Appalachian Trail - Day 114 - Jacobs Brook to Jeffers Brook Shelter

Day: 114

Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Start:  Jacobs Brook (AT Mile 1783.2)

Finish:  Jeffers Brook Shelter (AT Mile 1800.4)

Daily Kilometres:  27.3 (Ascent 4446', Descent 4557')

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

Total Kilometres:  2956.1

Weather:  Mild, overcast and drizzling for much of the day.

Accommodation:  Shelter 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Donut, chips

  Lunch:  Pop tarts

  Dinner:  Noodles 

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

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  Dave managed to slip and fall over twice on slick narrow boardwalks, the second time partially falling into the swamp.  He was not happy.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were hiking by soon after 6:30am on another gloomy morning … and straight into our first mountain of the day, Mount Cube (2909'), which proved quite challenging.  The trail just seemed to keep going up and up, in stages, quite technical in places and across slick wet rock in others.  We did get some views on the way up, but the summit was shrouded in fog.

The forecast was for no rain today, but it began drizzling around 9:00am and stayed that way for much of the day.  We were going to stop for a breakfast break after our very slow first five miles, but it was so wet we decided to keep walking until we reached a road crossing where there might be shelter.

When we reached the road, we found some kind "trail angels" braving the miserable weather to provide drinks and snacks to thru-hikers.  There was nowhere to sit down or get out of the rain, so we all just milled around in the drizzle trying to be cheerful, but grateful for the drinks and treats.

Continuing on, and climbing Ore Hill, the trail became exceptionally boggy and much time was spent trying to navigate around the worst of it in the quiet foggy woods with the only sound being the rain dripping off the leaves.

When we reached the next road crossing five miles later a thru-hiker who had finished the trail in Maine a week ago, and was driving back to his home in North Carolina, was handing out soft drinks and beer to hikers from his van.  Another welcome surprise.

From there we had about six miles to go for the day, including the climb over Mount Mist, which lived up to its name.  With a mile to go we had to cross the knee-deep Oliverian Brook, with Julie choosing to just walk through in her already muddy wet shoes, while Dave chose to walk across some precarious logs a little further upstream to avoid getting his feet wet.

We reached the Jeffers Brook Shelter around 6:15pm and finding the shelter empty set up our tent inside, for mosquito protection.  There are quite a few hikers camped in their tents nearby, and we would have been happy to camp as well, but given the weather uncertainty, we would like to start tomorrow without having to pack up, and carry, a wet tent.

We passed the 1800 Mile mark just before reaching the shelter.  Less than 400 to go! And we are now in the White Mountains.

Appalachian Trail - Day 113 - Mink Brook to Jacobs Brook

Day: 113

Date: Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Start:  Mink Brook (AT Mile 1764.7)

Finish:  Jacobs Brook (AT Mile 1783.2)

Daily Kilometres:  29.0 (Ascent 5374', Descent 5272') 

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

Total Kilometres:  2928.8

Weather:  Overcast all day with steady light rain in the morning.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Noodles

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

Highlight:  It was nice to get some good views from the fire lookout tower on Smarts Mountain even if clouds obscured some of the vista.  There were mountains near and far.

Lowlight:  A fast pack up in steadily intensifying rain in pre-dawn darkness wasn't much fun, though our gear didn't get too wet.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:00am and realised as we were packing the stuff inside the tent that it was starting to rain.  So, we got the tent down and packed out gear away as quickly as we could by the light of our headlamps and were hiking before 6:00am on a very gloomy morning in light rain.

It was a day of big climbs, starting with Moose Mountain (2292') in the morning and the more arduous Smarts Mountain (3237') in the afternoon with the Holt's Ledge in between.  All provided some views, despite the weather, with those from Smarts Mountain being the best.

After each high point we had to descend to cross valleys which were usually quite marshy.  The trail was also frequently boggy, but not as bad as some recent days.

We startled and glimpsed a bear rapidly descend from a tree around noon and saw a small snake lazing on one of the rock ledges as we climbed Smarts Mountain.

On top of that mountain, we also got our first taste of the wiry, gnarly conifer vegetation we are going to see more of at altitude as we head north.

Dave found the steep and technical climb later in the day very tough, so we were happy to have covered 18+ miles for the day and reach our target campsite beside the rushing Jacobs Brook around 6:15pm.  There is a "trail family" (a group of hikers, generally young, who travel together) also camped here but, after some initial boisterous was, they are quiet now.

