Two Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, going by trail names Small Bites and Dreamcatcher, recently took a 'double zero' — two consecutive rest days with zero hiking miles — in Rutland, Vermont, and it turned into a proper slice of small-town New England life.
The pair stayed with Judy, the grandmother of one hiker, who has effectively adopted them as family during the final stretch of their thru-hike. Day 129 kicked off with an unexpected media gig: Small Bites' great uncle Terry hosts a local radio show, and he interviewed the two about their months on the trail. First-time radio appearance, ticked off the list.
The rest of the day was deliberately slow. They browsed a music shop, where Dreamcatcher tried out bass guitars and eventually bought a ukulele small enough to carry the rest of the way to Maine — a reminder that hikers still find room in their packs for the things that keep them sane. The evening was a group dinner with Judy, Terry and his wife.
Day 130 leaned into the tourist side of Vermont. Judy drove them to a local pancake restaurant for the kind of breakfast you can't fake, then the duo hit Rutland's farmers market and the public library — the library being the classic thru-hiker stop for catching up on blogging and admin. A resupply run, a movie and an early night closed things out before they returned to the trail.
Why does this matter if you're not hiking 2,190 miles? It's a nice portrait of Rutland as more than a trail resupply point. Vermont's second-largest city works well as a low-key base for the Green Mountains: farmers markets, diners and pancake houses, a walkable downtown, and easy access to the Long Trail, which shares the AT through much of the state. If you're road-tripping through Vermont or eyeing a section hike of the southern Green Mountains, Rutland is a sensible place to sleep, eat properly and reset — the same reasons hikers take double zeros here.
For anyone considering a long-distance hike themselves, the piece also shows the unofficial support network that makes thru-hiking possible: families hosting hikers, trail-town businesses, and locals who get genuinely invested in strangers' walks. That trail magic is half the experience.
Story via The Trek.
