Appalachian Trail - Day 107 - Bromley Shelter to Little Rock Pond

Day: 107

Date: Wednesday, 09 August 2023

Start:  Bromley Shelter (AT Mile 1661.0)

Finish:  Little Rock Pond (AT Mile 1679.3)

Daily Kilometres:  30.0 (Ascent 3031', Descent 3816')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2763.0

Weather:  Foggy and overcast early, then mild, mostly sunny and breezy.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  We thought the highlight of the day might be walking the last couple of miles on good mudless trail as we followed a well-used trail up from a forest parking area to the popular Little Rock Pond where we planned to camp.  Alas, after one mile the trail reverted to the standard rocky, bouldery and boggy trail.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

It rained a lot overnight and was still raining when we got up at 5:30am, but had stopped by the time we left at about 6:45am to resume our ascent of Bromley Mountain (3263').  After climbing through the dripping wet mossy conifer forest for half an hour, we emerged onto a grassy ski run for the last few hundred metres of the ascent.

The summit was fogged in so there were no views, just the ghostly outline of the chairlift top station and some other snow-related equipment.  We stopped in at the ski patrol cabin, which is left open for hikers to use and, as we suspected when we decided not to come here last night, it was full of hikers.  They had a drier going which warmed the cabin and there were multiple power outlets, a place to discard trash, and an outside toilet - meeting almost all of the average thru-hiker needs.  We said hello, dumped our trash, and continued hiking.

The trail was rocky and boggy as we have come to expect in Vermont, and progress was slow, though the fog did gradually clear and the sun emerged.  

Our route for the day also took us over Styles Peak and Baker Peak, both of which offered some views, through several defined wilderness areas, past beautiful Griffith Lake, and next to many roaring streams.

The going was arduous in many places and the mud and water on the trail never-ending.  It was one of those days where Dave wished he was home with the creature comforts instead of facing another six weeks of this.

Eventually, we reached picturesque Little Rock Pond around 6:30pm and found a campsite on our own with a picnic table.  It seemed ideal until, just as we were going to bed, two young hikers turned up and asked to put their tent right next to ours.  We told them about another site a hundred metres away, but they could not find it in the dark.  Hope they like early risers!

Appalachian Trail - Day 106 - Story Spring Shelter to Bromley Shelter

Day: 106

Date: Tuesday, 08 August 2023

Start:  Story Spring Shelter (AT Mile 1638.0)

Finish:  Bromley Shelter (AT Mile 1661.0)

Daily Kilometres:  30.5 (Ascent 2884', Descent 3373')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2733.0

Weather:  Cool to mild, mostly cloudy with some heavy rain in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:30am and packed as quietly as we could so as not to disturb the other two thru-hikers sharing the shelter with us.  Both of them had been in bed when we arrived the previous evening, and we didn't realise one of them was "Squirrel" a thru-hiker we had got to know over the past few weeks.  He woke as we were packing and told us that all of his clothing was saturated from yesterday's rain and his sleeping quilt was not warm enough, and he hadn't warmed up since yesterday.  While we finished packing he tried to dry his T-shirt over his little has stove, but that wasn't going to work.

Like many other thru-hikers, "Squirrel" was an ultra-light hiker, and we have often envied their very light packs, but they are light for a reason.  They are carrying the absolute minimum, which is fine when conditions are good, but not so fine when they aren't.  We felt sorry for him (he was going to hike to a road and try and get to a town), but couldn't really offer him any of our gear.  He wished us well as we left and we hope he managed to get warm and safe.

There was thunderstorms and rain in the forecast and a flash flood warning so, after our first couple of miles, we decided not to follow the official AT route over Stratton Mountain and risk a thunderstorm and likely no views, and instead to take the old AT route which stayed low and in the woods.

As it turned out, the morning remained dry and there was even some sun, but we heard later from another hiker that there were no views from the summit.

Although shorter and lower, our route was very wet and boggy and the forest green, mossy and dripping wet.  Dave had a big fall at one point but escaped injury though was a bit shook up.  Where the trail wasn't boggy, it was rocky, and progress was again slow and tiring.  We passed a few beaver ponds and kept an eye out for wildlife (we must be nearing moose habitat), bit didn't see anything.

