~*~ Long Trail Journal ~*~
“The Mud Walking
has Begun…”
8-3-06 “Making
Lemonade” Prologue
8-4-06
8-5-06
8-6-06 Harmon Hill to
8-7-06
8-8-06 Lydian’s Rest
to
8-9-06
8-10-06
“Making Lemonade”
Sometimes
life hands you lemons. And sometimes, even though you’d like to make lemonade,
the lemons are no good. So what do you do? You throw away the lemons and forget
about the lemonade. Have ice tea instead. Or fruit punch. Or beer.
That’s
pretty much how we decided to hike the Long Trail. If you were following my
other journal, you know that we intended on hiking the A.T. from GA to ME. In
fact, we left mid-April and hiked our way to central
In
hindsight, being on the trail was probably the best possible place to hear such
news because when you are living so minimally, you realize how little your
material possessions mean. However, my heart broke for the photos that were
lost and the sentimental items that no amount of money could ever replace. It
was a very introspective time. We were fortunate that nobody was hurt, but at
the same time, we were suddenly without basic things like non-hiking clothes, a
pair of sneakers, or even shampoo. I never realized how many small little
things make “normal” day to day life possible.
While
on the A.T., I had said the only thing that could get me off the trail was a
serious injury or an emergency at home. Never in a million years could we have
predicted what would happen and it saddened both of us greatly to have to
leave. I will never forget that moment, sitting at the bus stop at
After
6-7 weeks of picking up the pieces and scrambling, we found ourselves headed to
what we affectionately call our “Consolation Prize” or “Plan B”. Dealing with
the effects of the fire and the sudden loss of so much, we were very much looking
forward to being back in the mountains on a spectacular trail. The A.T. isn’t
going anywhere…we plan to return to GA in 2008 for another go at it. I can’t
just walk away and I can’t be a “section hiker”. It is not in my nature and the
A.T. is, after all, a childhood dream.
In
the meantime, bring on the PUDS, the MUDS, rocks, roots, climbs and mud that
the Long Trail has in store for us.
Wow.
Being stagnant for 7 weeks really does a number on your trail legs. Ouch. I
think today was actually harder on my body than the Approach Trail in
Of
course the southern terminus of the LT is 4.6 miles from an actual road. My
mother dropped us in North Adams/Williamstown, MA where we began our journey.
Uphill, of course. My mom always tells me I need to find friends that will say
“no” when I asked to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere. I wonder how she
feels about now being part of that group.
We
took our time partially because we knew it wasn’t far to the first shelter and
partially because, well, our legs simply needed to be re-acclimated to constant
motion and extra weight on our backs. It was a quiet day on the trail, not a
hiker to be seen. Fire Monger and I were fairly quiet as well, both getting
reacquainted with trail life, a life we both love and have missed immensely. I
was wrestling with my joy of being back on the trail and my sadness for not
still being on the A.T. as an A.T. thru-hiker. I found myself thinking “I’m
just hiking the Long Trail” and immediately after, scolded myself for thinking
like that. It’s not healthy and it’s not “just” a trail.
The
MA/VT line was a welcome sight. It’s a nice big open area with several boulders
that make a perfect spot for a break. We decided to have a late lunch (since we
had a late start thanks to a rain delay) at the border. Welcoming us to
We
reached
I’d
be lying if I said it didn’t bother me to see AT thru-hikers. It is very hard
for me. I felt an instant pang of jealousy, an ache of something that was
suppose to be ours. Something that was taken away. If Fire Monger felt the same
way, he didn’t mention it. I had thought it would be exciting to see them,
thought we might even run into some friends. I was surprised by the hurtful and
jealous feelings it caused. I know I’ll get over it, but the thought that my
dream was cut short by something out of my control just pissed me off.
We
set up camp at a remote little site away from the shelter, built fire #2, had
dinner & listened to the sounds of the woods. You know the ones I mean:
bugs, critters & thru-hikers falling in the mud on the way to get water. I
love those sounds.
campsite near Harmon Hill Today’s
Last
to leave the shelter! Hell yeah! No hurry to get up and I think it was around
We
had our first VT climb up “Peak 3025” – nameless! From there we journeyed over
It
was a beautifully mild day in the mid to low 70’s and not a single bug to speak
of. We are finding it very easy to get water – the massive amount of rainfall
that hit
At
Congdon Shelter we found that Dubs, one of our AT friends, is only a day ahead
of us. “Operation Catch Cassie” has begun! We are hoping that since her sister
has just joined her to hike a section, it will do two things. One, slow her
down from her crazed thru-hiker pace that she has geared into since Tator Tot
left the trail and two, prevent her from all that yellow blazing. I’m sure her
sister didn’t come all the way to
campsite near Harmon Hill to
campsite on
We
discovered a beautiful campsite ON Harmon Hill, about 1/10 of a mile from where
we had camped. Go figure. Nice fire ring and amazing view of
We
quickly had a steep downhill to Rt. 9 followed by our first really steep uphill
to Maple Hill. Lots of rocks and roots to negotiate…oh, how I’ve missed them!
