We left our make shift campsite the next morning on our way to meet Skippers dad at a road for lunch. On the way I came upon Cookie Monster who was holding a small kangaroo mouse. The mouse had clearly been attacked and it's back legs were broken. On the verge of death, Cookie didn't want the mouse to sit and get eaten alive by ants so he carried it for a few miles before it passed and he left it under a fern. We met Skippers dad for some amazing BLT's before heading up to the top of Stratton Mountain. We went up the fire tower and saw the most amazing 360 degree view of Vermont. Later we passed a gorgeous lake and sat silently, taking it all in. The next day we got in and out of a town for resupply and headed up to a Ski patrol warming hut that they leave open in the summer for hikers. The summit of Bromley was covered in a cloud and we waited till the morning to catch the view. The next day we ran into town to meet my friend, Lemon, who had to get off trail for a foot injury but came out to do some magic. We got to camp together that night and then the next day we slack packed over the top of Mt. Killington. Not before seeing a bear that morning that I miraculously missed. We got lunch before begrudgingly saying goodbye to Lemon. We hiked out of town after a couple zero days and my antibiotics were really effecting me. I was sick to my stomach and throwing up along trail every mile or so. We got to another gorgeous pond with a dock and decided to jump in. I immediately felt better as the cold water washed away the heat of the day. We ran into a ton of South bounders and got to meet some new people later that night at a shelter. We got up and hiked the next day and were praying the weather would hold up. Around mid afternoon a crack of thunder was heard in the distance and I new we were in for something bad. On top of a ridge, there was nothing we could do but keep walking when the sky opened up and poured on us. Usually the storms pass quickly but this one would not quit. It didn't even let up a bit. Then the wind came and we started to get cold. Traveling downhill, we knew things were going to get dangerous if we couldn't warm up soon. The nail in the coffin was when I realized my sleeping bag had gotten wet, rendering it useless. We looked for a place to set up the tent but the ground was flooding everywhere. We got to a road and decided the safest thing to do was to hitch a ride into town to dry out. The rain was still coming down hard and we were wet and muddy but a car came through and said we could get in the back with the dog. So thankful, he got us to a restaurant where we dried out and filled up on calories. We got back to the trail but were thoroughly soaked again the next morning when another storm hit. It was short lived and the sun came out to help dry us off. We also entered our thirteenth state, New Hampshire! We walked into the town of Hanover and onto the campus of Dartmouth. They were having a farmers market which we enjoyed until a friend's uncle, who lives in town, came to pick us up and bought us pizza. That night a trail angel in town offered us a free room so we went and soaked in their hot tub before drifting off to sleep. The next day, not wanting to leave our amazing trail angels, we decided to slack pack out of Hanover and hitch back to their house that night. We made dinner for them and watched a movie before heading back out to the trail the next day. Mile 1751!