Monday, September 23, 2013

Day 8: Johnson State College performance / to Bear Hollow Shelter

The performance space at Johnson State College was pretty perfect for a portable percussion presentation (and alliterative opportunities). A shallow, low stage with a rock wall and seating for about 90 people. I set up my flowerpots, my cup of acorns, and so on; the routine of preparing for a concert was familiar, but the instruments, my clothing (clean from the mail, but not exactly concert-wear), and lack of makeup-jewellery-car keys was all unfamiliar and vulnerable.

I played music, and chatted with the audience about parallels between the hike and a career in music. I reckon that -- like the Long Trail -- a music career is hard, but possible. The music business itself (like, say, Jay Peak) is not going to be kind to any of us -- one student nodded most emphatically at this comment. I reckon a sustainable creative career involves learning to be kind to yourself. Move forward at your own pace (even if this is somewhat less than one mile per hour) and with your face pointing in the right direction. In my case, hiking the LT and performing Dennis Bathory-Kitsz's 'The Forest At The South Field', the directions are in the text: "set thy face to the south and drop thy word to the south".

After the concert I was kindly swiped into the college canteen, where I ate. And ate. And ate. Real, actual food cooked by someone else, on a ceramic plate. I scoffed unceremoniously.

Then it was quickly time to repack my gear, fill my water bottles and get back to the trail. Friends had come to my rescue postally by sending me a megalight Megamid tent -- I dumped the car-camping tent under a grand piano at JSC with the promise to pick it up later in the month. Then it was mid-afternoon and I was back in the dust at the side of the road, pointing south with a significantly lighter pack on my back. Over the bridge and the riverbed, into the humid and close woods. Speeding along, I lost the trail and backtracked immediately to find the white blazes. I crossed Route 15 and followed some logging roads, again getting confused about where the trail went. I did some experimental stumbling on non-LT trails, and had to pull out the guidebook map multiple times. A few miles involved walking uphill on roads, sweaty and sticky. I plodded uphill, then the LT went off into more woods, narrow and muddy. Also a little misty and creepy -- I hadn't seen any other hikers on the trail since Johnson. In fact, I hadn't seen other hikers since before Roundtop Shelter the previous evening.

I took advantage of the solitude to swear heartily at the sticky, winding, dusk-gathering trail. Right and 6pm, Bear Hollow Shelter loomed out of the woods. Once again, I was on my own in this open-face shelter, but I felt OK about it purely because there were high and low bunk structures, and the shelter itself was raised up above ground level. Perching on a top bunk felt very different to lying down just above ground level with my toes peeping into potential bear territory. I slept pretty well.

Here's some video footage:

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