Happy Hill Shelter, Vt., AT NOBO mile 1,737.3, Sunday June 8, 2014 — The sky is blue. The leaves are brown. The trail goes up. The trail goes down.
I recited this little ditty all winter. It’s still true except that the leaves are now green. Today was a pleasant hike that was all about PUDs – pointless ups and downs.
Trail conditions were the only other remarkable note. The mud in this section has dried up for all intents and purposes. Only residual blood sucking insects remain. They were relentless today, but oceans of DEET kept them at bay.
The uncut weeds are a problem. A study last year proved that the vector for deer ticks, the carriers of Lyme Disease, is trailside vegetation against which hikers brush. They also help spread invasive species in the same motion.
It’s a jungle out there and all if us are concerned that we won’t find all the deer ticks that find us. I just wish the trail overseers would be more diligent about keeping the weeds and other vegetation cut back.
Four miles to Starbucks in the morning. Indeed! I can use the caffeine.
Last night my blog was so boring that I fell asleep while typing.
True story. If it’s reputation holds true, I think NH hiking will eliminate the boredom.
Weeds grow fast and it’s a lot of trail to maintain. It might be impossible for the volunteers to keep the grass short.
I have an idea, hikers should carry a scythe and mow the grass as they go 😉
I’ve weeded many a mile. Just put a swing blade out there. 🙂
Only 448 more miles to go! Must just keep putting one foot in front of the other……….
Nice ladder. We encounter a couple of them on a hike in Indiana this winter. Ours were wooden tho.
Our daughter seems to have contracted Lyme disease and only just got diagnosed. It has been maybe 4 years by her estimation. It is doing bad things to her. Keep the little buggers off of you.
Indeed.