After months of deliberation, we've finally decided on our 2013 summer plans. I can't recall a winter in which we spent so many hours working on a trip, only to run into a dead end and have to start over. Issues such as permit availability, timing of snow melt and the availability of mass transit in certain parks have derailed our plans multiple times. The plan usually starts out as a grandiose trip idea, and then as I learn about the destinations, I decide that each one needs more time to be fully explored. The trips get paired down into something more manageable this way. Now that we are only three weeks away - we have settled on some destinations.
We will head out of town on June 7th and race the sunset to the west in our Jeep. We'll make the long drive to Zion National Park in Utah. After Zion, the trip will take us gradually east, allowing us to explore Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll do some front-country camping and day hiking in each park, along with some backpack trips in most of the parks. I'll beginning to learn about hiking and camping in a desert environment and preparing myself for the first scorpion or rattlesnake sighting!
All told, we'll spend six weeks out west, before returning home for a night. We'll head north to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for a week of relaxed camping on the shores of Lake Leeland with family. Next, we'll head further north, to the cold waters and quiet forests of Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario. The plan is to take a five day paddle trip on Lake Miji, in the park's interior.
On the drive home, we'll meet up with some more family in St. Ignace for a couple of days, including a visit to Mackinaw Island. We'll be home for a full week while I teach a high school band camp, before heading out again. Our last destination of the year will be to Vermont for the next 100 miles of the Long Trail. This section will take us from Sherburne Pass to Smuggler's Notch - arguably the most challenging and most scenic stretch of the nation's oldest thru-hike.
I'll be blogging about all of it, of course. I hope you'll follow along, as we trek from high desert mesas to dark slot canyons, across wildflower-covered meadows beneath snow-capped peaks and along calm, quiet waterways in the paths of loons and otters. All the way to the summit of Mount Mansfield in Vermont, it should be a grand adventure!
Showing posts with label Long Trail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Long Trail. Show all posts
Friday, May 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Day 12
Last night was a beautiful night on Killington Peak. We ate our dinner while watching the sun set over the mountains. The sunset rivaled the best ones I have seen in the Great Lakes. The sun melted into the horizon, casting spectacular hues of orange, yellow, and purple over the seemingly endless mountains. The shelter was full of AT hikers and the forecast promised no rain, so we decided to tent above the shelter.
The air temperature plummeted to near 40 degrees during the night. This was the first time I have slept with all of my clothes on and the bag zipped up on this trip. Inside our down, 2 person sleeping bag we were both comfortable in the chilly, mountain air. Something small could be heard chewing on the trash under our tent platform, but whatever it was left us and our gear alone.
The morning air was cold and our hike for the day short so we elected to sleep in for a while. While we were eating breakfast and packing up a number of hikers we had met on the trail passed through our camp. One AT hiker we met had lost his IPhone in a stranger's car while getting a hitch back from town. We let him use our phone to try to sort out the mess of procuring a new phone for himself. By the time he was done playing phone tag with AT&T and family members back home it was almost noon. This was our latest start of the trip, by far.
The day's hike dropped about 2,200 feet to US 4. Knowing that we were hiking "downhill" all day made the frequent climbs thrown in all the more maddening. The views along the ridge were spectacular, though. The forest, in places, featured impressively tall trees. The space beneath the forest canopy was open and airy as not enough sunlight penetrates the tall trees for underbrush to grow.
A few minutes after 3 the trail finally reached US 4. Our destination for the night was the Inn at Long Trail. Although the name suggests that the trail would arrive directly at the inn, a re-route some years in the past caused the trail to intersect the highway 1 mile west and downhill from the inn. The 1 mile road walk, all up hill, was tiring at the end of our hike. Traffic zoomed by on the busy, four lane US highway.
The Inn at Long Trail is one of the coolest places I have ever stayed. It is a B and B, pub, restaurant, and hiker meeting place built right into the cliffs at Sherburne Pass. Murray McGrath, one of the owners, is very nice and helpful to hikers. He has a coin operated washer and dryer right on sight. The interior is decorated in a style all its own. It is half Irish Bed and Breakfast and half ski lodge. Much of the interior structure is made of wood that still resembles the trees it came from and the walls are decked out in Long Trail and Appalachian Trail maps, posters and photos. This is one place no through-hiker should miss.
We checked into the inn, took showers, made phone calls home and then headed down to the pub for some food and drinks. Murray told us local stories and jokes while serving us a couple Long Trail Ales. This was the perfect way to celebrate hiking 105 miles of the Long Trail and our 7th wedding anniversary!
We have made the hard decision to end our through-hike here for this year. Our bodies are both beat up and we could use a few days' rest. We'll use the next couple of days to rent a car, drive back to North Troy to retrieve our Jeep and do a little sight-seeing. The plan is to head to nearby New Hampshire for a backpacking trip once we are rested up. We've hiked over a third of the Long Trail and plan to come back to finish it next summer! The Green Mountain Club counts trough-hikes done over multiple years as End to End Hikes too, and now I can see why - it is some hard hiking! We've really enjoyed our time on the trail. Now we plan to enjoy a little R and R before heading back out into the woods. I'll post updates on the best of what we find in the next couple of days and on our next backpack.
The air temperature plummeted to near 40 degrees during the night. This was the first time I have slept with all of my clothes on and the bag zipped up on this trip. Inside our down, 2 person sleeping bag we were both comfortable in the chilly, mountain air. Something small could be heard chewing on the trash under our tent platform, but whatever it was left us and our gear alone.
The morning air was cold and our hike for the day short so we elected to sleep in for a while. While we were eating breakfast and packing up a number of hikers we had met on the trail passed through our camp. One AT hiker we met had lost his IPhone in a stranger's car while getting a hitch back from town. We let him use our phone to try to sort out the mess of procuring a new phone for himself. By the time he was done playing phone tag with AT&T and family members back home it was almost noon. This was our latest start of the trip, by far.
The day's hike dropped about 2,200 feet to US 4. Knowing that we were hiking "downhill" all day made the frequent climbs thrown in all the more maddening. The views along the ridge were spectacular, though. The forest, in places, featured impressively tall trees. The space beneath the forest canopy was open and airy as not enough sunlight penetrates the tall trees for underbrush to grow.
A few minutes after 3 the trail finally reached US 4. Our destination for the night was the Inn at Long Trail. Although the name suggests that the trail would arrive directly at the inn, a re-route some years in the past caused the trail to intersect the highway 1 mile west and downhill from the inn. The 1 mile road walk, all up hill, was tiring at the end of our hike. Traffic zoomed by on the busy, four lane US highway.
The Inn at Long Trail is one of the coolest places I have ever stayed. It is a B and B, pub, restaurant, and hiker meeting place built right into the cliffs at Sherburne Pass. Murray McGrath, one of the owners, is very nice and helpful to hikers. He has a coin operated washer and dryer right on sight. The interior is decorated in a style all its own. It is half Irish Bed and Breakfast and half ski lodge. Much of the interior structure is made of wood that still resembles the trees it came from and the walls are decked out in Long Trail and Appalachian Trail maps, posters and photos. This is one place no through-hiker should miss.
We checked into the inn, took showers, made phone calls home and then headed down to the pub for some food and drinks. Murray told us local stories and jokes while serving us a couple Long Trail Ales. This was the perfect way to celebrate hiking 105 miles of the Long Trail and our 7th wedding anniversary!
We have made the hard decision to end our through-hike here for this year. Our bodies are both beat up and we could use a few days' rest. We'll use the next couple of days to rent a car, drive back to North Troy to retrieve our Jeep and do a little sight-seeing. The plan is to head to nearby New Hampshire for a backpacking trip once we are rested up. We've hiked over a third of the Long Trail and plan to come back to finish it next summer! The Green Mountain Club counts trough-hikes done over multiple years as End to End Hikes too, and now I can see why - it is some hard hiking! We've really enjoyed our time on the trail. Now we plan to enjoy a little R and R before heading back out into the woods. I'll post updates on the best of what we find in the next couple of days and on our next backpack.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Day 11
Last night was a great night in the forest. The air was cool and crisp and the moonlight cast beautiful shadows through the pine trees that surrounded Clarendon Shelter.
We were up and eating breakfast before 7 am. We knew we had a big day in front of us. The hike up to Cooper Lodge was 9.9 miles and climbed over 2,900 feet. As soon as we were on the trail it climbed several hundred feet to Beacon Hill, which appeared to be named for the small tower with a blinking light on it. I assumed this was due to the nearby airport.
The trail gradually relinquished the elevation we had gained. We passed through some fields, using wooden stairs to climb over barbed wire fences. Eventually we came to a road. A sign explained that Hurricane Irene had washed out some bridges, meaning we would need to walk several miles on country roads. Although it added .4 to our day's hike, the road walk was pleasant. It was Sunday afternoon and it looked like people were out enjoying it. The sun was shining brightly and the breezes kept us reasonably cool. As we climbed up Cold River Road we began to gain a view of the mountains in the distance.
The road walk finally ended at a trail entrance into the woods. Just below here was a large bridge and a portion of road that had both been washed away in the Hurricane last year.
The trail climbed quickly up to the Governor Clement Shelter. We stopped for lunch and geared up for the big climb up Killington. We had spent the past day dreading this big climb, and it actually wasn't that bad. We both found it to be an easier climb than Stratton. The trail snaked its way up a series of ridges. In many spots there was barely enough room for our feet to fit on the ledge, but the trail climbed gradually in most places.
