Hello everybody! Welcome to what is probably the second-to-last Quester update! It’s been a while since I last wrote. . and that is because I have been on the road, livin’ the life of the Traveling Quester Coordinator (aka Traily Godmother) for the past week. The second-session Adirondack group has completed their canoeing section and has commenced their backpacking section, while the Long Trailers have hiked from Birch Glen (just north of the Appalachian Gap) to Shooting Star (just south of the Canadian border!), and probably by the time you are reading these words, will be at Journey’s End Camp. But I’m guessing that you want a few more details. . so, to make a short story long:
Field Specialist Tim and I filled our backpacks to the brim with resupplies and hiked from the road at Smuggler’s Notch to Sterling Pond, where we arrived many hours before the group. Their tardiness was, of course, excusable. They did hike over twelve miles that day up and over the tallest peak in Vermont, Mount Mansfield at 4,393 feet. From the top of a ski lift, looking West, an orange-and-red sun sinking behind the mountains, Tim and I decided how nice of us it would be to have dinner laid out for the tired and weary Questers. Oliver was the first to arrive, talking about endorphins enabling him to sprint up the final hill to greet us. The rest of the Questers arrived soon after, in chatty and laughing groups of twos and threes, delivered hugs and descended upon an appetizer of sweet cinnamon bread, which was leftover from Visiting Day. I caught bits of enthusiastic conversations of how their day was. I heard about The Forehead, The Nose, The Chin, and Adams apple, and even having to squeeze through the Needle’s Eye. They were referring to the various parts of Mount Mansfield. Some agreed that certain sections that they had been dreading weren’t all that bad, while others felt the strain of the days’ long trudge throughout their entire bodies. All agreed on one thing however; they were HUNGRY! They continued to share trail stories while the sky lingered in a brilliant hue of reddish-orange, stuffing themselves with burritos. After dinner, during evening meeting, many of the Questers shared how proud they felt of their accomplishments, especially the recent big-mile days. Amelia spoke of how happy and confident she felt in the groups’ ability to “do anything that we put our minds to”. It was a proud moment to be a Quester.
Oliver disappeared back down the trail for a day-off, while the rest of us set up camp by the lights of our headlamps. That night we did get to enjoy a campfire alongside a summer camp from the Adirondacks. This other group of teens was out for four days, and was in awe of our Questers, who had been out for nearly an entire month. Not that I was intentionally eavesdropping or anything, but I did hear the Questers giving advice on proper trail clothing, cooking and bathing. They enjoyed the hang-out time, especially Luna, who chatted away in Spanish with a camper from the Basque region of Spain, where Luna has spent much of her childhood.
The next day was a “zero day”. . a day to sleep in past 7, to not have to pack up tents, to not eat granola or oats for breakfast, to not have to keep track of the hiking mileage, but to catch up on letter-writing, reading, snoozing, and chilling out. We ate gourmet meals, including the best grilled cheese pita I have ever had, melted to perfection by Rowan and Sammy. We had Silent Meeting on the shore of Sterling Pond, then did an activity, hosted by Hannah, on how we react during times of conflict, which was especially pertinent for their upcoming group solo. I know the Questers would be disappointed in me if I didn’t mention Dean Koontz, who is a National Bestselling author. If the only way that I can get the Questers to read this blog after their trip is to lure them in with Dean Koontz, so be it. Luna picked up one of his books at a shelter and Simon has become the group narrator, taking every opportunity to read aloud from their new favorite novel. Simon has introduced into the Quester daily schedule “Dean at Dawn” and “Dean at Dusk”, offering snippets of inspiration during morning and evening meetings.
That evening, we decided to all hike back down to the road at Smuggler’s Notch to meet Oliver, say goodbye to Hannah for the night, and to refill empty packs with new food, which included lots of new trail bars from Aida’s family (how excited they were!). We ate a late and delicious dinner, listened to more Dean Koontz and settled in to the lovely evening. Oliver and I sat for a while on the chair lift, watching a very bright moon rise over Madonna Peak, illuminating the expanse of hills around us. The next day, we’d be on the move once again.
My final day with the group during this resupply we hiked 7.1 miles from Sterling Pond to Bear Hollow, going up and over Madonna Peak, Morse Mountain and Whiteface Mountain. The nicest view was from Madonna, where we enjoyed a bright and sunny Silent Meeting, most of us gazing back at Mount Mansfield. A few steep ups and steep downs later, we enjoyed pita pizzas over a woodfire. That evening, Oliver briefed the group for what lay ahead of them over the next few days: their group solo, a highly anticipated privilege on their big journey! Oliver and I hugged them good night, for they would be on their own starting the following morning.
