**Facebook Post 092417 at 3:48AM**
The Many Joys of Food on the Trail
I’m getting this food pack thing down better and better. At this point I would say I’m back to carrying a normal amount of sustenance, under 10 pounds. Not sure what I was thinking there buying so much and then sending myself even more, but I again, blame hiker hunger.
It’s insane how when you are hiking every day, all day, if you see, or even hear about, food options it’s as if the flood gates open and you want it all.
My hiker hunger got so loopy I even asked one of my friends to bring me a meatball sub and a cold soda from across state lines. He didn’t do it. Then he told me he was going to order one for himself because it sounded like such a delicious idea. You are truly an evil man. You know who you are. LOL!
Lately when I do go into a grocer, which isn’t as often as I’d like mind you, I try to have specific choices in mind. As I roam about, I keep telling myself to stay on track and grab the items I need, not everything in the store. Although, I will admit I still leave with a few things I didn’t intend to buy, I’m making better choices and not going crazy. Believe me, I want to buy everything I see. I also have found if I buy a meal to eat at that same moment, it sort of lessens the desire, at least for the time being, to buy in bulk.
I’m making conscious decisions to buy more fat and protein items and less sugar, but sugar is in literally everything these days, even meat products and cheese, so it can be difficult at times. Plus, literally from the beginning of my trip, fat and protein have been high on the list, but the eyes have a tendency of taking you to additional selections.
A strange thing I find hard to find are adequate electrolyte drink mixes. Gas stations and even a lot of grocers tend to only have the most bizarre of options. Either they sell giant jars of it, way too much for me, or they only carry the gross Aspartame laden kinds that make my stomach upset.
The Mido stuff (I think that’s what it’s called, in the weird egg shaped squeeze bottle.) makes me so sick. I have a different product also to try in a bounce box somewhere south of me, but this doesn’t help me today. I bought some Hawaiian Punch individual packs at Walmart in Gorham, but as always with Walmart, you need to read what you buy. I didn’t completely read the label and it’s the sugar free stuff. Why this mostly happens to me in Walmart, I don’t know. It might be because I always spend my time there, trying to get out as quickly as possible. I just saw the logo and grabbed it assuming it was regular Hawaiian Punch. Nope. Sugar free anything tends to make me a little queezy, but Hawaiian Punch is probably not as bad as some.
I also purchased Propel individual packets. They don’t seem to be making me sick, thank goodness, but they also have almost no taste to them.
A sweet food option I haven’t mentioned, well maybe I did at some point earlier, were all those blueberries growing wildly at the top of the mountains in southern Maine and New Hampshire. I’m not a major fan of having to bust my ass to get up to 5,500 feet over and over, but when I do, it’s a lovely surprise to have a sea of wild blueberries in front of you. There was more than one occasion where I just plopped my happy ass down and fed my face to complete enjoyment with berries.
It seemed to be a constant topic of discussion between hikers too. As you are on your way up, hikers would tell you of the reward waiting for you at the top, or you’d have to stop in your tracks because a hiker was on the ground in front of you mowing blueberries. It was really nice. Sometimes I felt like I was doing a bit more blueberry picking and not enough hiking though.
The tradeoff for being a bit farther south are the apples. Everywhere I go these days are trees filled with apples. That started in southern New Hampshire, and continued into Vermont, although I haven’t seen as many lately because I’m pretty deep in the woods and up in the mountains. They tend to be more near farms and on the side of roads, but delicious and free.
I’m pretty sure as I go more south it’s raspberries and blackberries, but I’m guessing I’m a little late in season to partake. It would be awesome if as I made my way down, I could grab some of those too though. Last year, I found myself doing the same picking of blackberries as I was of blueberries this year. You find a good bush full, and you just can’t help it. Free food!!!!
My actual last stop at a grocer was in Killington, VT, to the Killington Deli & Marketplace. I have to say, they did have a pretty wide variety of food to choose from considering they were basically just a gas station with a grocer/deli, but I got the distinct feeling they served much of the tourist community. Great sandwiches!
I had paid a whole $10 to stay in Mountain Meadows Lodge’s pool house the night before (AKA… their shed. They called it a bunk house. I slept on the floor. It had holes in it, but it did have electric. Trade off. There was no option for a shower, since they were having a wedding that weekend, but they did have laundry. I didn’t partake. Why would I? I’m not going to shower, then put clean laundry on. Gross.)
The next morning when I left the property, I had walked past some day hikers and actual guests of the Lodge on trail. Eventually saw them again at the grocer. These were wedding guests, but I’m guessing when it’s ski season, they do pretty well. Everyone coming in from all the resorts, at all hours, buying food for their rooms and cottages and outings. Plus, they had a liquor store.
I liked though, they had a sign that said hikers were not welcome in the liquor store. I’m guessing that’s hikers with their bags on. Somebody must have gotten a little grabby at some point and slipped a bottle in a bag. Thanks for ruining it for everybody Dude.
A nice twist to my visit to this grocer, was as I’m checking out the clerk asks me if I’m a hiker. Then she tells me how few are left on trail now. Then asks if I had heard about the hiker that had recently been found dead. Apparently he went missing for days. By the time they found him… Not because of what you would think. No fowl play, or bear eats man horror story. The guy simply got sick with pneumonia and I guess wandered off to rest it out and died instead. Geeze, poor guy. I didn’t hear if he was an older or younger guy, or any more details, but it makes you think. Get out of the woods if you are feeling that bad Man! Lesson for the day.
Another mentionable grocer I visited when I first got into Vermont. I had passed through on my way to the Norwich Inn to get my package with my new shoes inside. They happen to be located directly next door. It’s called Dan and Whit’s. Anyway, the place is crazy. If you are ever in Norwich, go there. There pretty much isn’t a thing on earth this guy doesn’t have. I mean literally. Another customer mentioned to me his motto is “If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.” The place reminds me of those crazy over packed flea market stores where suddenly you find yourself walking through the back room, you aren’t sure you are supposed to be there or not, but there are like 8,000 things for your eyes to lock on from floor to ceiling. Yeah, that’s this place. Except he’s got like ten back rooms. Dude, I got lost. Seriously, it took a minute once I found bug spray to figure my way out again. AND apparently there is more upstairs. UPSTAIRS?!?!? Crazy. But yeah, his store is probably the only place on the trail where I would say you could pretty much find it all. He even sold Kool Aide in small packets. What?
11:25AM Start Day 39 (092417)
•11:25AM (Estimate) Little Rock Pond Shelter (Mile 519.3)
•6:30PM (Estimate time) Griffith Lake Tenting Area (Mile 528.5) Sleep
•4:00AM Wake up, pack
•5:30AM On trail
•11:25AM VT Rte. 11/30 (Mile 539.1)
11:25AM End Of Day 39
APPROX 19.8 Miles