Soon after our lunch break, we met "Grits" again and commiserated with each other about the trail conditions.  It was good to see he was still going.

For our afternoon break, after we had endured some heavy rain, we stopped in at a shelter and met "Mountain Lion" an 8-y-o girl hiking the whole Appalachian Trail with her father.They had been hiking for nearly five months, but she still seemed to be enjoying the life.

We had a road crossing before our final couple of miles for the day and found a cooler left there for thru-hikers full of beer and Cokes, a very welcome surprise at the end of another wet day.

We reached Bromley Shelter, our goal for the day, at 6:30pm and are sharing it with a party of five, three generations of the same family, out for a three-day hike.  We decided to sleep in the shelter rather than erect the tent as more rain is forecast for overnight, though tomorrow should be fine.

Appalachian Trail - Day 105 - VT Route 9 to Story Spring Shelter

Day: 105

Date: Monday, 07 August 2023

Start:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) 

Finish:  Story Spring Shelter (AT Mile 1638.0)

Daily Kilometres:  31.2 (Ascent 4751', Descent 3310')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2702.5

Weather:  Cool to mild, humid, overcast, raining all morning, heavy at times, and showery in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Muffins

  Lunch:  American subs.

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles, sore rib much better; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  Very wet morning.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were picked up at the motel by our shuttle driver promptly at 6:30am, driven to the trailhead, and were hiking by 6:45am on a dreary morning in light rain.

Our trail climbed steadily up onto a ridge which we followed for the rest of the day.  Knowing that the forecast was for rain today and tomorrow, it was hard to summon much enthusiasm for the day's hiking.  The trail was already very wet, as was the forest and undergrowth, and became much wetter as the rain increased in intensity.  The going was difficult, with large bogs and puddles that had to be navigated and continual rocks and roots, all of them slippery.  Julie's shoes and socks were saturated in no time and stayed that way for the rest of the day.

The dripping forest was conifer and fairy-tale-like at the higher altitudes and deciduous lower down but it was hard to appreciate when all of our attention had to be on our footing.

About the only thing that made us feel better about our situation was that we met quite a few other thru-hikers out there dealing with the same conditions.  Originally, we planned to take a break after five miles, but the steady rain persuaded us to just keep walking and it was 12:15pm before we reached a shelter where we stopped for lunch.  About eight other hikers were also there, taking a break out of the rain, and there was a fair bit of dark humour about the conditions.

After lunch we walked another four miles to where there was another shelter where we took a break and then it was another five miles to the next shelter which was our target for the day.  There were no views all day, though there were a couple of peaceful beaver ponds near the end.

We decided we would stay in the shelter given that it is forecast to be raining in the morning as well and we wanted to avoid packing up in the rain and having a wet tent.

We're very happy with nineteen miles today, given the conditions, but it was very hard work and our average hiking pace wasn't much more than 1.5 miles per hour.  I guess we better get used to it as we hike through these northern states.

Appalachian Trail - Day 104 - Day Off in Bennington

Day: 104

Date: Sunday, 06 August 2023

Start:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) but staying in Bennington.

Finish:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) but staying in Bennington.

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her look around Bennington today.

Total Kilometres:  2671.3

Weather:  Warm and sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Farmers Omelette & hash browns, toast & jam.

  Lunch:  Mexicali subs 

  Dinner:  Meatlovers calzones, ice-cream

Aches:  Dave - resting his niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: No pictures today.

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Not much to report for this day off.

We walked down to the town centre to a diner for breakfast and Julie then walked a few miles further on to the Walmart to get the supplies we need for the next 4-5 days hiking, plus some other gear while Dave walked back to the motel.  The gear included a $10 electric hair clipper which Dave later used to drastically trim his hair and beard.

Later we donated the hair clipper to the Hiker Box in the motel office where hikers leave stuff they think other hikers might use.  The Hiker Box is just one more way in which the motel is "hiker friendly".  Apart from also offering free rides to and from the trailhead, the motel  has "loner" clothes hikers can borrow while their laundry is done and "loner" bikes hikers can use to get around town.  All very helpful.

