Appalachian Trail - Day 110 - Inn at the Long Trail to Winturri Shelter

Day: 110

Date: Saturday, 12 August 2023

Start:  Inn at Long Trail (AT Mile 1711.1)

Finish:  Winturri Shelter (AT Mile 1729.1)

Daily Kilometres:  27.8 (Ascent 5142', Descent 4990')

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

Total Kilometres:  2838.2

Weather:  Mild to warm and mostly sunny with heavy rain after dark.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Omelette, hash browns and toast and jam

  Lunch:  Snickers/Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

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

Highlight:  For most of the day we had nice hiking trail, meaning we could walk normally for long periods.

Lowlight:  During the afternoon we crossed the very innocuous-looking Stony Brook Creek where a north-bound thru-hiker, "Steady Eddie", had drowned about four weeks ago when trying to ford it during Vermont's flooding rains.  A little further on, possibly where his body was found, there was a picture of the hiker with a poignant poem (probably well-known, but singularly appropriate) attached to a tree.

"It's not the end of the trail for me

I've traveled on, you see

Up ahead where greener pastures grow

And cool water streams dance as they flow

Flowers bloom of every sort and kind

Colors more vivid than I left behind

Family and friends I haven't seen in years

Hugs and handshakes and no more tears

They've welcomed me home just today

A place of peace for me to stay

They say it's my home for eternity

No, it's not the end of the trail for me."

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We had a relaxed start to the day as breakfast at the Inn was not served until 7:30am.  It was delicious and we set off around 8:30am on full stomachs on a beautiful day.

Initially we climbed a trail that took us back to the AT and then we followed the AT eastwards through peaceful forest for a while before it took us through a forest camping ground where many we were just starting their day and then alongside the beautiful Kent Pond.  There were lots of people around.

We passed several vacation lodges near the trail before a long boardwalk across a swampy area and then the serious business of the day started with a long climb up Quimby Mountain from which there were limited views.  The forest was mostly conifer and the trail, for a change was very pleasant hiking.

As we descended we crossed the picturesque Stony Brook Creek (see above) and soon afterwards took our afternoon break.  We were a bit concerned about the weather as storms and rain were forecast to arrive from around 6:00pm so we decided to aim for a shelter about five miles ahead where we hoped we could sleep for the night and keep our tent dry.  More climbing was involved, but we made good progress on the nice trail.

As it turned out, the rain, which was quite heavy, didn't arrive until around 8:30pm, by which time we were safely ensconced in the shelter having had dinner.  We are sleeping in our tent in the shelter for mosquito protection.

Appalachian Trail - Day 109 - Governor Clement Shelter to Inn at the Long Trail

Day: 109

Date: Friday, 11 August 2023

Start:  Governor Clement Shelter (AT Mile 1698.6)

Finish:  Inn at Long Trail (AT Mile 1711.1)

Daily Kilometres:  16.1 (Ascent 3189', Descent 2671')

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

Total Kilometres:  2810.4

Weather:  Cool to mild, breezy, overcast in the morning and partly sunny in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Inn

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Sourdough bread & goats cheese.

  Lunch:  Patty melt & chips/Pulled pork burger & chips

  Dinner:  Chips & salsa, Bacon cheeseburger & chips/Turkey melt & chips, cookies.

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

Highlight:  After five days of hiking in muddy, grotty conditions, with no showers or laundry, and with everything wet or damp after last night's torrential downpour, we were very happy to reach the inn at the Long Trail, where we had a room booked, on the early afternoon.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We kept dry despite the torrential rain last night, though there were a few damp spots inside the tent and muddy rain spatter had left our tent and groundsheet very dirty.  We rose at the usual 5:30am and were on the very wet and muddy trail around 6:45am.

We had about ten miles to reach the Inn at the Long Trail where we had a room booked for the night and hoped to dry out our gear, shower and launder our clothes, so we're keen to get there as early as possible.  However, Killington Peak had other ideas.  The first 4.5 miles took nearly three hours of climbing on gnarly, rocky, rooty and boggy trail through foggy conifer forest.  Nearly every footfall had to be carefully placed, often gambling on the slipperiness of a rock or root, or the depth of the mud, and not always getting it right.  Dave, in particular, was taking it very carefully.  Not much opportunity to look around, but also not.much to see apart from more eerie and quiet dripping wet forest.

The trail doesn't actually go to the very top of Killington, one of the most renowned ski mountains in the US north-east, but very close to it.  The ski fields and resort are on the eastern side of the peak, but you would never know from the AT which passes just below the western side of the peak and feels like isolated wilderness.  We took a breakfast break in an old lodge at the highest point the trail reaches on the peak, around 3900'.  There were no windows in the old stone building, just huge openings where the windows used to be and an icy wind blew inside as we ate and were later joined by two other hikers.