Around 3 pm we arrived at the Cooper Lodge. We set up our tent quickly and emptied our packs of everything heavy that we wouldn't need right away. The gondola from the summit was scheduled to run until 5, meaning we might be able to take a ride down and back.
The climb to the summit was only 2 tenths of a mile, but it was really tough. In most places we had to use both hands to climb over the jagged rock ledges. About halfway up we began to get a view, and it was spectacular. The mountains extended in all directions, bathed in a blue haze.
We hurried across the summit to the ski lift and confirmed with the employee that it ran until 5. We didn't want to get stranded at the base of the mountain. The gondola was also free to hikers!
The ride down provided beautiful views of the mountains. We definitely might come here to ski sometime. At the bottom we visited the snack bar. The kitchen was closed but the bartender was able to sell us some fruit kabobs, potato chips, and candy bars. I also had a piña colada, which was really refreshing after a long day on the trail.
We rode the gondola back up and laid out on the rocks for a while enjoying the view. Today was a hard day, but we had some pretty great rewards for it. Our bodies are both tired. The accumulated bumps and bruises of hiking 100 miles have taken their toll on both our bodies and psyches. We are really looking forward to getting to the Inn at the Long Trail and getting some relaxation in tomorrow night!
We were up and eating breakfast before 7 am. We knew we had a big day in front of us. The hike up to Cooper Lodge was 9.9 miles and climbed over 2,900 feet. As soon as we were on the trail it climbed several hundred feet to Beacon Hill, which appeared to be named for the small tower with a blinking light on it. I assumed this was due to the nearby airport.
The trail gradually relinquished the elevation we had gained. We passed through some fields, using wooden stairs to climb over barbed wire fences. Eventually we came to a road. A sign explained that Hurricane Irene had washed out some bridges, meaning we would need to walk several miles on country roads. Although it added .4 to our day's hike, the road walk was pleasant. It was Sunday afternoon and it looked like people were out enjoying it. The sun was shining brightly and the breezes kept us reasonably cool. As we climbed up Cold River Road we began to gain a view of the mountains in the distance.
The road walk finally ended at a trail entrance into the woods. Just below here was a large bridge and a portion of road that had both been washed away in the Hurricane last year.
The trail climbed quickly up to the Governor Clement Shelter. We stopped for lunch and geared up for the big climb up Killington. We had spent the past day dreading this big climb, and it actually wasn't that bad. We both found it to be an easier climb than Stratton. The trail snaked its way up a series of ridges. In many spots there was barely enough room for our feet to fit on the ledge, but the trail climbed gradually in most places.
Around 3 pm we arrived at the Cooper Lodge. We set up our tent quickly and emptied our packs of everything heavy that we wouldn't need right away. The gondola from the summit was scheduled to run until 5, meaning we might be able to take a ride down and back.
The climb to the summit was only 2 tenths of a mile, but it was really tough. In most places we had to use both hands to climb over the jagged rock ledges. About halfway up we began to get a view, and it was spectacular. The mountains extended in all directions, bathed in a blue haze.
We hurried across the summit to the ski lift and confirmed with the employee that it ran until 5. We didn't want to get stranded at the base of the mountain. The gondola was also free to hikers!
The ride down provided beautiful views of the mountains. We definitely might come here to ski sometime. At the bottom we visited the snack bar. The kitchen was closed but the bartender was able to sell us some fruit kabobs, potato chips, and candy bars. I also had a piña colada, which was really refreshing after a long day on the trail.
We rode the gondola back up and laid out on the rocks for a while enjoying the view. Today was a hard day, but we had some pretty great rewards for it. Our bodies are both tired. The accumulated bumps and bruises of hiking 100 miles have taken their toll on both our bodies and psyches. We are really looking forward to getting to the Inn at the Long Trail and getting some relaxation in tomorrow night!
Day 10
We ended up setting the tent up in the shelter last night to escape the mosquitos that showed up at twilight. We were both exhausted and fell asleep quickly.
In the morning some light showers passed through while we were enjoying our oatmeal and coffee. We put the pack covers on and trudged off down the trail. The rain showers were short lived, but a lasting humidity hung in the air all day.
The first hour saw us descend through some giant pine trees and across a couple of roads. We rock-hopped Bully Brooke, which was a pretty, fast moving stream. After our second road crossing the trail began to climb towards Bear Mountain. It was probably for the best that we hadn't put much thought into this climb ahead of time. It was a rough one. The trail switched backed up about a thousand feet, climbing relentlessly. By the time reached the summit we were both soaked in sweat. As one through-hiker who passed us put it, "I'm not sure if I'm sweating or if the humidity is just condensing on my skin".
We stopped for a snack break at the summit. This seemed to boost our energy level for a while. The downhill went quickly, and we were at the Minerva Hinchey Shelter at noon. We stopped to take a lengthy break before the rugged descent down Clarendon Gorge and to the road. We were both looking forward to the lunch stop at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Sitting in the shelter I noticed a sign on the wall advertising the cafe. The sign said that it closed at 2:30. We were going to have a hard time making it by then. Panicked, we threw our packs back on and began hiking as quickly as we could.
The trail, of course, did not want to cooperate with our urgency. It climbed steeply for a while before finally starting to descend. This decent was really tough. Instead of using switchbacks, it just dropped straight over each ledge. The trail surface was mostly comprised of rocks: large, smooth, wet, and incredibly slippery rocks. At one point I slipped on one of these rocks and did my best Scooby Doo impression, slipping and sliding in a variety of directions. By some small miracle I caught hold of a tree and avoided careening down the hill out of control.
Eventually, the painful descent ended at a hanging bridge across the gorge. The gorge itself was impressive. The water was a torrent of rapids, falling over large rocks. The canyon walls were towering rocks, carved into strange smooth shapes by the passing of water over countless years.
After stopping to appreciate the gorge we hurried out onto the road and began the half mile walk to the Whistle Stop Cafe. We got their at 1:45. They were still open!
I ordered a root bear, eggs, potatoes and toast with a side order of French toast and ate ALL of it. I even helped Mary finish her basket of French fries. It's amazing how much of an appetite hiking can give you. We made a couple of phone calls home and chatted with some through-hikers in the cafe before heading back out.
The trail up to Clarendon Shelter was only 1 mile. We planned to go slowly, as we were both stuffed from our lunch feast. The trail made sure that we would. It climbed rapidly, almost straight up over a series of boulders piled up. There was quite a bit of using our hands and feet to climb.
We arrived at the shelter around 4. This one is a nice shelter. There are even some potted flowers someone has maintained here, and the nearby stream is audible in the shelter. I feel a bit like I'm camping in someone's backyard! We had time to wash off in the stream and are now relaxing before the big climb up Killington tomorrow.
Today was a shorter day, but a tough one. I think we're both starting to question whether or not we can finish the full hike or if stopping sooner would be better. We'll see how the big climb tomorrow goes and go from there!
In the morning some light showers passed through while we were enjoying our oatmeal and coffee. We put the pack covers on and trudged off down the trail. The rain showers were short lived, but a lasting humidity hung in the air all day.
The first hour saw us descend through some giant pine trees and across a couple of roads. We rock-hopped Bully Brooke, which was a pretty, fast moving stream. After our second road crossing the trail began to climb towards Bear Mountain. It was probably for the best that we hadn't put much thought into this climb ahead of time. It was a rough one. The trail switched backed up about a thousand feet, climbing relentlessly. By the time reached the summit we were both soaked in sweat. As one through-hiker who passed us put it, "I'm not sure if I'm sweating or if the humidity is just condensing on my skin".
We stopped for a snack break at the summit. This seemed to boost our energy level for a while. The downhill went quickly, and we were at the Minerva Hinchey Shelter at noon. We stopped to take a lengthy break before the rugged descent down Clarendon Gorge and to the road. We were both looking forward to the lunch stop at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Sitting in the shelter I noticed a sign on the wall advertising the cafe. The sign said that it closed at 2:30. We were going to have a hard time making it by then. Panicked, we threw our packs back on and began hiking as quickly as we could.
The trail, of course, did not want to cooperate with our urgency. It climbed steeply for a while before finally starting to descend. This decent was really tough. Instead of using switchbacks, it just dropped straight over each ledge. The trail surface was mostly comprised of rocks: large, smooth, wet, and incredibly slippery rocks. At one point I slipped on one of these rocks and did my best Scooby Doo impression, slipping and sliding in a variety of directions. By some small miracle I caught hold of a tree and avoided careening down the hill out of control.
Eventually, the painful descent ended at a hanging bridge across the gorge. The gorge itself was impressive. The water was a torrent of rapids, falling over large rocks. The canyon walls were towering rocks, carved into strange smooth shapes by the passing of water over countless years.
After stopping to appreciate the gorge we hurried out onto the road and began the half mile walk to the Whistle Stop Cafe. We got their at 1:45. They were still open!
I ordered a root bear, eggs, potatoes and toast with a side order of French toast and ate ALL of it. I even helped Mary finish her basket of French fries. It's amazing how much of an appetite hiking can give you. We made a couple of phone calls home and chatted with some through-hikers in the cafe before heading back out.
The trail up to Clarendon Shelter was only 1 mile. We planned to go slowly, as we were both stuffed from our lunch feast. The trail made sure that we would. It climbed rapidly, almost straight up over a series of boulders piled up. There was quite a bit of using our hands and feet to climb.
