Had a short day due to my long day yesterday, but I knew the weather had rain in store for me so it was worth it. Hiked down to Norwich, VT and then crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire.
Had a few errands to run in town besides the normal resupply. I was really impressed with the waterproof socks so I had ordered an additional pair. Picked those up, and then went to the post office to forward a package. My friend sent me some gifts but I wanted time to enjoy the surprise, and my day was looking full. USPS will forward unopened packages for free so I sent it ahead to my next stop. Hikers call this a bounce box.
One of the cool things was that the box had postage paid in stamps. This year you can buy Appalacian Trail Stamps that celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the ATC. Some of the stamps capture places I took pictures of!
Stopped at Lou's for a free muffin. This is a treat reserved for long distance hikers.
Had lunch at the Dartmouth food hall. I know I had the same thing available to me in undergrad but it's just different and overwhelming after such a long time. Unlimited everything. Good grief.
After eating too much, I got a hotel room in town and cleaned up the most offensive gear. These were socks, underwear, and the camp kitchen. I only needed to make it another three days to my next stop but things were getting rough.
I resupplied at the local food coop. This was a nice change from Walmart. I was able to refill some containers with peanut butter, oatmeal, and other staples instead of buying more throwaway plastic.
Back to the room for blog updates, some reading, and a long stretching session. Headed out for dinner at a local restaurant with some live music.
