(Daily Mi: 14.1) Choo Choo woke up this am covered in hives and believes -- rightly I think -- that she is having an allergic reaction to the anti-inflamatories prescribed by the doctor in Kent. I try to convince her to let me take her to the emergency room, but she thinks -- rightly -- that I will hike on if they want to keep her for the day.

This worries me because: she is limping even with the anti-inflamatories, is covered in hives, and there are no outs for the next 30 miles.

Typically hot hike and a steep climb out of town (although at least it is back in the lower 90s). I wait for Choo Choo at the top of the first ridge to make sure she is coming along (which she is, but slowly). Meet a 21 year old thru-hiker named Stout who passes by while I am waiting.

Cross into VT about 4 miles into the hike. The AT overlaps with the VT Long Trail for the next hundred miles. The LT was the inspiration for and about 30 years older than the AT, and continues another 200 odd miles to Canada after the trails diverge near Killington VT.

Find Piper parked at the first shelter. He is planning to get off the Tail soon to pick blueberries for a couple of weeks to pay for the rest of his trip and is taking it very easy.

Neat old shelter. Meet a former thru-hiker (Hook and his dog Ladder) who is just setting out for an LT hike to Canada this year.

Stout is in for the night as is a hiker named Mathew who is out for a 100 mile jaunt from N. Adams to Killington. Choo Choo limps in very late.

Turns out I am glad to have the filter as the water source is a fetid beaver pond. Oh yeah, it's my birthday and I turned 38.