Woodford State Park, VT » Franconia Notch State Park, NH

2009-10-06: On this day, I was still in the process of adjusting to traveling with another person. I realized how much actual downtime I had on certain days, where I was content to put out a chair and sit for an hour or two doing nothing in particular. Now I felt obligated to be some kind of expedition leader, keeping things interesting and moving along. That did not put me under stress but I had to rethink how we would do what we planned. Therefore, Woodford State Park, in Woodford, VT, would be merely our first stop of the day before we moved on to New Hampshire. There, we made a loop around the Adams Reservoir in an unexpectedly dense and stony wood. The deciduous trees still had the majority of their leaves, and the evergreens that made up the mix, as well as the numerous ferns and mosses, created beautiful contrast between gold, scarlet, and green. The wind was chilly and damp, but within the woods, it was pleasant.

We stopped in Brattleboro, VT for lunch. It was a very likable town. I was a minor shock to dine out rather than put together some of the minimalist food I had been surviving on. Brattleboro was the setting for H. P. Lovecraft's story The Whisperer in Darkness. That was another aspect I had considered while in New England. Lovecraft's horror fiction had shaped my view of the region. Now, being there, I see how easily it fits with reality. Nothing is overtly frightening, but everything, both natural and manufactured, seems very old. There are many dark places in the forests and between the mountains.

On the subject of literary inspiration, William Bliss Carman wrote in More Songs from Vagabondia:

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Indeed, I think this captures perfectly the essence of wandering across New England in early October.

We arrived at Franconia Notch, a mountain pass in the White Mountains. The mountains are known best for the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation that collapsed in 2003. Heavy clouds hung ominously above the granite mountains as the sun faded. I suspected there would be some rain. We got camp set up and after many attempts got a fire started. A campfire was also something I had to adjust to, since I had not made a single one at any time on my trip. We spent a very rainy and cold night in the tent.