The mist was blowing cold as we stepped out of the ski patrol hut early in the morning on top of Bromley mountain.
Today we skipped breakfast and hiked the last 3 miles from Bromley Mountain to Vermont Hwy 11 so we could have pancakes at Bob’s Diner. After seeing rubber sap collecting hoses strung through maple trees. I had to have real maple syrup.
We had completed 112 trail miles. I had completed a few more given a couple of wrong turns and some intentional side hikes. We did the walk so I’ll dedicate Dire Straits – The Walk of Life to this hike.
“Do the walk of Life” – Dire Straits
Finally, I remember the thru-hikers and section hikers that I left on the trail to continue their quest…
- Beast – Here is to your enthusiasm that leads you to thru-hike South through the winter.
- Shaker – Here is to Yoga, Incense, and Peace of Mind.
- Patches – Here is to adventurous spirit.
- Fam – Here is to a family with the passion to attempt a winter thru-hike without assumptions or limitations.
- Star Shine – Here is to the youngest thru-hiker I know, 6 years old.
- Top Peak – Here is to a thru-hiker who persevered even though he carried way too much weight leaving from Springer.
One last thing. I kept running into geologists and geologist-philes. Our shuttle driver, Chris. A New York hiker named Woods Strider, (I suggested that the two would make a good match.), and Top Peak (As an undergraduate, already published in academic journal.)