We took a little break at Split Rock (yes, literally a huge split rock) while
FM climbed it. He is still a monkey…maybe he should reconsider a name change to
Fire Monkey. There were quite a few dayhikers out in this area – something that
surprised me a little given that while the hiking itself is not yet that
difficult, there are not a lot of views around there within easy dayhiking
distance. I will be honest, with a loaded pack and sporting a skirt, I get a
kick out of blowing by backpack-less dayhikers on an uphill. It is sometimes
hard to interpret the looks that we get when we hike on. Many times, we leave
whispers in our wake.
The
next several miles were nice, typical of VT hiking. Meaning lots of mud and
lots of little 50-100 foot climbs and descents. There were a few nice lookouts,
both Porcupine and Little Pond had nice campsites as well. They aren’t
mentioned in our guidebook, which is a shame. I can’t believe I’m saying this
(forgive me Dubs) but: I miss Wingfoot!!! While we cursed him at every
opportunity (and then some) on the A.T., there is something to be said for the
quality and general accuracy of his guidebook. The mileages and detailed
information on where to find water or campsites was so helpful.
Glastenbury
Lookout gave us a perfect view of the mountain and fire tower that would end
our day. My legs are already getting used to the trail again, something I
realized on the long climb up Glastonbury. I have a few blisters but otherwise,
all is well. When we reached Goddard Shelter we were greeted by a slew of boy
scouts. Oh joy. Black flies and boy scouts…I don’t think we needed to
communicate our desperate need to not stay there. A solo female weekender
bee-lined to me, in hopes that there would be more estrogen at the shelter for
the evening. I felt for her as I took in the scene but was in no mood to sleep
amongst the masses. Goddard Shelter is a nice place though, complete with a
gorgeous view of the setting sun. While we filtered water, the Boy Scouts were
sure to inform us about their mileage and when you should filter water. I think
they were trying to impress us in their own little way.
We
cameled up on water and climbed 3/10 mile to the firetower. We passed tent after
tent where people seemed to be trying to escape the crowds. It was a beautiful
night with clear skies and a 360* view from the firetower. Greylock,
My
blisters are a bit raw and I forgot duct tape. What kind of backpacker am
I…leaving my duct tape at home?!? I’m hoping they heal quickly and hoping FM’s
feet stop hurting. But, aches, pains, blisters – bring it on…we wouldn’t trade
life on the trail for anything.
campsite near
campsite near
FM’s
feet hurt. My blisters are raw. We were LAZY today. Yup, 4.5 miles of hiking
after starting out mid-afternoon. We had better slow down – sheesh. We wouldn’t
want to get to
Stopped
quickly at Kid Gore Shelter (nice view!) for water and then moseyed another
mile or so to
We
opted to rest with
campsite near
campsite after
This
morning seemed to pass quickly with our later start from
Before
we knew it, it was
The
climb up wasn’t nearly as rugged as I had anticipated…a nice surprise. There
was a nice vista from the ridge of Little Stratton so we took a break and
relaxed there for a moment. The rolling green mountains are a sight that I will
never tire of. As far as the eye can see in the beautiful haze of late summer.
They aren’t majestic and spectacular like the
On
Again,
FM’s feet were hurting so when we stopped at Stratton Pond for water, he took
the opportunity to soak his feet in the pond. The water was too cold for my
liking so I stayed on dry land and watched a thru-hiker as she quietly did yoga
on the shore of the lake. I thought to myself it would make a great video –
peaceful and quiet and definitely relaxing.
We
chatted briefly with the GMC caretaker who advised us of good stealth camping
spots coming up. We found a nice place a little less than a mile up the trail
and set up. Stealthing is definitely the way to go! It was also nice to know
that the caretakers don’t shove the fee sites down your throat and understand
some people prefer to stealth, so they advise the best places for doing just
that. It’s much appreciated. I don’t mind paying the $5 fee in certain places,
but hey, we don’t even stay at shelters when they are free.
