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September 11th, 2021: (0 miles, 0 ft elevation gain)
As I wrote in my last post, I decided to take a zero-day. Which is just trail talk for not hiking. Since I booked another night at the Killington Motel, my only goals were to relax, watch some college football, and get some laundry done.
I woke up at 09:00, and after breakfast and a few hours, I caught the bus to the laundromat. When I arrived, my day became even better.
I went into the laundromat, and who do I see? Ryan from McGrath’s. Along with him were his parents. They were in town on vacation and had helped Ryan get a hotel yesterday after we parted ways. I introduced myself, and they graciously lent me some detergent and invited me to join them at the sports bar, which was upstairs. I joined Ryan and his parents on the deck at the outside bar. It was a beautiful day, a perfect opportunity to enjoy a few beers and relax. I learned Ryan and his family were from western Massachusetts, and they were in town to support Ryan on his hike. We sat together for about an hour, talking and enjoying the warm weather.
After a few hours, they were ready to leave and offered me a ride back to my motel, but I wanted to hang at the bar for a bit longer. So we said our goodbyes, and they paid for my drinks. I tried to argue with them, but they would not hear of it. Ryan was getting back on the trail tomorrow too, so I told him I would see him out there.
People often talk about how friendly the backpacking/outdoors community is, and Ryan’s family was a perfect example. These people did not know me at all, and yet in the span of a few hours, they had shown me so much kindness. I vowed to repay that kindness forward if I could.
After ordering some dinner and watching my Purdue Boilermakers demolish the UConn Huskies (Boiler Up!!!). I picked up my clothes and walked back to the motel.
When I returned, I organized my gear and prepared for bed. I have to check out early tomorrow and start the next section.
Previously: Long Trail: Day 7 (Clarendon Shelter to U.S. Route 4)
Next: Long Trail: Day 9 (U.S. Route 4 to David Logan Shelter)