Oliver and I enjoyed stalking behind the group, ensuring that we didn’t get too close to them. Hannah was waiting for them on the intersection of the Long Trail and Route 15 (near Johnson) with a rich and decadent chocolate cake and cold milk (what a special treat!) to deliver them the food and gear they would need for their solo. Once the group was off again, Oliver and I rejoined Hannah and Tim, as well as Hannah’s parents and dog, who had come to hike a bit with the two leaders. And then it was just Tim and me, left with two huge slices of the chocolate cake, and a three hour drive back to Saltash Mountain.
Back at camp, things were super busy and high-energy, as SAM campers were getting ready to leave on their Long Trips, the same day that I would be leaving with Jason to resupply the Adirondack Questers. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen the walk-in fridge as full as it was the night that I put the finishing touches on the resupply food. The following day, a gorgeous sunny one, we drove into the beautiful ‘Dacks. Jason picked the group up from the boat launch and I met them at the campground. From the sounds of it, they had a marvelous time canoeing. The group talked about the tranquility and serenity of paddling, Silent Meetings in the canoes, the adventure of jumping off of rocks into the water, and the portages, oh the portages! Woody spoke of how impressed he was with the group during the portages. Everybody was chatty, laughing and getting along together really nicely, which is always such a pleasure to see from a group.
This group enjoys deep conversations, talking about everything under the sun, from gender and sexual orientation, to Harry Potter, car mechanics, and entertaining court cases. Never a dull moment. I had raided the SAM camp costume barn and as soon as I showed up, also bearing a guitar and mandolin, we promptly redressed into evening wear, had a dance party, with Rachel providing lovely guitar melodies, then went out for a scrumptious dinner of pulled pork, BBQ chicken, cole slaw, mac’n’cheese, and burgers. A highlight from that evening was watching people’s expressions and smiles as they noticed our outfits, a blend of colorful patchwork and red fake leather jackets, a shiny blue robe, a black prom dress with sequins, an orange carrot suit, sparkly hats, and a plethora of multi-colored dress shirts and skirts. One thing I love about F&W trips is that we bring F&W with us wherever we go. One of our waitresses, a woman from Lithuania, came over to tell us that we were her favorite customers of all time, and she was very curious as to what we were doing.
The following day, after a much-appreciated sleep-in, we indulged in breakfast sandwiches with eggs, cheese, ham, avocado, and tomato. Fresh milk from Tamarack Farm was also served with fresh fruit. Emily and Woody went on their day off, while Jason and I got to enjoy the day with the group. We started off with a meandering walk through the woods, picking blueberries along the way. Some of us relaxed and experimented with newly discovered features on our cameras (mainly me, Cedar and Max, who are great photographers) at a stream, while a few others continued to hike a little longer. After the hike, we piled into the van and drove to Lake Colby for lunch, a dip in the water, singing and playing music, and yoga and push-ups on the lawn. Jason and I treated the group to ice cream, which is always a highlight! By the time we returned to our campsite, it was time to start cooking what is my favorite meal: rice noodles, lots of fresh veggies, and chicken in a sweet chili and coconut milk sauce. We gathered around a warm fire, started by Ethan, and continued our interesting and diverse conversations, which blended into our evening meeting. Before bedtime, we serenaded each other with sweet tunes to help us drift off to sleep. The Questers needed their rest, for the following day would start their backpacking section.
Max, Cedar and Zed were the chefs the following morning, cooking us up blueberry (with the berries we had picked the previous morning) and chocolate chip pancakes. What a treat to start the day! Emily and Woody returned, well-rested and excited to get back on the trail. The group explored all of their gear and repacked their backpacks in an efficient and methodical way. The process went very smoothly, and the next thing I knew, I was hugging the group goodbye at the trail head!
Currently, I am back at Saltash Mountain, and have just finished packing up the food for the final Long Trail resupply, which entails some very special and delicious treats, including pulled pork, venison meat, fancy chocolate and pie! Jeff and I will drive nearly to Canada tomorrow and hike .7 miles to Journey’s End Camp, where we will celebrate with the group the completion of their long journey! But as Sammy said at the beginning of the trip, “It’s a long trail. . and somebody’s got to hike it!” After we return to camp on August 4th, which is the same day that all of the SAM trips return, I will have 1 ½ days to prepare for the final section of the Adirondack Quester trip, which is the rock climbing section! Busy, busy! Lots of packing! I will leave you here, contemplating long journeys and life out on the trail.