Tomorrow
we head into
By
the way, Operation Catch Cassie has proven unsuccessful to date – damn Dubs and
her incessant yellow blazing ways!
campsite near
Yet
another amazing day! This weather is perfect. We headed out this morning and
had a quick 4’ish miles to Prospect Rock. A great place for a break as we are
the rock outcrop King & Queen. Had a snack…mmmm tortilla with peanut butter
(woe is the thru-hiker with no food left on resupply day). Second course? A
mashed and melted Snickers bar shoved into a ripped and dying tortilla. I gotta
tell you – it wasn’t half bad. Tortilla’s are an excellent multi-functional
food. Really. Ramen and tortilla’s are like the duct tapes of food. The hiker
appetite and willingness to eat just about anything is something that is beyond
understanding unless you have experienced it firsthand.
When
a family came and took over the rock, we called it quits and skedaddled.
Sometimes we’re just not in the mood to answer the questions we know are
coming. I finally understand why so many thru-hikers blow by people on the
trail and don’t say hi. They dread the possibility that they are going to have
to answer the same set of questions for the billionth time on their hike. It
would be much easier to hand out “Trail Cards” with your start date, trail
name, how many miles you’ve hiked, why you are hiking, what you eat and where
you sleep. By
We
decided to do laundry, right after FM scarfed down 2 double cheeseburgers,
fries, ½ a chicken sandwich. None for me…trying to avoid town food for the
entire trip. No reason other than to see if I can do it…though FM is a lousy
cheerleader right now and that food looked damn good. Laundry can be an adventure
when you really don’t have anything clean to put on. It’s more about putting on
the least dirty thing you have and then washing the rest. Usually my laundry
time wardrobe is kilt and raincoat. Since I’ve been hiking most of this trip in
a board skirt, it’s my convertible pants that are the cleanest so that’s what I
put on. We’ve become masters of changing in public…oh, the things you learn
while long distance hiking.
We
hit the grocery store to pick up must-haves to supplement our maildrop. Like,
must have lots of chocolate…yum. Must have cheese too. Then we stalled and
putzed around until almost
Mad
We
slept until
Anyway,
3 miles uphill to the summit of Bromley Ski Area – in less than an hour, thank
you very much. We were cruising along and it felt great. Though we breezed past
one really odd character. He smelled like a privy, looked out of place on the
trail and besides a loaded up (and then some) external frame pack, he was
carrying a bunch of plastic grocery bags in his hand, filled up with God only
knows what. He gave off a bad vibe…scary, in a sense. I just don’t know if I
was scared for us…or for him.
Bromley
is awesome – the summit has a warming hut for skiers but hikers are allowed to
use it. It even had a working phone – can we order pizza? We drank a beer while
sitting on the chairlift and checking out the view. Many of the peaks on the LT
go over ski areas and seeing these in the summer is as eerie as it is
interesting. They do provide a nice rest stop with comfortable chairs. I’m
definitely not accustomed to sitting on a chairlift and being warm. FM has
never been skiing, so sitting on a chairlift is an entirely new experience for
him.
While
on the observation deck we met a couple from NJ who were amazed at what we were
doing. After explaining what “the orange things” are for (z-rests), the hubby
said “you don’t actually sleep in the
mountains do you?” <insert blank
stare here> The wife mentioned she had seen us in
The
descent off the mountain was steep but relatively easy, though a little
overgrown in spots. Enough for us to burst into song with “The Lion Sleeps
Tonight.”
We
reached Mad Tom Notch fairly early and intended to eat a late lunch and go on.
We met two AT hikers – Too Much & Enough – they were really nice. We had
actually had a brief encounter with them yesterday at the laundry mat where
they had offered us a ride to the trailhead. We declined, as we were staying
the night. The weather was getting sketchy so we found a nice little site about
2/10 of a mile up the trail and quickly set up. We beat the rain by about 15
minutes, even had enough time to create a nice little space with our tents and
get a really hot fire going. The SD Mach 1 tents have a dual track vestibule
which was really convenient for creating a “tarped” area when we set them up
facing each other.
We
retreated for an hour or so while the rain poured down. After the storm, our
fire was out but the embers were HOT. Yay!!! Another fire, no dinner and off to
bed. It’s getting chilly at night. Brrrrrr…
Weekly
Miles:
~ This is great!
Take me to Week 2! ~
~ L.T. Thru-hike
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