The Long Trail

Day 122

I didn’t get much sleep, rose early, and went downstairs for the continental breakfast. There were some great eggs, hash, and grilled vegetables. When the others awoke a few hours later, Brother, Nepsis, and I relaxed in the hot tub. For lunch we went to Subway and drove twenty minutes away to a Hilton where Nepsis’ dad had some more rewards points. I blogged some, but mostly rested. We went to TGIF’s for dinner and topped it off with dessert. We relaxed more before going to sleep.

Day 123

We woke up and walked across the street to a grocery store for resupply and breakfast. After shopping we drove the hour back to the Trail and after goodbyes, Nepsis and I began hiking again. We climbed a few miles back up into the mountains and crossed the border into Vermont. There was a hiker there just beginning his hike of the Long Trail. He took our photo at the sign. The Long Trail coincided with the Appalachian Trail for the next 105 miles before splitting away and heading to Canada. During these 105 miles we ran into a lot more hikers on the Trail. We heard Vermont was very muddy and we charged ahead in the thick of it. It wasn’t any worse than the mud we’ve encountered before after a heavy rain. We passed by some marshes. After several miles of hiking we found ourselves on a wide path that was extremely muddy. The mud was thick and sticky and slowed us down. Nepsis commented that she hadn’t noticed a white blaze in awhile so we continued, looking all around for a sign of the Trail. We couldn’t remember any recent side trails that could’ve been the side Trail so we kept going, but after several minutes no blazes revealed themselves. So I volunteered to take off my backpack and run ahead down the Trail in search of a blaze. The mud made it difficult to run very well since my shoes kept sticking to the ground as I tried to jump around the parts that looked especially muddy. I ran and ran and saw nothing, but I kept thinking that maybe there would be a blaze just around the corner. I didn’t want to backtrack only to discover this was the right trail. I dashed ahead pretty far until I was sure this couldn’t be the Trail and ran back to Nepsis. We walked back down the trail and within a few minutes found where we went wrong. As with all other side trails that cross or connect with the Trail, someone had set up a barrier of stones and branches. Somehow we were so engrossed in the conversation we were having that we stepped over the small wall. We continued on the right path after our forty-five minute detour and didn’t make it to Congdon Shelter until just before dark. The shelter was full so we set up our tent nearby and went to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 14.1 Total AT miles completed: 1602.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 582.5

Day 124          

We woke up and just before embarking from our tent a short rain passed through, wetting our tent before we could take it down. We packed up in the shelter. Everyone had already gone except a thruhiking couple who gave us a fuel canister the Long Trail hiker we’d met yesterday had accidentally left behind. We carried it with us as we tried to catch him across the mountains. We hiked down a mountain shortly and back up to a shelter where we found the Long Trail hiker and gave him back his fuel. We continued up the mountains, across Little Pond Mtn and up Glastenbury Mountain in the late afternoon where there was a tall lookout tower with views of the green wilderness all around us. From there we hiked a couple more miles to Kid Gore Shelter where we got the last two spots in a shelter full of slightly drunk middle-aged section and Long Trail hikers. We made reservations for our wedding anniversary at a couple of hotels before going to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 18.7 Total AT miles completed: 1621.5 Total AT miles left to hike: 563.8

Day 125

We were the first ones to leave in the morning and after several miles across the mountains, we hiked up the large, but not so steep Stratton Mountain. We ate lunch at the top where a few other hikers including Gargoyle and Morning Wood were eating before enjoying the views from another lookout tower. After, we hiked back down the other side of the mountain and across the ridge to a bright, blue pond where we stopped for a snack. After several more miles across the ridge we stopped at Spruce Peak Shelter. Slim arrived shortly after with several guest hikers: his brother and his British friend with his two sons. The shelter had four walls, a sliding door, and a fireplace inside. Skiers also used the shelter during the winter. Nepsis saw another thruhiker smoking his clothes so she joined him by holding her clothes above the fire. He said the smoke killed bacteria and replaced the unpleasant odors with a smoky aroma. After dinner, we went to sleep before it even got dark.

Miles hiked today: 18 Total AT miles completed: 1644.4 Total AT miles left to hike: 540.9

Day 126

After hiking a couple miles in the morning we made our way up Bromley Mountain. At the top we found a ski lodge and a ski lift closed up. It was weird to see during the sunny day on the grassy top of this mountain. The lodge even had a wreathe hanging on the door. We hiked down the mountain a bit and back up across Styles Peak, Peru Peak, and Baker Peak before heading down and along a series of ponds. There was a long stretch of footbridges we walked across. Even though we were going to try to push further, we decided to stop at Little Rock Pond Shelter & Tenting Area. There was a platform by the pond with a large tent on top where the caretaker of the area stayed, but we never saw him or her. We were supposed to pay a fee, but no one asked for one. The pond had a canoe on the shore and I took it out for a little paddle across to the other side and back. My arms felt weak since I use them so little on the Trail. There were two women camping nearby with a baby. We thought it was cool for them to feel like they could hike a few miles and be outdoors camping despite having a baby. After dinner, we went to sleep to some crying of the baby and some whining of mosquitoes.

