(Blog entry for yesterday July 7)

Hi all,

We left the Happy Hill Shelter about 7:30am this morning.  We hiked the forest, Steve, Walter, and I, and eventually crossed from Vermont over the Connecticut River into New Hampshire.  A total of 5.9 miles.   We took photos from time to time.  We had lunch — BLT’s — at a grocery store.   When we crossed over into NH, we made our way to Hanover, home of Dartmouth College.  The Appalachian Trail cuts right across the Dartmouth campus; the Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the first 50 miles of the AT going north into New Hampshire.

On the trail today, we crossed multiple streams and rivers.   It is supposed to rain tomorrow, but not till the afternoon, so hopefully we will be off the trail before then.

In Hanover we stopped, on Ted’s advice, at Morano Gelato for a snack.  I had lime. Dinner at Murphy’s Tavern across the street from the Dartmouth Green.  I had fish and chips and a Long Trail Ale.   We split a brownie with a dip of vanilla ice cream.  That is not trail food.

We are staying tonight at the Hanover Inn.  We get to sleep in a real bed, and get cleaned up.   Tomorrow we are hiking 6 miles to our pickup spot, and then heading back to Winchester for a few days.

My thanks to Steve Delaney and Walter Scully who joined me for the past several days.

Rick