From there we had a little over five miles to go, mostly downhill, and we gradually warmed as we descended, especially when the sun began making an occasional appearance.  The trail was still hard work, but we made reasonable time and with 2.5 miles to go we branched off the AT to take a side trail (the old AT route) directly to the Inn at the Long Trail and got there around 1:00pm.  Our room was ready and they let us check in straight away.  Our French-Canadian friends are also here so we arranged to have dinner with them tonight at the Irish Pub that forms part of the Inn.

We had a fairly intensive hour or two showering, laundering, washing and spreading gear out to dry, before having a late lunch in the pub.  Julie then walked a.mile or so down to the Killington village where she bought some things we needed while Dave finished the chores back at the Inn.

Later, we had dinner with Matthew and Christine in the Irish pub downstairs with live music which was very pleasant.  

Most of our gear is now clean and dry and we are ready to resume hiking tomorrow.  More rain is forecast.

1700 Mile Mark was passed today!

Appalachian Trail - Day 108 - Little Rock Pond to Governor Clement Shelter

Day: 108

Date: Thursday, 10 August 2023

Start:  Little Rock Pond (AT Mile 1679.3)

Finish:  Governor Clement Shelter (AT Mile 1698.6)

Daily Kilometres:  31.3 (Ascent 4560', Descent 4537')

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

Total Kilometres:  2794.3

Weather:  Mild and humid, mostly sunny in the morning and overcast in the afternoon with some heavy showers and a thunderstorm in the evening.

Accommodation:  Tent 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts.

  Lunch:  Hot dogs, cookies and snacks.

  Dinner:  Sourdough roll & goats cheese, ice-cream.

Aches:  Dave - chronic left knee a little sore after a slip on which his left leg got caught underneath him and splayed out to the side, but no obvious serious harm done; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Had to be the unexpected "trail magic" when we reached the Clarendon Gorge trailhead on VT Route 103.  We had been planning to detour a mile along the road to a deli to buy some lunch and drinks, but that became unnecessary given that "trail angels" happily provided us with hot dogs (three each!), drinks and snacks.  We spent a very pleasant 45 minutes there chatting with them and a couple of other thru-hikers while we ate and drank (and saved ourselves two extra miles of walking).

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:30am and packed quietly so as not to disturb the two young late arrivals camped right next to us on the tent platform.  They had all of their gear covering the picnic table which we planned to use as we packed up, including open food items.  Not very considerate and lucky no bears were around.

We were hiking by 6:45am on a mild morning, starting with a long gradual climb up White Rocks Mountain.  Promisingly, there didn't seem to be quite as many bogs and muddy sections as in the past few days, though there were still some tricky rocky sections including on the descent where Dave had a fall.

For most of the day, which included a couple more serious climbs, we travelled through the usual leaf-litter-carpeted deciduous forest at the lower elevations and moss-carpeted conifer forest at the higher levels.  We got some views, including over Rutland's airport, and crossed the impressive Clarendon Gorge on a high narrow swaying suspension bridge.  There were plenty of rushing streams and not as much mud which made life easier.

We had aimed to cover 12 miles to VT Route 109 and then detour off to buy some lunch and a few supplies but didn't need to because of the 'trail magic" there (see above).  We were happy not to have to walk the extra miles and enjoyed chatting to the other thru-hikers.  They all have the finish of their thru-hike on their mind and each had probable finish dates worked out.

After gorging ourselves at the "trail magic" we had an exceptionally steep climb which, after levelling off for a while, continued upwards through the forest.  We felt like we were nearing the top of a mountain when the trail suddenly emerged next to farmland with a farmhouse in the distance and then crossed a rural road.  You can easily lose track of where you are in the forest.

After four miles we reached another rural road and a map advising of a suggested AT detour to miss some possibly troublesome stream fords.  We had already been planning to detour a little along a road to a farm stall where we were to buy something for dinner and breakfast and, coincidentally, the suggested detour went past the farm so we took it.

The farm stall was a room set up inside a farmhouse with a variety of organic treats available on an honesty system where you had to check out electronically.  There weren't as many options as we hoped and the prices seemed high, but we found what we needed and ate our dinner on chairs on the farmhouse verandah where there was also wifi and power available for hikers.  Very pleasant.

By this time it was nearly 6:00pm and we continued on following the suggested detour which took us along some picturesque rural roads.  Some of the rain that had been forecast arrived, and was quite heavy at times, but it had stopped by the time we reached the shelter we were aiming for at nearly 7:30pm.

More rain was forecast, so we quickly set up our tent, had a wash and climbed inside.  Our timing was good, because a heavy thunderstorm with intense rain arrived about ten minutes later.  As this blog is being typed, there is a little water getting into our tent, one way or another, but the storm seems to be abating, so hopefully we won't get too wet!

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.