Miles hiked today: 19.3 Total AT miles completed: 1667 Total AT miles left to hike: 518.3

Day 127

We woke up early and got going quickly up a little bit and across a mountain. In the middle of the woods, right next to the path, a city of white rocks randomly appeared. Someone or a group of people must have spent a long time stacking rocks in various places in a small area, creating houses and towers. After enjoying the intricate city for a bit, we hiked down the mountains to a parking area near VT 140. As we crossed the lot a man was just getting into his van. He asked if we wanted some water bottles so he took some and then offered to take us to his nearby town for resupply. We were going to head into a town later that day for resupply and figured this could be faster so we agreed. On our way into their small town of Wallingford, he also offered to take us back to his home if we wanted showers and laundry done. We were trying to make it far today, but agreed nonetheless. When we got there we met his wife and his son, who had thruhiked the year prior. We showered and they made us coffee and sandwiches for lunch while we waited for our laundry to get done. They said they’ve helped other thruhikers like this before. Michael, the man who picked us up, hikes for an hour on the Trail every morning. Once the laundry was done and we had repacked, Michael drove us over to the Family Dollar for resupply and back to the Trail. We hiked up Bear Mountain, feeling clean and refreshed. Past the top, we stopped by a shelter where there was some trail magic sodas keeping cold in the nearby stream. Sasquatch and Silent Bob, a young man from Quebec, were also there. After enjoying the drink we hiked down the mountain, across a suspension bridge, and up a short, but very steep and rocky incline up Beacon Hill. From there we hiked a few miles across the mountains until the day rapidly turned dark. We could hear thunder become louder and louder and we tried to hike quickly before the rain came. It came steady at first, but after about ten minutes it became hard and fast and cold. We stepped out onto a gravel road and found a sign indicating the Trail had been rerouted because a bridge was out. The detour took us along the roads, making a large rectangle around the broken bridge. As we walked on the roads the thunder became extremely loud and the lightning struck frequently and right after the thunder. Nepsis ran to the front porch of a nearby house and knocked several times, but no one answered. So we waited there for the worst of the thunder and lightning to pass. It even began to hail for a minute while we were waiting. When the thunder and lightning seemed further away, we ventured back out and along the roads until we eventually made it back to the AT. After a few minutes of hiking we came upon Robinson Brook, which was rushing, wildly with no stepping-stones. We timidly took the plunge and made our way slowly across. It came up to our waists and we turned to face the flow so we could have a more secure stance. Even though the current was very strong we made it across safely. We climbed out and hiked on in sopping socks and shoes. In less than a mile we made it to a shelter, but it was full, mostly with south bounders. Sasquatch even hung up his hammock under the overhang of the shelter. Nepsis mentioned we’d just have to hike up the mountain to the next shelter, but I thought she was kidding because she took off her shoes and socks and started wringing them out. I took mine off and followed suit, thinking we’d just squeeze into the shelter somehow since it was already evening. Before I knew it Nepsis had her shoes and socks back on and she asked if I was ready to go. I was game so I put back on my wet socks and shoes and we left. The next shelter was just over four miles away up a mountain the entire way. It wasn’t too steep and the rain let up. We hiked up through the wet foliage, up and up. After a couple miles we were getting tired and hungry because we hadn’t eaten since a small snack at the shelter with the sodas. It started to thunder again in the distance and soon a light rain began to fall. We felt pretty miserable and then it began to get dark. We hiked up and up and thought we were getting close, but it got really dark. The storm didn’t fully come, but it was getting late and we weren’t there yet. I was imagining the shelter being full. After what seemed like forever, just when it got about as dark as it can get we found Cooper Lodge Shelter at the top of Mt Killington. It was another four walled building for skiers and had a closed door. We burst in and found only one section hiker inside. We changed out of our wet clothes, ate, and made up our sleeping area in the darkness. We were very glad to get to sleep after such a long and wet day.

Miles hiked today: 19.4 Total AT miles completed: 1690.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 494.6

Day 128

We slept in a bit before leave the shelter, but when we did leave, we found the weather to be real nice. We hiked across the mountain in our wet clothes, letting the sun dry them. Once we hiked partly down the mountain, we had to scoot ourselves across a log over a stream. A bit further, the Long Trail branches away from the Appalachian Trail. A bit further from there we decided to take a half-mile side trail to The Inn at Long Trail where we could have lunch at McGrath’s Irish Pub. The side trail took us steeply down off the mountain and we met several families hiking up. McGrath’s Irish Pub was in the Inn and was filled from top to bottom with Irish paraphernalia and we ordered Sheppard’s pie and beef stew with soda bread. It was delicious and hearty and filled us up well. We sat for a long time resting trying unsuccessfully to convince ourselves to get back to the Trail. We were extremely tired from yesterday and ultimately decided to spend the night. The Inn itself was very interesting to look out. The main room on the main floor, next to the pub, was filled with old couches and rocking chairs with shawls over them. Old style lamps were on the wooden tables and the coffee tables were stacked with travel books about Ireland. At one end of the room was a giant fireplace. There was a side room filled with board games, old handheld wooden games, books, a pinball machine, and a television with a collection of VHS tapes. We found a hiker box in there filled with Clif Bars and Mountain House dehydrated meals. We took several of them. Our room was small and we took showers before taking a bus over to an outfitter to look for trekking poles. Both of our trekking poles were cheap and stuck open and we wanted to buy a new set before going through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The outfitter was out of trekking poles. It mostly had skiing equipment. After perusing the outfitter we walked over to a grocery store for dinner and some ice cream. When we got on the bus to go back to the inn, we found the same bus driver inside, and he told us we didn’t have to pay for this trip. Back at the inn, we sat in the pub and had a few rounds while I blogged. The owner even gave me a round for free for being in the Marine Corps like he was as a young man. After our drinks, we went straight to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 8.2 Total AT miles completed: 1698.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 486.4