Talk About TRAIL MAGIC!

7-21-09 day 49
start: Big Branch Shelter, VT
end: Back home Again Cafe @ Rutland, VT
daily mileage: 9.4
total mileage: 654.2

We had good weather starting out the day but around lunch it started raining. The rain made us slow to leave the shelter, but we had to get into Wallingford today to go to the Post Office. Disney had forgotten a bunch of his clothes at Tom's in Dalton and they were waiting here. Unfortunately we waited around too long at lunch, and by the time we got to the PO it was closed...now what? After re-working our plans we found we could hitch into the town of Rutland, VT from here, a few days earlier than we would have. Rutland has a work for stay hostel we planned on going to anyway so we figured on going there for the night and hitching back to Wallingford tomorrow. After one hitch to the edge of town, we got a second from a guy leaving the Tractor Supply. After being told not to worry about it we tossed our wet gear and bodies onto the leather seats of his Porsche. He asked all about the trail and our story and drove us all the way up to the hostel. As we thanked him and got out he goes, "Here guys, lemme get your dinner..." and handed us...$100!!! We both about pooped ourselves. This guy, a random stranger just handed us, two wet, dirty, smelly, hikers, $100! Absolutely unreal, talk about Trail Magic!