We arrived at the shelter around 4. This one is a nice shelter. There are even some potted flowers someone has maintained here, and the nearby stream is audible in the shelter. I feel a bit like I'm camping in someone's backyard! We had time to wash off in the stream and are now relaxing before the big climb up Killington tomorrow.
Today was a shorter day, but a tough one. I think we're both starting to question whether or not we can finish the full hike or if stopping sooner would be better. We'll see how the big climb tomorrow goes and go from there!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Day 9
Last night was a beautiful night for sleeping. The temps fell into the 50's and the steady gurgle of the stream below the shelter lulled us into a rest-full sleep. This was a good thing, because we would need our rest for the coming day.
The coming day ended up being a very long day of hiking. The initial plan was to go 9.6 miles to the Little Rock Pond Shelter. The terrain was supposed to be quite a bit easier. After looking at the way the next couple of days laid out, we decided to bite off a bigger day today to set us up for a shorter one tomorrow. We figured this would help us to climb Killington the next day. The Greenwall Shelter was the next shelter on the map, at 14.5 miles.
A big part of this plan was contingent on making great time through the "easier" terrain. We did not get off to a great start. Less than a half-mile out of camp we encountered a stretch of boardwalks that were no longer functional. It looked like something had taken the supports that hold the planks together, leaving floating boards in dark, murky water of an unknown depth. Mary proceeded cautiously, hoping to balance on the floating boards well enough to reach the other side reasonably dry. This attempt would not prove successful. She reached a point where the board was teetering in either direction. Suddenly the board flipped, and Mary was tossed into the water. The good news was that the water turned out to be only 18 inches deep. The bad news was that she would need to hike in soaked boots and socks the rest of the day. Having witnessed her mishap, I elected to bushwhack a path around the flooded portion of trail. I was able to join Mary on the other side with only partly soggy shoes.
We continued on, eager to put big miles behind us. The trail climbed gradually at first, as we approached Baker Peak. The last half mile or so, however, provided our first chance for a hands on scramble over rocks. The big, jagged slabs of rock were tilted at a 45 degree angle, making for precarious foot and hand placement. Gradually, views to the West and South began to emerge. Upon reaching the top we stopped for a snack break. We were both already tired and we had only hiked 2.3 miles.
After our snack break the trail dropped rapidly but gently all the way to the Lost Pond Shelter. This allowed us to make up some lost time. We stopped for lunch and a bottle of filtered water from the stream below the shelter. While resting we met an AT hiker headed southbound. He was only the second southbounder we have seen.
After lunch the trail was easier for a while. It followed an impressive whitewater stream for a time, eventually crossing it on a wooden suspension bridge. Soon the trail joined forest road 10. We passed a parking area and a trail head where the trail went back up into the forest. The parking area was full of cars. As we followed the white blazes back into the forest, we passed elderly couples and families with dogs in tow. This reminded us that it was Friday. We can tell we've been at this a while when we forget what day of the week it is.
We finally arrived at the Little Rock Pond Shelter a little after 3. The pond was beautiful. The far shore was lined by several ridges of trees and rocks, creating the appearance that the pond itself was set into a deep bowl. The section hikers from last night were there, along with a family with a happy black dog swimming in the pond and a GMC caretaker. We chatted with the caretaker while drinking some water and eating a snack. He informed us that the Greenwall Shelter should have water and that it was recently rebuilt. Although we were tired, we decided to go for it.
The trail followed the lake to the far end before it started climbing. We were excited to be pushing on for big miles for a while so we made great time at first. In fact, we had made most of the 800 foot climb before we took our first break. After passing the highest point near White Rocks Mountain the trail began to descend again. We passed the strangest collection of rock cairns all made of the chalky white rock throughout this area. We wondered what the significance of these cairns was as we pushed on.
In a little while we passed a couple of backpackers going the other direction. They informed us that there was no water at the Greenwall Shelter. Our hearts both sank with this news. The next stream was .8 miles past the shelter, meaning one of us would have to hike 1.6 miles to fetch water to our camp. Not exactly what we wanted to do after a 14.5 mile day.
The forest became quite unusual through here. The trees were very tall jack pine that had lost most of their needles. A younger generation of baby pine trees was growing low to the ground, and the forest floor was entirely covered in needles. This had the effect of creating kind of a 2 color scene, one that was very different from the forest we had hiked in so far. Knowing that we were having a bit of a water crisis made this terrain seem even more alien.
In a little while we found a puddle of water on the trail. It wasn't much, but it was water. We stopped and filtered 6 liters of water, enough for tonight and tomorrow morning. I don't think I've ever been happier to see a mud puddle!
A little after 7 we finally reached the shelter. A family of 4 from Ohio was finishing up their dinner when we arrived. We are both exhausted but happy to be here. We've now hiked 79 miles on the Long Trail, with 193.7 to go. Tomorrow will be shorter day, and we should be able to get lunch at the Whistle Stop Cafe that the trail passes near. We are both excited for tomorrow!
The coming day ended up being a very long day of hiking. The initial plan was to go 9.6 miles to the Little Rock Pond Shelter. The terrain was supposed to be quite a bit easier. After looking at the way the next couple of days laid out, we decided to bite off a bigger day today to set us up for a shorter one tomorrow. We figured this would help us to climb Killington the next day. The Greenwall Shelter was the next shelter on the map, at 14.5 miles.
A big part of this plan was contingent on making great time through the "easier" terrain. We did not get off to a great start. Less than a half-mile out of camp we encountered a stretch of boardwalks that were no longer functional. It looked like something had taken the supports that hold the planks together, leaving floating boards in dark, murky water of an unknown depth. Mary proceeded cautiously, hoping to balance on the floating boards well enough to reach the other side reasonably dry. This attempt would not prove successful. She reached a point where the board was teetering in either direction. Suddenly the board flipped, and Mary was tossed into the water. The good news was that the water turned out to be only 18 inches deep. The bad news was that she would need to hike in soaked boots and socks the rest of the day. Having witnessed her mishap, I elected to bushwhack a path around the flooded portion of trail. I was able to join Mary on the other side with only partly soggy shoes.
We continued on, eager to put big miles behind us. The trail climbed gradually at first, as we approached Baker Peak. The last half mile or so, however, provided our first chance for a hands on scramble over rocks. The big, jagged slabs of rock were tilted at a 45 degree angle, making for precarious foot and hand placement. Gradually, views to the West and South began to emerge. Upon reaching the top we stopped for a snack break. We were both already tired and we had only hiked 2.3 miles.
After our snack break the trail dropped rapidly but gently all the way to the Lost Pond Shelter. This allowed us to make up some lost time. We stopped for lunch and a bottle of filtered water from the stream below the shelter. While resting we met an AT hiker headed southbound. He was only the second southbounder we have seen.
After lunch the trail was easier for a while. It followed an impressive whitewater stream for a time, eventually crossing it on a wooden suspension bridge. Soon the trail joined forest road 10. We passed a parking area and a trail head where the trail went back up into the forest. The parking area was full of cars. As we followed the white blazes back into the forest, we passed elderly couples and families with dogs in tow. This reminded us that it was Friday. We can tell we've been at this a while when we forget what day of the week it is.
We finally arrived at the Little Rock Pond Shelter a little after 3. The pond was beautiful. The far shore was lined by several ridges of trees and rocks, creating the appearance that the pond itself was set into a deep bowl. The section hikers from last night were there, along with a family with a happy black dog swimming in the pond and a GMC caretaker. We chatted with the caretaker while drinking some water and eating a snack. He informed us that the Greenwall Shelter should have water and that it was recently rebuilt. Although we were tired, we decided to go for it.
The trail followed the lake to the far end before it started climbing. We were excited to be pushing on for big miles for a while so we made great time at first. In fact, we had made most of the 800 foot climb before we took our first break. After passing the highest point near White Rocks Mountain the trail began to descend again. We passed the strangest collection of rock cairns all made of the chalky white rock throughout this area. We wondered what the significance of these cairns was as we pushed on.
In a little while we passed a couple of backpackers going the other direction. They informed us that there was no water at the Greenwall Shelter. Our hearts both sank with this news. The next stream was .8 miles past the shelter, meaning one of us would have to hike 1.6 miles to fetch water to our camp. Not exactly what we wanted to do after a 14.5 mile day.
The forest became quite unusual through here. The trees were very tall jack pine that had lost most of their needles. A younger generation of baby pine trees was growing low to the ground, and the forest floor was entirely covered in needles. This had the effect of creating kind of a 2 color scene, one that was very different from the forest we had hiked in so far. Knowing that we were having a bit of a water crisis made this terrain seem even more alien.
In a little while we found a puddle of water on the trail. It wasn't much, but it was water. We stopped and filtered 6 liters of water, enough for tonight and tomorrow morning. I don't think I've ever been happier to see a mud puddle!
A little after 7 we finally reached the shelter. A family of 4 from Ohio was finishing up their dinner when we arrived. We are both exhausted but happy to be here. We've now hiked 79 miles on the Long Trail, with 193.7 to go. Tomorrow will be shorter day, and we should be able to get lunch at the Whistle Stop Cafe that the trail passes near. We are both excited for tomorrow!
Day 8
We were up at 6 am today so we could walk to the laundromat and be ready when it opened at 7. We threw our disgusting trail clothes in a washer and walked next door for some breakfast. After some egg and cheese sandwiches and a fruit smoothy we retrieved our laundry and walked back up to the inn.