Appalachian Trail - Day 112 - Podunk Brook to Mink Brook

Day: 112

Date: Monday, 14 August 2023

Start:  Podunk Brook (AT Mile 1747.8)

Finish:  Mink Brook (AT Mile 1764.7)

Daily Kilometres:  27.5

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

Total Kilometres:  2899.8

Weather:  Warm and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Egg & bacon rolls, omelettes & hash browns, toast & jam

  Lunch:  Roast beef & cheese subs, ice-creams

  Dinner:  Turkey & cheese subs

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Meeting up with Stef and Mike in Hanover for brunch.  They are friends from Sydney who flew out to hike the AT at almost exactly the same hour as we did from Sydney airport, though they started their hike about three weeks before we did.  They reached Vermont just when the record rain and floods hit and decided to flip-flop, leaving the AT at Manchester Center and driving up to the northern end of the AT then hiking southwards back to Manchester Center to complete the trail.  Stef writes a blog which we have been following and using to mentally prepare ourselves for what lies ahead ever since we started our hike.  Our brunch in Hanover was a happy reunion and lots of stories were told and compared before we each returned to the AT to continue hiking.  We look forward to a much longer debrief with them when we get back to Australia.

Lowlight:  For Dave, leaving Hanover after our enjoyable brunch with Stef and Mike (see above), with heavy packs, having resupplied for the next three days, knowing that we still have about five weeks to go before we finish and greatly envying them, knowing they only have about five days before they will be finished.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Having arranged to meet Stef and Mike at 10:00am in Hanover, eight miles away, for brunch (see above), we were hiking by 6:00am on a mild sunny morning through very peaceful forest.  The trail was good and we comfortably reached the village of Norwich around 9:00am and took a break for a quick breakfast in a lovely sunny park there, knowing we only had 1.5 miles to Hanover.

To get to Hanover we had to cross the Connecticut River into New Hampshire, leaving Vermont, or Vermud as it is known to thru-hikers, behind.  Only New Hampshire and Maine to go now!  Hanover is a very attractive little town, home to the renowned Dartmouth College and the trail goes right down its main street.

We met Stef and Mike at 10:00am and adjourned to a bakery for brunch and a catch-up which was very enjoyable.  Hanover is a proud trail town and we each received a free donut from the bakery.  Apparently there are other places in town where thru-hikers get freebies but we didn't stay long enough to get them, though we did see quite a few thru-hikers in town, some of whom we knew from the trail, taking advantage of the town's hospitality.

After brunch we walked to the town supermarket and bought supplies for the next three days as well as lunch and sat outside at a table while we ate.  It would have been easy to stay there all afternoon, but the trail beckoned (demanded?) that we continue hiking, so we set off around 1:00pm with full packs and full bellies for the eight miles to our chosen target campsite for the day, beside Mink Brook.  The trail was quite boggy in places and the mosquitoes were back, making the afternoon even more tough, mentally.

Fortunately, eight miles wasn't too much to ask for the afternoon and we reached our pretty campsite soon after 5:30pm, an early stop for us, and set up camp.  We've got some serious mountains to climb on the next three days, so are mentally preparing ourselves.

Appalachian Trail - Day 111 - Winturri Shelter to Podunk Brook

Day: 111

Date: Sunday, 13 August 2023

Start:  Winturri Shelter (AT Mile 1729.1)

Finish:  Podunk Brook (AT Mile 1747.8)

Daily Kilometres:  34.1 (Ascent 4537', Descent 5781')

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

Total Kilometres:  2872.3

Weather:  Mild to warm, humid, mostly sunny with a shower in the morning.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Waffles & donuts

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals.

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

Highlight:  We had a very pleasant breakfast at the Abracadabra Coffee Shop with friend, Rob (añhiked with us for a few days in Pennsylvania and hosted us at New Haven for a few days off recently), who detoured on his way to climb 4000 footers in New Hampshire to meet up.  Also brought us a cold six pack of Diet Coke and some needed bug repellent.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

There was some heavy rain overnight, but we were dry inside the shelter and kept our tent dry.  We left at 6:30am and followed a suggested trail detour, because of a washed-out bridge approach, which took us down a very pretty rural road in the early morning light.  Along the road was clear evidence of the flooding that had occurred in mid-July - road washouts, damaged bridges, landslips and toppled trees.

Fortuitously, the detour took us directly past the coffee shop where we had arranged to meet friend, Rob, for breakfast (see above) and coincidentally he arrived at the exact same moment as us.  We spent a pleasant hour breakfasting and catching up before Rob continued his journey north and we continued our hike.

For the second day in a row, the trail was in generally good condition and the hiking enjoyable apart from some serious climbs.  At the top of these climbs, however, there was some beautiful hiking through woodland with little undergrowth on pine needle- or leaf litter-covered trail. In places, the trail emerged into lush meadows offering good views and in the woods we often crossed or followed old stone walls indicating long lost farms.

Near the end of the day the trail passed through the hamlet of West Hartford from where we had a last climb before finding a nice camping spot beside Podunk Brook a little before 6:30pm.  We went through the usual routine and were settling down inside the tent for the night before 8:00pm, happy with our day.

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!