We walked downtown again in the evening to get dinner and will have an early night, having booked a shuttle for a 6:30am pickup and lift back to the trailhead tomorrow.  We could get a lift for free from the motel owner but would have to wait until after 8:15am which doesn't suit us.  We would like to get some.extra miles done tomorrow.  The weather forecast, sadly, is for rain for the next few days.

Appalachian Trail - Day 103 - Old Seth Warner Shelter Site to VT Route 9

Day: 103

Date: Saturday, 05 August 2023

Start:  Old Seth Warner Shelter Site (AT Mile 1607.5)

Finish:  VT Route 9 (AT Mile 1619.0) but staying in Bennington.

Daily Kilometres:  17.8

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2671.3

Weather:  Warm and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Chips, ice-cream.

  Dinner:  Cheeseburger & fries, ice-cream.

Aches:  Dave - rib still sore, shoulder chafing; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:00am to a foggy dawn.  It is noticeably darker later in the mornings now and we need headlamps until 5:30am.  Like setting up camp, packing up has become pure routine, with us going through the same sequence every day when we are camping.  The first 30 minutes packing/dressing is done inside the tent, then it takes another 30 minutes to take down the tent and pack our rucksacks.  The whole process can be done without a word being said and very quietly as was done this morning when there were some others camped nearby.

We were hiking by 6:00am with a little over 11 miles to go to the VT Route 9 crossing, our goal for the day.  We had booked a motel room for two nights at a motel popular with hikers and the manager said he will pick us up if we phone him from the top of Harmon Hill, about two miles short of the highway where there was no phone reception.

Eleven miles sounded comfortable, but the trail had other ideas.  The forest was dank and the trail wet and boggy peppered with roots and rocks.  Occasionally there were narrow boardwalks across the swampiest sections.  Everything was slippery and it was often impossible to judge the thickness of the mud or find a way around it.  Julie, in her running shoes, occasionally sank in well over her ankles.  There was some cursing.

Our average speed was less than 2mph and we fear this will become the standard for the remainder of our journey.

On the plus side, the weather was good, there were only a few mosquitoes, and we passed some lovely peaceful ponds.  We took a break halfway to the highway and phoned the motel owner from the top of Harmon Hill as promised.  He said he would pick us up in 70 minutes, which seemed more time than necessary given we only had 1.7 miles to go, but the descent from the mountain was very steep and rocky and it took Dave nearly all of the 70 minutes to get down.

When we reached the road crossing, we found some "trail angels" offering "trail magic" to thru-hikers.  We said we were waiting to go into town and felt bad taking any of their goodies, but they insisted that we do.  We drank, ate and chatted until the motel owner turned up and drove us into Bennington.  The motel is fine, and cheap, but not ideally located, so we had to make do with what we could find in the adjacent gas station for lunch.

Later we walked into the centre of town for dinner and collected our clean laundry from the motel owner, who had done it for $5, on the way back to our room.

Looking forward to a day off tomorrow.

Appalachian Trail - Day 102 - Mt Greylock to Old Seth Warner Shelter Site

Day: 102

Date: Friday, 04 August 2023

Start:  Mt Greylock (AT Mile 1594.3)

Finish:  Old Seth Warner Shelter Site (AT Mile 1607.5)

Daily Kilometres:  23.8 (Ascent 2759'; Descent 4049')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2653.5

Weather:  Warm, humid and mostly overcast with rain in the late afternoon.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Muffins 

  Lunch:  Fried chicken pieces, pasta salad

  Dinner:  Turkey sandwiches 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles and a sore rib; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  None really 

Lowlight:  None really 

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

The breakfast muffins at Bascom Lodge were very tasty and we could have eaten more.  After saying goodbye to some other hikers we knew who were also staying at the Lodge, we set off hiking about 8:45am.  There had been a very loud thunderstorm and some rain around 4:00am, and more thunderstorms and rain were forecast for throughout the day but, at the time of leaving, it was just foggy, damp and cool, with no views.

It was a day of two parts.  The morning was spent on the seemingly never-ending descent from Mt Greylock to the Hoosic River on technical slippery trail through gnarly conifer forest with few views.  It was slow hiking with Dave also complaining that his injured rib was making it hard.  A minor highlight was passing the 1600 Mile mark.  We are now meeting quite a few southbound Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.  They generally start later to allow the northern rivers and streams that are swollen in the spring to subside.  It's always a boost to think they have about 1600 miles to go while we now have less than 600 miles to go.