We packed our packs, changed into our no longer funky trail clothes and called a local taxi for a ride out to the trail.
A little after 9:30 we were hiking again. It was a bit weird to return to the trailhead we had left two days earlier. When we were last here we were celebrating a successful first leg of the trip and looking forward to the comforts of town. Now we were settling in for another long haul through the woods. We were both curious to see how it would feel to return to the trail. So far, this had not been so different from our previous hiking trips. Today was when it deviated from the realm of the known. We didn't know how are bodies would respond to being back on the trail or how the psychology of hiking would play out.
After less than two hours of hiking we had our answer. The trail climbed over a thousand feet in the first three miles to the summit of Bromley Mountain. This was the type of climb that had left us winded and exhausted on the last leg of our trip. As we broke out into the meadows near the summit of the mountain we both were surprised at how easy the climb had been and how quickly it had gone by. Our packs were clearly lighter than before, but it seems our conditioning has improved considerably. We can only hope this continues as we hike north.
We relaxed at one of the Bromley Mountain ski lifts while we enjoyed our new and improved snacks. We picked up energy bars, cheese, salted nuts, dried fruit, tortillas and a container of crunchy peanut butter in town. I'm hoping the increased calories will help us handle the big miles ahead. It's nice to look forward to a tasty snack on a long hiking day!
The rest of the day past uneventfully. The trail dropped rapidly down to Mad Tom Notch where a hand pump provided cold drinking water. The trail then climbed through a dark forest over wet rocks, roots and boardwalks up to Styles Peak and then over Peru Peak. We both noticed that the trail was as quiet as we could ever remember. The birds and squirrels weren't putting on their usual song and dance. The skies had also turned a depressing shade of gray. After hiking in silence for far too long we took to singing songs and telling jokes to pass the time.
At about 4 pm we reached the Peru Peak Shelter. Section hikers from the last shelter were already set up in the shelter. After many hours of almost creepy silence we were excited to have some company in camp.
Dinner tonight was a dehydrated red beans and rice meal. We added some fresh garlic and a fresh chopped jalapeño pepper. This was our most successful dinner on the trail so far.
Now we are enjoying good company and a campfire at the shelter. It's good to be back on the trail.
We've hiked 64.5 miles on the Long Trail and have 208.2 to go.
We packed our packs, changed into our no longer funky trail clothes and called a local taxi for a ride out to the trail.
A little after 9:30 we were hiking again. It was a bit weird to return to the trailhead we had left two days earlier. When we were last here we were celebrating a successful first leg of the trip and looking forward to the comforts of town. Now we were settling in for another long haul through the woods. We were both curious to see how it would feel to return to the trail. So far, this had not been so different from our previous hiking trips. Today was when it deviated from the realm of the known. We didn't know how are bodies would respond to being back on the trail or how the psychology of hiking would play out.
After less than two hours of hiking we had our answer. The trail climbed over a thousand feet in the first three miles to the summit of Bromley Mountain. This was the type of climb that had left us winded and exhausted on the last leg of our trip. As we broke out into the meadows near the summit of the mountain we both were surprised at how easy the climb had been and how quickly it had gone by. Our packs were clearly lighter than before, but it seems our conditioning has improved considerably. We can only hope this continues as we hike north.
We relaxed at one of the Bromley Mountain ski lifts while we enjoyed our new and improved snacks. We picked up energy bars, cheese, salted nuts, dried fruit, tortillas and a container of crunchy peanut butter in town. I'm hoping the increased calories will help us handle the big miles ahead. It's nice to look forward to a tasty snack on a long hiking day!
The rest of the day past uneventfully. The trail dropped rapidly down to Mad Tom Notch where a hand pump provided cold drinking water. The trail then climbed through a dark forest over wet rocks, roots and boardwalks up to Styles Peak and then over Peru Peak. We both noticed that the trail was as quiet as we could ever remember. The birds and squirrels weren't putting on their usual song and dance. The skies had also turned a depressing shade of gray. After hiking in silence for far too long we took to singing songs and telling jokes to pass the time.
At about 4 pm we reached the Peru Peak Shelter. Section hikers from the last shelter were already set up in the shelter. After many hours of almost creepy silence we were excited to have some company in camp.
Dinner tonight was a dehydrated red beans and rice meal. We added some fresh garlic and a fresh chopped jalapeño pepper. This was our most successful dinner on the trail so far.
Now we are enjoying good company and a campfire at the shelter. It's good to be back on the trail.
We've hiked 64.5 miles on the Long Trail and have 208.2 to go.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Day 7
Today was a wonderful day of relaxing. In the words of through-hiker The Dude "the 4th isn't a zero, it's a holiday. I don't hike on the 4th". While I don't share The Dude's same zeal for the 4th of July, the people of Manchester, Vermont sure seem to. I was happy to partake in the festivities.
We slept in until 9 am this morning, enjoying the comforts of a bed and a pillow. After I enjoyed another really long shower, Mary and I walked downtown for breakfast at Up for Breakfast. Recommended by all of the locals, Up for Breakfast is a cute restaurant that specializes in unique breakfast entrees. It's a small place with only a hand full of tables, situated up stairs in a main street building. We enjoyed a really tasty version of vegetarian eggs Benedict, sourdough blueberry pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, and lots of coffee.
After finishing our breakfast feast we walked back to the inn to get our dirty laundry. Some AT hikers who had arrived at the inn today told us that the laundromat was closed for the 4th of July. Sadly, this means we will need to get up early in the morning and wash our dirty clothes before hitting the trail.
We spent the afternoon relaxing at the Northshire Bookstore, enjoying the air conditioning. We wrote postcards and made phone calls home while I enjoyed my first frozen mocha in a week.
By mid-afternoon the temperature had reached the high 80's. The air was humid and heavy. It was painful just to walk around. We decided to walk the mile out of town to the community pool. It was free day at the pool! The pool was crowded, but the water was refreshing on such a hot day.
After some pizza for dinner we walked to the fairgrounds for the fireworks. There was live music going on and it appeared that everyone in the town was here. After 36 hours in town I felt like I was beginning to recognize faces. It was a surreal experience to celebrate the 4th of July in a strange town. Watching children run around with sprinklers and old folks jokeying for the best position to view the show I felt a bit like I had wandered into a Norman Rockwell painting. A little after 9 the skies began to grow dark and bright flashes of lightning cut through the sky. It was amusing to see how long people denied the obvious and held out hope for the fireworks show. Eventually the storm tore loose and everyone ran for cover. We watched the storm from the porch of the B and B. It looks like nature will provide the only fireworks show tonight!
Tomorrow we get back on the trail. Manchester Center was a neat town to check out, but we'll be happy to get moving again.
We slept in until 9 am this morning, enjoying the comforts of a bed and a pillow. After I enjoyed another really long shower, Mary and I walked downtown for breakfast at Up for Breakfast. Recommended by all of the locals, Up for Breakfast is a cute restaurant that specializes in unique breakfast entrees. It's a small place with only a hand full of tables, situated up stairs in a main street building. We enjoyed a really tasty version of vegetarian eggs Benedict, sourdough blueberry pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, and lots of coffee.
After finishing our breakfast feast we walked back to the inn to get our dirty laundry. Some AT hikers who had arrived at the inn today told us that the laundromat was closed for the 4th of July. Sadly, this means we will need to get up early in the morning and wash our dirty clothes before hitting the trail.
We spent the afternoon relaxing at the Northshire Bookstore, enjoying the air conditioning. We wrote postcards and made phone calls home while I enjoyed my first frozen mocha in a week.
By mid-afternoon the temperature had reached the high 80's. The air was humid and heavy. It was painful just to walk around. We decided to walk the mile out of town to the community pool. It was free day at the pool! The pool was crowded, but the water was refreshing on such a hot day.
After some pizza for dinner we walked to the fairgrounds for the fireworks. There was live music going on and it appeared that everyone in the town was here. After 36 hours in town I felt like I was beginning to recognize faces. It was a surreal experience to celebrate the 4th of July in a strange town. Watching children run around with sprinklers and old folks jokeying for the best position to view the show I felt a bit like I had wandered into a Norman Rockwell painting. A little after 9 the skies began to grow dark and bright flashes of lightning cut through the sky. It was amusing to see how long people denied the obvious and held out hope for the fireworks show. Eventually the storm tore loose and everyone ran for cover. We watched the storm from the porch of the B and B. It looks like nature will provide the only fireworks show tonight!
Tomorrow we get back on the trail. Manchester Center was a neat town to check out, but we'll be happy to get moving again.
Day 6
So far we are really lucking out with the weather. Another rainstorm blew through the mountains during the night, the drops plunking loudly on the shelter while we slept. By sunrise, however, we were greeted by blue skies again.
Everyone in the shelter was up early so we were on the trail by 7:30 am. The morning was cool, the trail mostly level, and the lure of a town day strong causing us to make great time. We played leap-frog with a group of section hikers for most of the morning. This group was comprised of three gentleman in their 60's who are working to hike the entire Appalachian Trail over many years. They were an entertaining group to chat with. One man was a retired teacher who served in the army in Vietnam. He had spent time in the Midwest, including Detroit, so we were able to swap stories. It was comforting to talk to someone who knew something of our home state.
