Middlebury to Ten Acres Campground (by NY’s border).
I made a decision. I may eventually change my mind back to the original goal, but for now and for the foreseeable future, the National Scenic Trail part of my quest is amended. For the NSTs I have left, except for the Ice Age Trail which I will finish this fall by slackpacking, I will do 100 miles in each state unless the state has less than a 100 miles of the trail, in which case I will do at least half that state’s miles. This gives me options and allows me to skip roadwalks if I so choose.
I have mixed feelings about this. I don’t like to not do what I have said I am going to do. That being said, the rest of my goals are going to take me at least two decades. I am currently 55 years old. I need to do whatever I can to keep my body healthy and strong, I need to be sure I don’t habitually run it into the ground.
I enjoyed seeing the beauty of Vermont once again. And who knows which hundred miles of the NST in NY I will choose to hike. Maybe a little bit in each NY region.
This decision also makes me feel a bit better about one other thing – I don’t like leaving a state if I haven’t finished all my goals. Now I can do everything in a state, which will take me two to six+ months depending on the state, without having to come back later when I do the NST or ADT thru the state. That’s been a little detail that’s bugged me. For example, I finished everything I wanted to do in VT except for AT and NST miles in 2023. Then I had to come back through it for the AT and now the NCT. Vermont is gorgeous of course, but I would prefer to just stay in the state until it’s done, then completely move on.
Anyway, I had beautiful scenery today as I hiked through farmers’ fields. Made it a fair bit on the following long road walk until my knee told me in no uncertain terms it was done for the day. I think I did 14 miles..? At that point, I sat on my bear canister on the side of the road and looked forlorn until a group of local joggers asked if I wanted a ride. One of them and his wife finished the Long Trail last week, and I enjoyed speaking with them as they drove me the remaining miles to the campground.
Tomorrow, I will walk out of Vermont and into NY. I have done almost all the NCT miles in VT, and I will consider this state done for good. The day after tomorrow, I will get off trail, rent a car for a couple of months, and finish all my other NY goals plus do 100 miles of NY’s NCT as dayhikes. I think I am mentally okay with this. I know my body will appreciate it.
