT) hiking: the more people that hike a trail the wider it normally gets. When there is an obstacle in the trail (like a puddle or log) people tend to go around it. If enough people do this the trail is effectively re-routed or widened. So if you're on a trail and see a puddle in the middle or a log it is better to walk through it/ over it if possible to preserve the areas surrounding the trail, after all everyone is there because they enjoy spending time in nature. I got back to the car and ended up back at my house at 1:30. It was a short round trip 2 miles, but it was good to get out and hike.

Next time I try Bromley I'm thinking I should start from just north of Bromley and hike south to the peak rather than try to find the trail head again.

Other hikes on the to-do list:

Pico Peak

Baker Peak

Haystack Mountain

Mount Tom

Book I just finished and highly recommend if you like Edward Abbey/ Aldo Leopold: On The Wild Edge by David Petersen

Breaking in New Boots!

After hiking Little Rock Pond, an easy 4 mile round trip hike that's as flat as you're going to get in the Green Mountains, I realized that I needed new hiking boots. The ankle supports were shot and there wasn't really any padding left in the foot bed. I also questioned the integrity of the stitching along the sides. Before I left for Benin I knew that I wanted new boots but didn't want to invest a bunch of money on boots that were going to get Africa'd. This was a good choice, everything that I brought to Benin Africa'd in some way shape or form.

Along with my new boots I purchased water bottles and a new harness for my dog that wasn't going to strain him too much. I was going to go on Friday but the weather didn't really cooperate. I knew the trail was steep in parts and going down on the slick rocks wasn't my idea of a good time. Buster and I packed up and left today. It was real funny, when I got my boots on and my bag packed Buster knew what was going on and was real excited to go. He hoped right in my car and looked at me with the 'I can't wait! Lets go!' expression. I got to the trail and remember that it was pretty tough last time I did it but also reminded myself that I was in much better shape than I was last time (during college) believe it or not studying isn't an aerobic activity. I got to the trail head, looked at the topo map, found the direction I needed to go if I got lost, and then looked at the mileage. I read online that this trail was 1.5 miles up, making it a 3 mile trip in total. This is about how many miles I've been running/ walking everyday. When I looked at the trail head, a more reliable source than the internet, it stated that it was 3 miles up, totaling a 6 mile hike, oops. I knew that this wasn't going to be a problem for me, but I'd brought my little dog with me. I considered getting back in the car and heading over to white rocks or little rock pond, but he was pointed up the trail looking back at me with the expression that said 'hurry up, we've got a mountain to climb!' I figured that if he got tired only part way up we could go down from there. My dog pulled me all the way up the mountain. It was as if a constant helping hand was encouraging me. He had expended so much energy pulling me up the mountain that by the time we ate lunch and got back on the trail he didn't pull me back down the mountain. I wondered how he did it, a little dog dragging a person 4 or 5 times his weight up a mountain, without stopping. I asked my dad once why dogs can go so fast and he said 'it's because he's got two more legs that you do.' I think that this also applies in this situation.

We made it! safe and sound, and buster is now passed out next to me. I think that I can't bring him on a longer than 6/7 mile hike in the future. But for now that leaves quite a few left to do in Vermont!

Rose Water and Honey Skin Toner

OK everyone, you may or may not know that I absolutely LOVE natural cleaners/ cosmetics. I honestly feel a little bit better about life in general knowing that at least some things don't contain harsh chemicals. Before going to Africa I've made lib balm, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, my favorite thing to make is soap.

Since coming back from Benin I've noticed that I'm prone to breakouts. I kind of actually feel like a 16 year old sometimes with the amount of zits on my face. Today I thought I'd do something about that. Looked through a few books on natural body care and found a great toner that I thought I'd share with my Internet readers.

Rose/ Honey Toner:
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Rose Water (found at health food stores near to essential oils)
2 Tablespoons witch hazel/ vodka.
drop or two of tea tree oil (optional)

Combine all ingredients and then apply to face using a cotton ball/ bath tissue.

Personally I used witch hazel because I'd rather smell a bit like a cleaner rather than a drunk. I put it on and it was awesome. I highly reccomend you try it. I left it on for a few minutes and then rinsed my face with cold water to get rid of the sticky feeling.

For more information on what honey can do for your skin click here

Little Rock Pond with Buster

A few days ago I signed up for a Wilderness First Responder(WRF) course. Once completed, I will be WFR certified. Now some of you may be wondering why I'm going to be spending my hard earned Peace Corps readjustment allowance on 10 intensive days of WFR training. The answer is to be a professional environmental educator who leads kids in the woods on a regular basis, this certification is pretty much standard. Also people won't take you very seriously if you don't invest your time and money into this course. So I signed up and received some pre course information. Within this pre-course information it was stated that you should be able to carry a quarter of your body weight, over rough terrain, in the day or night, 4 miles in 4 hours. I realize that 4 miles in 4 hours is not difficult, and defiantly something that I can do. But if this 4 miles is straight up a mountain, I could do it, but I would be very uncomfortable. So my goal for the next month is to get in shape so that carrying a quarter of my weight 4 miles isn't that big a deal. I also don't want to be the last one of the bunch dragging ass up the mountain with everyone else already done.

I figured that I'd start the day after I found this out. So I found an easy hike, 4 miles in fact and put weight in my pack to equal a quarter of my body weight. As I was preparing the night before, my mom suggested that I take our dog Buster. I woke up the next morning and I put everything in the car, including dog stuff. I located the trail head on the map and was off! With my trusty dog beside me, I was ready for a hike. I got a little mixed up getting there, believe it or not random dirt roads aren't marked very well by their forest road numbers. We finally arrived and it looked like it was going to rain any second. But I wasn't going to turn back. If it had poured and it was just me I would have gone, but I couldn't see taking my little boston terrier on a 4 mile hike through the rain. I figured that I would go as far I could until it started to rain and then turn around so that my dog didn't get too cold.

I did end up making it to the pond and back again without it raining in under 3 hours, this included stopping at the shelter out of curiosity and then going down the pond to eat my lunch. I only met 5 other hikers on a relatively nice day on a trail that's heavily used. I figured that this was pretty good. Overall I thought while hiking that this is really a good fit for me, leading kids into the woods. With my backpack on, and my dog walking through the woods I felt like I belonged. It was good to get back and remember why I love the woods so much.

Other hikes on my list: white rocks, okemo, baker peak, killington, and along the Long Trail.

Logistical Nitty-Gritty, then Caspian

The past month I've been living at my families cabin (camp) located in Caspian Lake. This is really my favorite place in the whole world. I've yet to find another place that can conjure up such warm fuzzy feelings as when I think of camp. I knew that I was going to do this so I figured that I should probably get all the little important things done before I left.

In one week I went to a wedding, got a car, car insurance, health insurance, went shopping for a new wardrobe, got my hair cut, cleaned out my room of unnecessary junk, organized my student loan information, applied for a job, contacted former employees, unpacked my things, worked on my african fabric quilt some more, and gave away some gifts that I had brought back.

I felt pretty darn productive!

I came home during that month I was up at camp for probably a total of 4 days. But during those 4 days I had a job interview, did chores (like laundry), signed up for a wilderness first responder course, bought some books for GRE prep, and gave a presentation about my Peace Corps experience to some members of the community.

Now on my list:

Study for GREs

research grad schools for a masters in environmental education.