The trail eventually joined Rootville Road, a dirt road that runs into Manchester Center. We made really great time on this stretch of flat, level terrain. After about 3 hours of hiking we reached a side trail to Prospect Rock. We took our lunch from this scenic spot, perched on a slap of rock that jutted out several hundred feet above the valley below. Manchester Center was visible below, tantalizingly close. AT through hiker Hawkeye was enjoying his lunch here as well. His teenage son had joined him for a couple of days on the trail. They had spent the previous day fishing and relaxing at Stratton Pond. Hawkeye had spent much of his life in this part of Vermont and was able to provide us with some advanced scouting on Manchester Center.
After finishing the last of our food we retraced our steps to the trail and began the last 5 mile push to the road. In classic trail fashion, the hiking turned harder, switchbacking up and down several ridges. The sounds of town were clearly audible through the forest as we hiked. The horn on a train blew, a siren sounded at noon, and the rush of traffic zoomed by on the road below.
One of the most maddening experiences in all travel is the "almost there" phenomenon. That lasts .5 can go by painfully slowly, so much so that Mary has forbidden me to say. "almost there" while hiking. Eventually, the trail did finish snaking through the woods and emptied onto a busy highway.
Manchester Center was 5 miles to the West, meaning this would be our first experience hitching a ride into town. We decided our best strategy was to have Mary stand near the road with her thumb in the air while I hung back with the packs. It seemed like people would be more likely to give a ride to a women than a man, especially one in filthy clothes and 6 days of stubble! Our plan worked, as the fourth vehicle that went by pulled over. It was the perfect choice for our first hitch: a teenage girl on her way home from working as a lifeguard at the Bromley Ski Resort swimming pool. She seemed like a pretty safe bet. We climbed into her Suburban, with plenty of room for us and our packs. It was fun to marvel at how fast the miles zoomed by after traveling the last 60 under our own power. She gave us a brief tour of town before dropping us at Sutton's Place.
Sutton's Place is a B and B that caters to hikers. He offers a hiker discount, and the location is ideal. Set about one block up a lazy side street from downtown, it is within walking distance to all of the services we will need. The proprietor, Frank, gave us a run down of the best places to visit while in town. He also gave us a beautiful room with a window air conditioning unit and a private bathroom. Although, to be fair, just about any room would have looked good after 6 days in the woods.
We changed into our cleanest clothes, sorted through our packs and made a plan for while we were in town. We had decided during one of the long climbs that we needed to part with some weight if we were going to be able to keep hiking. We decided to mail home some items we didn't need: the hammock, an extra Nalgene water bottle and the Jet Boil, along with a few small items. We could do all of our cooking with the MSR stove we had brought and the lightweight pot. We walked part of the way to the post office before passing a great smelling small town doughnut joint. Mary graciously offered to walk the rest of the way to the post office while I satisfied my doughnut craving. Mrs. Murphy's Doughnuts had the kind of small town, greasy doughnuts you just can't find anymore. After indulging in a couple of fantastic doughnuts and a large iced tea, I walked down the street and met Mary at Ben and Jerry's for our second treat of the day. It's amazing how good ice cream can taste on a hot day after 6 days of trail food!
Our immediate needs satisfied, we visited the Price Chopper, the whole foods store and the Eastern Mountain Sports for groceries and supplies. After being hungry on the trail for five most of the week we loaded up on high energy foods: nuts, dried fruit, and energy bars. We also bought a clove of garlic to add to our dinners. We learned from through-hiker Spock that this is an easy way to make a dehydrated meal more appetizing, and it helps keep away the bugs. While we were outside the Price Chopper we ran into some section hikers we had met previously on the trail. They are planning to get to Katahdin this year. They are also hiking with a beautiful and adventurous dog named Captain. We watched Captain for them while they did their shopping.
After stashing our purchases in the room we went in search of dinner. We ended up eating at the Firefly. We had outside seating with a great view of the mountains we had been in earlier today. Chips with fresh salsa, guacamole, a veggie burger with Vermont Cheddar and a Switchback Ale really hit the spot. Watching the sun set behind the mountains we both had a great sense of accomplishment. We had walked here from Massachusetts! We've hiked 60 miles already, with 56 of it on the Long Trail. We have 217 miles to go. Tomorrow we are going to take a "zero" in town and see if we can find some fireworks for the holiday. We'll be back on the trail Thursday as we head for Killington and Sherburne Pass.
Everyone in the shelter was up early so we were on the trail by 7:30 am. The morning was cool, the trail mostly level, and the lure of a town day strong causing us to make great time. We played leap-frog with a group of section hikers for most of the morning. This group was comprised of three gentleman in their 60's who are working to hike the entire Appalachian Trail over many years. They were an entertaining group to chat with. One man was a retired teacher who served in the army in Vietnam. He had spent time in the Midwest, including Detroit, so we were able to swap stories. It was comforting to talk to someone who knew something of our home state.
The trail eventually joined Rootville Road, a dirt road that runs into Manchester Center. We made really great time on this stretch of flat, level terrain. After about 3 hours of hiking we reached a side trail to Prospect Rock. We took our lunch from this scenic spot, perched on a slap of rock that jutted out several hundred feet above the valley below. Manchester Center was visible below, tantalizingly close. AT through hiker Hawkeye was enjoying his lunch here as well. His teenage son had joined him for a couple of days on the trail. They had spent the previous day fishing and relaxing at Stratton Pond. Hawkeye had spent much of his life in this part of Vermont and was able to provide us with some advanced scouting on Manchester Center.
After finishing the last of our food we retraced our steps to the trail and began the last 5 mile push to the road. In classic trail fashion, the hiking turned harder, switchbacking up and down several ridges. The sounds of town were clearly audible through the forest as we hiked. The horn on a train blew, a siren sounded at noon, and the rush of traffic zoomed by on the road below.
One of the most maddening experiences in all travel is the "almost there" phenomenon. That lasts .5 can go by painfully slowly, so much so that Mary has forbidden me to say. "almost there" while hiking. Eventually, the trail did finish snaking through the woods and emptied onto a busy highway.
Manchester Center was 5 miles to the West, meaning this would be our first experience hitching a ride into town. We decided our best strategy was to have Mary stand near the road with her thumb in the air while I hung back with the packs. It seemed like people would be more likely to give a ride to a women than a man, especially one in filthy clothes and 6 days of stubble! Our plan worked, as the fourth vehicle that went by pulled over. It was the perfect choice for our first hitch: a teenage girl on her way home from working as a lifeguard at the Bromley Ski Resort swimming pool. She seemed like a pretty safe bet. We climbed into her Suburban, with plenty of room for us and our packs. It was fun to marvel at how fast the miles zoomed by after traveling the last 60 under our own power. She gave us a brief tour of town before dropping us at Sutton's Place.
Sutton's Place is a B and B that caters to hikers. He offers a hiker discount, and the location is ideal. Set about one block up a lazy side street from downtown, it is within walking distance to all of the services we will need. The proprietor, Frank, gave us a run down of the best places to visit while in town. He also gave us a beautiful room with a window air conditioning unit and a private bathroom. Although, to be fair, just about any room would have looked good after 6 days in the woods.
We changed into our cleanest clothes, sorted through our packs and made a plan for while we were in town. We had decided during one of the long climbs that we needed to part with some weight if we were going to be able to keep hiking. We decided to mail home some items we didn't need: the hammock, an extra Nalgene water bottle and the Jet Boil, along with a few small items. We could do all of our cooking with the MSR stove we had brought and the lightweight pot. We walked part of the way to the post office before passing a great smelling small town doughnut joint. Mary graciously offered to walk the rest of the way to the post office while I satisfied my doughnut craving. Mrs. Murphy's Doughnuts had the kind of small town, greasy doughnuts you just can't find anymore. After indulging in a couple of fantastic doughnuts and a large iced tea, I walked down the street and met Mary at Ben and Jerry's for our second treat of the day. It's amazing how good ice cream can taste on a hot day after 6 days of trail food!
Our immediate needs satisfied, we visited the Price Chopper, the whole foods store and the Eastern Mountain Sports for groceries and supplies. After being hungry on the trail for five most of the week we loaded up on high energy foods: nuts, dried fruit, and energy bars. We also bought a clove of garlic to add to our dinners. We learned from through-hiker Spock that this is an easy way to make a dehydrated meal more appetizing, and it helps keep away the bugs. While we were outside the Price Chopper we ran into some section hikers we had met previously on the trail. They are planning to get to Katahdin this year. They are also hiking with a beautiful and adventurous dog named Captain. We watched Captain for them while they did their shopping.
After stashing our purchases in the room we went in search of dinner. We ended up eating at the Firefly. We had outside seating with a great view of the mountains we had been in earlier today. Chips with fresh salsa, guacamole, a veggie burger with Vermont Cheddar and a Switchback Ale really hit the spot. Watching the sun set behind the mountains we both had a great sense of accomplishment. We had walked here from Massachusetts! We've hiked 60 miles already, with 56 of it on the Long Trail. We have 217 miles to go. Tomorrow we are going to take a "zero" in town and see if we can find some fireworks for the holiday. We'll be back on the trail Thursday as we head for Killington and Sherburne Pass.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Day 5
Last night some pretty big storms rolled through in the middle of the night. My sleeping position in the Story Spring Shelter had my head at the edge of the platform, with only inches of awning above me. A bright white flash of lightning cut through the sky at one point, waking most of us in the shelter up. Heavy rains followed, but fortunately the winds were not too severe, and we stayed dry under the covering.
