Trail Recap 21 of 27: Rutland, VT to Lyme, NH

Most urban piece of AT by far, downtown Hanover, NH

Cold River southeast of Rutland, VT to Lyme-Dorchester Road in western NH: 79.5 miles

General Impression/Theme:  The hills and meadows of Vermont - between the Greens and the Whites.  A very diverse and enjoyable section to hike.

People:  Trail angels and ambassadors extraordinaire Betsy 'Short-n-Sweet' and Bill 'Gray Beard' Maislen, of Norwich, VT; successful NoBo thru-hikers 'Pretzel' and J.C. who figured out who I was after seeing my van at multiple road crossings. 

Supply/Overnight:  Hannaford in Rutland; Trailhead parking lots; Mac's in Woodstock, VT;  24h Price Chopper and Kleen, Inc. Laundromat near I-89, West Lebanon, NH.

Only aluminum ladder on the entire AT, just S of 'Notown', Stony Brook Road

Worst Memory:  Worst of three bee stings, with allergic reaction.  I developed a red blotchy rash all over that lasted three days, and remained itchy for more than a week.

Best Day Hike:  Not going with some of the obvious ones this time.  My favorite was the highly varied little walk, about 1.8 miles one way,between Pomfret-West Pomfret road and Cloudland Road north of Woodstock VT.  This goes up over Dupuis hill and features sloped and high grassy meadows with fine views and pretty woods walking alongside stretches of well preserved old stone fences.

The climb to Killington's summit is my second choice for its excellent views and pretty walk through sub-alpine forest in the saddle between Pico Peak and Killington.  Come up from US 4 and do a loop hike with the old AT route, now called the Sherburne Pass Trail.

Another popular short day hike destination is the spectacular Holts Ledge cliffs in western New Hampshire.  Park at the Dartmouth Skiway parking area off Lyme-Dorchester Road.

In front of the Village Store, West Hartford, VT