The afternoon was spent climbing away from the Hoosic River on sometimes rocky and slippery trail with many boggy sections that had to be carefully worked around.  Other parts were relatively easy walking, and a minor highlight was crossing the Massachusetts-Vermont border.  We now just have the states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine left.

In between the morning and afternoon we passed through the outer parts of the town of North Adams and detoured off the trail for half a mile to a large supermarket where we bought some lunch and enough supplies to last us through to midday tomorrow when we reach a road crossing and will detour off to the town of Bennington for a day off.  We ate our lunch sitting on the concrete walkway near the supermarket entrance looking like a couple of derelicts - muddy, smelly, hungry and not caring what people thought.

We had hoped to cover a few more miles before camping today, but the word was that tent sites would be hard to find, so we got water from a stream at 5:30pm and then walked a little further to the site of an old (removed) shelter where we knew there were some tent sites and camped at around 5:45pm.  To that point, none of the rain forecast for the day had arrived, but we could hear thunder rumbling for the last hour or two of the afternoon so were anxious to get the tent up before rain arrived.

Sure enough, just as we began erecting the tent it began to rain.  We quickly got it up and then got everything inside, including ourselves, and ate dinner there.  The rain didn't last for too long and it is forecast to clear soon.

Appalachian Trail - Day 101 - Crystal Mountain Campsite to Mt Greylock

Day: 101

Date: Thursday, 03 August 2023

Start:  Crystal Mountain Campsite (AT Mile 1582.0)

Finish:  Mt Greylock (AT Mile 1594.3)

Daily Kilometres:  21.5 (Ascent 3389', Descent 1873')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2629.7

Weather:  Mild and mostly sunny in the morning, cool and cloudy with some rain in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Lodge

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Breakfast sandwiches, ice-creams 

  Lunch:  Hot dogs, cookies/cake.

  Dinner:  Potato & leek soup, chicken chasseur, profiteroles.

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles and a sore rib after a fall; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Despite the long climb up Mt Greylock, it was a relatively easy and short day.

Lowlight:  When we booked a room at Bascom Lodge on the summit of Mt Greylock (Massachusetts' highest peak, 3489', and accessible by road), we envisaged enjoying fantastic views and a glorious sunset, but the weather closed in during the afternoon, with rain and fog, partially spoiling our plans (though it was still nice to be staying at the Lodge).

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke a little earlier and were hiking on a beautiful morning by 6:00am in the hope that we would get to the summit of Mt Greylock before forecast afternoon storms and rain.  We had a room booked at Bascom Lodge at the summit for the night.  It was expensive for a room with shared facilities, but Dave had stayed there on his 1986 AT hike and thought it was something special to do.

The early hiking was easy, though Dave did manage to stumble and fall, landing on a sharp-edged rock with his ribs, pile-driven by the weight of his pack - it only hurts when he walks and breathes.  Although we crossed a couple of outcrops, there were no views until we detoured a little off the trail to Cheshire Cobble (1694') which overlooked the village of Cheshire, our destination for breakfast.

We reached the pretty village soon after 8:00am and walked through the streets to a highway where we detoured a quarter of a mile to a Dunkin' Donuts attached to a gas station and enjoyed breakfast before buying an ice-cream to eat on our way back to the trail.

The climb to the summit of Greylock wasn't too bad, spread out over seven miles, especially when we had a break at a shelter about halfway up, and we reached the top around 1:30pm.  We were too early to check in to our room, so we dumped our packs outside the Lodge and took in the views around summit area as well as climbing to the top of a tower built as a memorial to those lost in the 1914-18 (1917-18 war to the Americans).  The views were good, but not great because of a haze.

After lunch in the cafe and a chat with our French-Canadian thru-hiker friends who arrived mid-afternoon, we checked into our room and showered.  By this time the weather had deteriorated significantly with a cold wind and some rain.

We ate the expensive dinner provided on Bascom Lodge, telling ourselves it was a one-off, before retiring to our room for the night.  The continental breakfast included with our room isn't available until 8:00am, so looks like we will be having a sleep in.