By the time morning came we were greeted by clear, blue skies. The evening's rainstorms would continue to drip from the trees for a few hours, but the skies would stay dry all day for us. Our hike took us through some fairly level terrain for the first couple of hours. We crossed a couple of roads and a picturesque stream along the way. We stopped for a long break at Kelly Stand Road to prepare for our long climb.
The trail up to Mount Stratton was our first really big climb of the hike. The trail climbed over 1700 feet in about 3 miles, topping out at an elevation of a little below 4000 feet. The trail climbed at a moderate, but relentless clip. Gradually the forest changed over to all pine, and the air became cooler as we climbed. More than a few breaks were necessary along the way. I think we both probably could have rung the sweat out of our clothes by the time we were halfway up the mountain.
At just the point when I was beginning to wonder if I could possibly keep putting one foot in front of the other we broke out into a clearing. The summit was ringed by dense pine trees blocking the view, but there was another fire tower open to hikers. This tower was 55 feet tall. As I climbed the little wooden steps the winds began to howl. It was a real white knuckle experience, but the view was worth it! We could see Stratton Pond, our destination for the night, and mountains ringed us in all directions. The sky was a thick blanket of puffy, grey and white clouds, drifting quickly over the summit. It threatened of rain that would never materialize.
After snapping a few pictures with the battery life I had left on my phone and eating our nutella wraps (still delicious on day 5) we started the long descent down the mountain. The trail dropped quickly, but not so rapidly as to kill our knees, like the descent to route 9 did.
Around 3 we reached the Stratton Pond shelter. The shelter itself was situated a ways up the hill from the pond. This shelter looked fairly new and had wooden bunks on two levels with room for 16.
After setting up our camp stuff and filtering water we eagerly ran down to Stratton Pond for a swim. Other hikers said the water was cold. They had obviously never been to Lake Superior! We picked our way over the rocks on the shore until the water was deep enough to dive in. The water was cool and refreshing. It felt great to wash off some of the dirt and sweat from hiking 43.8 miles. Being away from water this long was hard for a couple of Michigan kids.
We spent the rest of the night cooking dinner and chatting with the group in the shelter. A group of section hikers from Pennsylvania shared their chocolate with us. They are planning a trip to Isle Royale National Park, so we were able to share our knowledge with them.
Our hike is going well so far. We have 229.2 miles left and tomorrow is a town day. We are already excited for a hot shower and warm food!
By the time morning came we were greeted by clear, blue skies. The evening's rainstorms would continue to drip from the trees for a few hours, but the skies would stay dry all day for us. Our hike took us through some fairly level terrain for the first couple of hours. We crossed a couple of roads and a picturesque stream along the way. We stopped for a long break at Kelly Stand Road to prepare for our long climb.
The trail up to Mount Stratton was our first really big climb of the hike. The trail climbed over 1700 feet in about 3 miles, topping out at an elevation of a little below 4000 feet. The trail climbed at a moderate, but relentless clip. Gradually the forest changed over to all pine, and the air became cooler as we climbed. More than a few breaks were necessary along the way. I think we both probably could have rung the sweat out of our clothes by the time we were halfway up the mountain.
At just the point when I was beginning to wonder if I could possibly keep putting one foot in front of the other we broke out into a clearing. The summit was ringed by dense pine trees blocking the view, but there was another fire tower open to hikers. This tower was 55 feet tall. As I climbed the little wooden steps the winds began to howl. It was a real white knuckle experience, but the view was worth it! We could see Stratton Pond, our destination for the night, and mountains ringed us in all directions. The sky was a thick blanket of puffy, grey and white clouds, drifting quickly over the summit. It threatened of rain that would never materialize.
After snapping a few pictures with the battery life I had left on my phone and eating our nutella wraps (still delicious on day 5) we started the long descent down the mountain. The trail dropped quickly, but not so rapidly as to kill our knees, like the descent to route 9 did.
Around 3 we reached the Stratton Pond shelter. The shelter itself was situated a ways up the hill from the pond. This shelter looked fairly new and had wooden bunks on two levels with room for 16.
After setting up our camp stuff and filtering water we eagerly ran down to Stratton Pond for a swim. Other hikers said the water was cold. They had obviously never been to Lake Superior! We picked our way over the rocks on the shore until the water was deep enough to dive in. The water was cool and refreshing. It felt great to wash off some of the dirt and sweat from hiking 43.8 miles. Being away from water this long was hard for a couple of Michigan kids.
We spent the rest of the night cooking dinner and chatting with the group in the shelter. A group of section hikers from Pennsylvania shared their chocolate with us. They are planning a trip to Isle Royale National Park, so we were able to share our knowledge with them.
Our hike is going well so far. We have 229.2 miles left and tomorrow is a town day. We are already excited for a hot shower and warm food!
Day 4
Last night was a great one at Goddard shelter. The shelter was full of hikers with good stories. A cool breeze blew throughout the night and a bright moon cast a soothing light over the mountains and trees. This was the best night of sleep I have had on the trail so far.
In the morning we woke up a little before 7 am and were hiking by 8 am. After a quick 15 minute climb we were at the Summit of Glastenbury Mountain. At 3748 feet this was our highest point on the trip so far. The summit was covered in trees blocking the view. Fortunately, there was a fire tower open to climbing. The view from the top was fantastic. The mountains extended in all directions, covered in a gorgeous blue haze. Looking at the landscape from this perspective really gave me a concept of how rugged the terrain around us is. Through hiker Spock was at the summit allowing us to get a picture with both of us in it.
The rest of the day's hike was fairly easy. The trail alternated between modest climbing and descending. We stopped for lunch at Kid Gore Shelter, which had a great view of a mountain lake in the distance.
We reached the Story Spring Shelter in time to filter water and set our stuff in the shelter before a brief rainstorm broke out. The crowd at the shelter has been really fun. Spock from last night is here again, along with some section hikers headed to New Hampshire. There is also a through hiker that is a perfect doppelgänger for Jeff Bridge's role in the Big Lebowski. Fittingly, his trail name is The Dude. The dude was able to build a decent fire tonight which helped with the bugs.
Tomorrow we will hike to the summit of Stratton Mountain, our first big climb of the trip. We have hiked 33.3 miles of the LT so far and have 239.4 to go. Making progress!
In the morning we woke up a little before 7 am and were hiking by 8 am. After a quick 15 minute climb we were at the Summit of Glastenbury Mountain. At 3748 feet this was our highest point on the trip so far. The summit was covered in trees blocking the view. Fortunately, there was a fire tower open to climbing. The view from the top was fantastic. The mountains extended in all directions, covered in a gorgeous blue haze. Looking at the landscape from this perspective really gave me a concept of how rugged the terrain around us is. Through hiker Spock was at the summit allowing us to get a picture with both of us in it.
The rest of the day's hike was fairly easy. The trail alternated between modest climbing and descending. We stopped for lunch at Kid Gore Shelter, which had a great view of a mountain lake in the distance.
We reached the Story Spring Shelter in time to filter water and set our stuff in the shelter before a brief rainstorm broke out. The crowd at the shelter has been really fun. Spock from last night is here again, along with some section hikers headed to New Hampshire. There is also a through hiker that is a perfect doppelgänger for Jeff Bridge's role in the Big Lebowski. Fittingly, his trail name is The Dude. The dude was able to build a decent fire tonight which helped with the bugs.
Tomorrow we will hike to the summit of Stratton Mountain, our first big climb of the trip. We have hiked 33.3 miles of the LT so far and have 239.4 to go. Making progress!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Day 3
Last night was a great night for sleeping. The day's heat faded quickly and a strong breeze made for a cool and refreshing night. We were both asleep before 9:30, something unheard of for us! We slept soundly until a bunny hopped into the side of our tent at full speed. We both sat up with a start as it hopped away more stunned than we were . Fortunately this was our only nighttime visitor.
We set the alarm for 6 am so we could get an early start on the trail. We listened to the trail stories of a section hiker from Alabama while enjoying our granola and coffee for breakfast. The sun was shining and a light breeze made the heat bearable as we began hiking a little before 8.
Today's hike was mostly easy. The trail climbed gradually over a couple of minor peaks before beginning the big push up Mt. Glastenbury. Several lookouts provided great views of the surrounding mountains for our breaks.
The climb up to the Goddard Shelter was hard, and coming at the end of the 8.5 mile stretch, was kind of a kick in the face. The trail climbed over big rock steps at a somewhat steep angle. Eventually we broke through the trees and reached the shelter.
Goddard Shelter is the nicest one we have been in so far. It was built in 2005 and has been very well maintained. In addition to a covered area for preparing food, it has a great view of the mountains in the distance. We decided to take advantage of the nice shelter and call it a day at 8.5 miles.
We've spent the afternoon relaxing in the shelter and chatting with an AT through hiker who used to work on Wall Street. So far, all of the people we've met out here have been really nice and really interesting.
Out hike is going slowly, but we should be in Manchester Center on Tuesday. 24.4 miles down and 248.3 to go!
We set the alarm for 6 am so we could get an early start on the trail. We listened to the trail stories of a section hiker from Alabama while enjoying our granola and coffee for breakfast. The sun was shining and a light breeze made the heat bearable as we began hiking a little before 8.
Today's hike was mostly easy. The trail climbed gradually over a couple of minor peaks before beginning the big push up Mt. Glastenbury. Several lookouts provided great views of the surrounding mountains for our breaks.
