I didn’t sleep too well last night. I had a tough time just trying to fall asleep, and then we had a few night hikers pass by around 11:30pm which didn’t help my cause. I was grateful when the sun finally rose and we could pack up and head out.
We passed through a few towns on our hike today, beginning with West Hartford, VT. We had high hopes that a coffee shop or bakery would be open so we could grab a treat, but alas there’s really not much in that town. We were able to refill on water at the sign shop before moving on. There was a steep hike up out of West Hartford, but before long we reached Norwich, VT. Frome there, we had a long road walk over the Connecticut river, where we left Vermont behind and entered our second to last state… New Hampshire.
The trail passes right through downtown Hanover and the campus of Dartmouth University. We arrived early for our meet up with Bear Bell’s dad and stepmother, Larry and Peggy, so we got some much needed coffee. When Larry and Peggy arrived we headed across the street for lunch at a place called Molly’s Tavern. They have a decent tap selection, Bear Bell and I both went with a Jack’s Abby hoppy lager, and the food is good. Especially the mac and cheese, which apparently is one of the best in the state. That’s what I had, and it didn’t disappoint.
After lunch Larry and Peggy brought us over to the hotel we’re spending the night in. We were treated to some Country View Raspberry pie, made by Peggy. It really satisfied that desire for baked goods. After a little pie and wine in the hotel, Larry and Peggy brought us back into Hanover so we could slack pack a 6 miles section of trail to meet up with our friend Michelle. They joined us for a short section of trail in town before we parted ways.
That last 6 miles went pretty quickly without full packs. There were no great views, but the woods were pretty. We found Michelle doing a little trail magic at the trailhead where we planned on meeting her. We all headed back to the hotel, got cleaned up, went out for some dinner, then spent the evening relaxing and watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. We’re looking forward to the next few days of slack packing, and more comforts of home.
