Samwise Hikes the Appalachian Trail! - Trail Journal -
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August 14, Manchester Center, VT

What a day it's been! I have really been turning the town upside down with my VISA card. The outfitter here helped me get set up with a new pack & boots, both much lighter-weight than what I have been using, so I'm quite pleased. When my last pair of trail runners died, I couldn't find any suitable replacements, so I had Tony ship my boots which are broken in from the first 400 miles. But those things are meant for mountaineering, not hiking! My feet felt like anvils in them. So now I have a very lightweight pair of boots - more like high-top running shoes but with a heavy vibram sole I figure they're warm enough to get through the cold weather that's coming, but light enough to actually hike longer miles comfortably.

And my new pack is a snazzy North Face climbing pack, about 3 pounds lighter & 1200 cubic inches less roomy than my old one. It still manages to hold everything, but I hope that the arrival of my winter gear doesn't cause too many problems I still have a couple options yet - I can strap more to the outside if necessary, & I can get a couple compression sacks for my bulky gear, like sleeping bag & fleece jacket. Otherwise, I'll have to start eating more compact foods!

So that visit took up most of the day & my funds but I also managed to clean up & dry out the rest of my gear, buy enough food to eat today & get me to my next mail drop, & get a hair cut. Boy, did I need one! I'm not sure that elderly barber had ever cut a young ladies hair, & I was a little worried when I looked in the mirror & saw a Beatle bowl-head cut happening, but in the end, it's not too bad. Once I fluff it up a bit & let the part re-surface, I look fairly normal again. But I was worried that I'd have to wear my cap permanently for a while there.