The climb up to the Goddard Shelter was hard, and coming at the end of the 8.5 mile stretch, was kind of a kick in the face. The trail climbed over big rock steps at a somewhat steep angle. Eventually we broke through the trees and reached the shelter.
Goddard Shelter is the nicest one we have been in so far. It was built in 2005 and has been very well maintained. In addition to a covered area for preparing food, it has a great view of the mountains in the distance. We decided to take advantage of the nice shelter and call it a day at 8.5 miles.
We've spent the afternoon relaxing in the shelter and chatting with an AT through hiker who used to work on Wall Street. So far, all of the people we've met out here have been really nice and really interesting.
Out hike is going slowly, but we should be in Manchester Center on Tuesday. 24.4 miles down and 248.3 to go!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Day 2
Shortly after writing yesterday's post I collapsed asleep and was largely unaware of the world for a few hours. We were awoken twice during the night. The first time occurred when something started banging around the shelter loudly. It was too dark to see what it was from the tent and I was too tired to go have a look. Whatever it was sounded like it was having a good time rifling through all of the hung packs. Eventually I was able to fall back asleep. Mary shook me awake at 5 am in a panic as it had started raining. We stumbled out of the tent and frantically put the rain fly on. By the time we were back in the tent it had already stopped raining. We managed another four hours of good sleep as we were both still exhausted from the long hike.
Upon finally starting our day we were relieved to find that our packs were still intact. Someone had chewed a hole in the food bag and absconded with our salted almonds during the night, however. This was a real blow as the almonds were our favorite treat.
We were moving slowly this morning and didn't step onto the trail until after 10 am. The first couple of miles were spent listening to our muscles and joints complain about the continuing abuse. Eventually we settled into hiking and the miles began to tick north. The forest was remarkably consistent. After a while it felt like we were hiking on a woodland treadmill. We reached the summit of Harmon Hill around noon and took a long snack break. The trees concealed the view from us but at least there was a pleasant breeze to keep us cool and the bugs at bay.
The hiking got much harder after our break. The trail dropped 900 feet in a little over a mile. Worse, it used a seemingly endless switchback of rock steps to descend. Our pace slowed to a crawl. By the time we reached Vermont 9 (the highway) our legs were shaking from the tiring descent. We took lunch at the road and spent some time talking ourselves out of going into nearby Bennington.
After lunch the trail climbed close to a thousand feet to the Melville Nauheim shelter. We began to encounter groups of weekend backpackers headed up the trail, their packs and clothes cleaner than ours. It came as a surprise to both of us that it was Friday. The work week is just beginning for us.
We decided to stay at the shelter for the night. We only managed 5.8 miles today. On the plus side we were able to relax in the hammock for a while. The skies are clear blue and there is a strong breeze blowing through the birch forest we are camped in. We'll probably get into Manchester Center a day later than planned but it was worth it to get some quality relaxing time. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep and the long climb up to Goddard shelter tomorrow. In the meantime we'll get a chance to listen to the stories of the AT hikers staying here tonight. It's nice to be in the woods.
Upon finally starting our day we were relieved to find that our packs were still intact. Someone had chewed a hole in the food bag and absconded with our salted almonds during the night, however. This was a real blow as the almonds were our favorite treat.
We were moving slowly this morning and didn't step onto the trail until after 10 am. The first couple of miles were spent listening to our muscles and joints complain about the continuing abuse. Eventually we settled into hiking and the miles began to tick north. The forest was remarkably consistent. After a while it felt like we were hiking on a woodland treadmill. We reached the summit of Harmon Hill around noon and took a long snack break. The trees concealed the view from us but at least there was a pleasant breeze to keep us cool and the bugs at bay.
The hiking got much harder after our break. The trail dropped 900 feet in a little over a mile. Worse, it used a seemingly endless switchback of rock steps to descend. Our pace slowed to a crawl. By the time we reached Vermont 9 (the highway) our legs were shaking from the tiring descent. We took lunch at the road and spent some time talking ourselves out of going into nearby Bennington.
After lunch the trail climbed close to a thousand feet to the Melville Nauheim shelter. We began to encounter groups of weekend backpackers headed up the trail, their packs and clothes cleaner than ours. It came as a surprise to both of us that it was Friday. The work week is just beginning for us.
We decided to stay at the shelter for the night. We only managed 5.8 miles today. On the plus side we were able to relax in the hammock for a while. The skies are clear blue and there is a strong breeze blowing through the birch forest we are camped in. We'll probably get into Manchester Center a day later than planned but it was worth it to get some quality relaxing time. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep and the long climb up to Goddard shelter tomorrow. In the meantime we'll get a chance to listen to the stories of the AT hikers staying here tonight. It's nice to be in the woods.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Day 1
Today was one of the longest and hardest days of hiking I can recall. As I lay here in my tent writing I can feel my leg muscles aching from the day's hike. It may be quite the challenge to get them to work again in the morning!
The day started off with a quick, light breakfast at Dunkin Doughnuts before we returned the rental car. The young man working at Enterprise rental car gave us a ride back into Williamstown and the trail head. The car he drove us in had an unfortunate odor issue that made us eager to get on the trail. I could only assume that the car's previous driver had used it to transport garbage or large quantities of road kill.
We strapped on our packs and stepped off from the Pine Cobble Trailhead a few minutes after 9 am. The trail climbed gradually at first through a beech and maple forest alongside a subdivision of high end homes. I can imagine how glorious it would be to live in a house with a trail to Vermont in your backyard! After about an hour of steady climbing we reached the summit of Pine Cobble. At 1890 feet it wasn't much compared to what we have in front of us but it did provide a great view of Williamstown from above.
In another half hour of climbing we reached the intersection with the Appalachian trail. The trail crossed over large rocks bleached white by the sun. Some of the rocks were adorned with blueberry bushes, a tasty discovery.
A little before noon we reached the Vermont state line. We had hiked more than five miles and ascended over a thousand feet and we were now at mile 0. Yes, all of the hiking before the state boundary counts on my knees, feet and ankles, but none of it counts towards the 273 on the Long Trail.
After adjusting to this sobering reality, we trudged on. Around 2 pm we arrived at the Glen Ellis shelter. We were exhausted so we decided to take a long break for lunch before deciding if we should go any further. As tired as we were, I really wanted to knock out more of the trail while we had beautiful weather and fresh legs. A two hour break with lunch was enough for both of us to feel recharged. We decided to go for it and bit off another 7 miles of trail.
The trail climbed to a couple of summits with limited views along the way. We passed by some serene looking wet lands and the most elaborate beaver pond I have ever seen. The forest seemed constantly alive with bird song and squirrels busily chasing each other or chastising us. The long hike dragged on and the woods began to grow dark. Just when we thought we might be night hiking we reached the Congdon Shelter. We had hiked for the better part of 12 hours and traveled 14 miles.
Congdon shelter was a dump made less appealing by the fading twilight. In the few minutes it took Mary to set up the sleeping bag she watched enough mice scurry about to decide better of sleeping in the shelter. We decided to pitch our tent near the shelter for tonight. I filtered water from a pretty little Brooke and Mary prepared our dehydrated cheese enchiladas in the dark. Dinner tasted amazing after such a full day on the trail.
As I lay here in the tent finishing this I just heard a barred owl call out. The forest feels calm and welcoming and I am eager for sleep. 263 miles of hiking remains on front of us. Goodnight everyone.
The day started off with a quick, light breakfast at Dunkin Doughnuts before we returned the rental car. The young man working at Enterprise rental car gave us a ride back into Williamstown and the trail head. The car he drove us in had an unfortunate odor issue that made us eager to get on the trail. I could only assume that the car's previous driver had used it to transport garbage or large quantities of road kill.
We strapped on our packs and stepped off from the Pine Cobble Trailhead a few minutes after 9 am. The trail climbed gradually at first through a beech and maple forest alongside a subdivision of high end homes. I can imagine how glorious it would be to live in a house with a trail to Vermont in your backyard! After about an hour of steady climbing we reached the summit of Pine Cobble. At 1890 feet it wasn't much compared to what we have in front of us but it did provide a great view of Williamstown from above.
In another half hour of climbing we reached the intersection with the Appalachian trail. The trail crossed over large rocks bleached white by the sun. Some of the rocks were adorned with blueberry bushes, a tasty discovery.
A little before noon we reached the Vermont state line. We had hiked more than five miles and ascended over a thousand feet and we were now at mile 0. Yes, all of the hiking before the state boundary counts on my knees, feet and ankles, but none of it counts towards the 273 on the Long Trail.
After adjusting to this sobering reality, we trudged on. Around 2 pm we arrived at the Glen Ellis shelter. We were exhausted so we decided to take a long break for lunch before deciding if we should go any further. As tired as we were, I really wanted to knock out more of the trail while we had beautiful weather and fresh legs. A two hour break with lunch was enough for both of us to feel recharged. We decided to go for it and bit off another 7 miles of trail.
The trail climbed to a couple of summits with limited views along the way. We passed by some serene looking wet lands and the most elaborate beaver pond I have ever seen. The forest seemed constantly alive with bird song and squirrels busily chasing each other or chastising us. The long hike dragged on and the woods began to grow dark. Just when we thought we might be night hiking we reached the Congdon Shelter. We had hiked for the better part of 12 hours and traveled 14 miles.
Congdon shelter was a dump made less appealing by the fading twilight. In the few minutes it took Mary to set up the sleeping bag she watched enough mice scurry about to decide better of sleeping in the shelter. We decided to pitch our tent near the shelter for tonight. I filtered water from a pretty little Brooke and Mary prepared our dehydrated cheese enchiladas in the dark. Dinner tasted amazing after such a full day on the trail.
As I lay here in the tent finishing this I just heard a barred owl call out. The forest feels calm and welcoming and I am eager for sleep. 263 miles of hiking remains on front of us. Goodnight everyone.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Through-Hike Eve
Well, after spending the better part of 12 hours in the car today we are finally ready to start hiking. We were up at 7 am today. When I opened the door to the Willows Motel to put the rest of our stuff not going on our hike into the Jeep the sun was already climbing over the mountains. Bathed in warm sunlight, the Green Mountains looked friendly and inviting. We visited the organic bakery and grocery store next door for coffee and fantastic chocolate croissants. Next we drove to the post office to mail one of our food drops. The nice thing about mailing it out here is that the postal worker knew what we were doing because other people do this. Back home the exchange definitely would have brought a "your doing WHAT?". The postal worker was friendly and also a Georgetown basketball fan that likes Michigan State due to Magic Johnson. I think he was happy about the opportunity to talk sports for a change.
At 9 am we picked up the rental car and started our very long shuttle. Our path took us thru Bennington where we could visit Papa Pete's for a robust breakfast. In addition to being a great breakfast joint, this place is famous for being a frequent hang out for members of the band Phish. A healthy helping of French toast with real Vermont maple syrup provided fuel for our long drive.
We stopped at the Inn at the Long Trail to drop off another food drop for ourselves and continued north. The Quechee Gorge provided another rest stop a little while later. Below is a picture of the Gorge. After another three hours of driving we finally reached the small rural community of North Troy. We met the host of the B and B and parked the Jeep for its monthlong rest.
On the drive back to Williamstown we stopped for dinner at the Mainstreet Grill. The grill is a New England Culinary Institute restaurant, providing a training location for their students. This means you get gourmet quality food and service at below market prices. I had a cheese plate featuring all Vermont-made cheeses and a wonderful mushroom risotto. I'm sure I'll be thinking about this meal when I'm eating tomorrow night's dehydrated dinner!
As a write this we are finishing our drive back to Williamstown. Tomorrow our adventure will finally begin! We are both nervous and antsy to get hiking! Driving the entire length of Vermont today really helped to reinforce how completely crazy this hike is. That said, I'm really excited! I'll post every day that I have cell service on the trail. Wish us luck!
At 9 am we picked up the rental car and started our very long shuttle. Our path took us thru Bennington where we could visit Papa Pete's for a robust breakfast. In addition to being a great breakfast joint, this place is famous for being a frequent hang out for members of the band Phish. A healthy helping of French toast with real Vermont maple syrup provided fuel for our long drive.
We stopped at the Inn at the Long Trail to drop off another food drop for ourselves and continued north. The Quechee Gorge provided another rest stop a little while later. Below is a picture of the Gorge. After another three hours of driving we finally reached the small rural community of North Troy. We met the host of the B and B and parked the Jeep for its monthlong rest.
On the drive back to Williamstown we stopped for dinner at the Mainstreet Grill. The grill is a New England Culinary Institute restaurant, providing a training location for their students. This means you get gourmet quality food and service at below market prices. I had a cheese plate featuring all Vermont-made cheeses and a wonderful mushroom risotto. I'm sure I'll be thinking about this meal when I'm eating tomorrow night's dehydrated dinner!
As a write this we are finishing our drive back to Williamstown. Tomorrow our adventure will finally begin! We are both nervous and antsy to get hiking! Driving the entire length of Vermont today really helped to reinforce how completely crazy this hike is. That said, I'm really excited! I'll post every day that I have cell service on the trail. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Eastward Trek
The alarm went off at 5 am and after a couple of necessary snoozes we were on the road. We made a quick stop at Big Apple Bagel for coffee and bagels and started the long trek east. Going out east is a much different experience than the usual trip up north. Going up north in Michigan involves passing through mostly undeveloped woodlands dotted with small communities like Grayling, Gaylord and Mackinaw City. Driving east entails passing through endless suburban sprawl marred only by delightful cities such as Flint, Port Huron, Sarnia and Hamilton. On these marathon days I reach a point at which I begin to think "why on earth are we doing this? I think we might pass away in the car!". All of the exits have the same five businesses and the local radio stations all play the same Katy Perry song with maddening regularity
The border crossing can also be a real treat. I have nothing but respect for the men and women who guard our borders and keep us safe. I'm sure it is an impossibly difficult job. After many hours in the car, however it can be tiresome to discuss the origin of the contraband carrots in my cooler. You know, the ones I bought at Kroger in Holt. At today's crossing south of Niagara Falls, NY we had just slowed to a stop at the border crossing when I decided to open my door for a second to stretch my legs. A gust of wind caught hold of the pile of papers I had on my lap and scattered them into the road. I was forced to sprawl onto the pavement and use my arms and legs to knock down and secure the wayward papers, all the while wondering if I had caught the eye of a customs officer deciding which car to search. At times like these Mary likes to break into song. You never know when a nice rendition of Lee Greenwood could come in handy. Fortunately, the customs officer only asked us a couple of questions and we were back on the road again.
Passing into New York things started to improve. Roadside service plazas offered Starbucks frequently enough to keep us dangerously caffeinated. After we made a lunch stop in Rochester the thru-way began to pass through some National Wildlife Refuges. A bald eagle flew directly over the Jeep at one point. The flat terrain of Ontario slowly evolved into hills that grew larger as we drove.
As we entered Massachusetts the Berkshire Mountains began to dominate the landscape. The mountains were veiled in wispy patches of fog drifting across the dark green masses of land. The skies had grown gray and occasional rain showers began as we drove into Williamstown. This area is still one of mystery to us. It gets dark much earlier in the east, which definitely adds to the sense of the unknown. We checked into our hotel and found some dinner at a great tapas place. Tomorrow we pick up the rental car and shuttle the Jeep to the north end of the trail. We made the last few painful decisions of what to take and what to leave in the Jeep before bed. I'm doubting we'll sleep very well tonight as we're both pretty hyped up to begin our hike. Here is the view entering Massachusetts:
The border crossing can also be a real treat. I have nothing but respect for the men and women who guard our borders and keep us safe. I'm sure it is an impossibly difficult job. After many hours in the car, however it can be tiresome to discuss the origin of the contraband carrots in my cooler. You know, the ones I bought at Kroger in Holt. At today's crossing south of Niagara Falls, NY we had just slowed to a stop at the border crossing when I decided to open my door for a second to stretch my legs. A gust of wind caught hold of the pile of papers I had on my lap and scattered them into the road. I was forced to sprawl onto the pavement and use my arms and legs to knock down and secure the wayward papers, all the while wondering if I had caught the eye of a customs officer deciding which car to search. At times like these Mary likes to break into song. You never know when a nice rendition of Lee Greenwood could come in handy. Fortunately, the customs officer only asked us a couple of questions and we were back on the road again.
Passing into New York things started to improve. Roadside service plazas offered Starbucks frequently enough to keep us dangerously caffeinated. After we made a lunch stop in Rochester the thru-way began to pass through some National Wildlife Refuges. A bald eagle flew directly over the Jeep at one point. The flat terrain of Ontario slowly evolved into hills that grew larger as we drove.
As we entered Massachusetts the Berkshire Mountains began to dominate the landscape. The mountains were veiled in wispy patches of fog drifting across the dark green masses of land. The skies had grown gray and occasional rain showers began as we drove into Williamstown. This area is still one of mystery to us. It gets dark much earlier in the east, which definitely adds to the sense of the unknown. We checked into our hotel and found some dinner at a great tapas place. Tomorrow we pick up the rental car and shuttle the Jeep to the north end of the trail. We made the last few painful decisions of what to take and what to leave in the Jeep before bed. I'm doubting we'll sleep very well tonight as we're both pretty hyped up to begin our hike. Here is the view entering Massachusetts:
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Cat Sitter Found!
We got some great news this week in our preparations for the Long Trail. One of our biggest concerns in planning this whole crazy trip are Hobbes and Sabrina, our two black cats. Everyone tells you that “oh, cat’s don’t mind when you’re gone.” Considering how aloof the average cat is, this would make sense. Our cats, on the other hand, appear to love us. That is, until we start packing. Then the guilt trip begins in earnest. Any sign of backpacks, or piles of clothes at all and they find a spot to sulk and glare at us for the rest of the night. The longest we have left them in the past was 3 weeks when we went to Glacier National Park in 2010. This year’s trip to Vermont will likely end up being 4-5 weeks, causing us to wonder if our cats will have gone on hunger strike by the time we return. So you can imagine how excited we were to learn this week that our good friend from Iowa has decided to move back to Lansing and needs a place to live! Uncle Steve (as we have referred to him to the cats) will be living in our house while we are gone, meaning they will receive plenty of attention. They may not even notice we are gone!
With this big detail worked out, the reality has set in that our big hike is getting very close. We are scheduled to leave our house for Vermont in 20 days. The piles of lists, maps, guide books and gear that have been a fun hobby for the past three months are suddenly urgent reminders that soon we will live a month with everything we need on our backs. With a couple of shorter trips on the docket before we leave, we are left with only a handful of days to clear up the remaining details. The good news, is that the cats are a pretty big detail!
Hobbes and Sabrina:
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