Sunday, August 16 8:45 pm 9.9 mi
AT 1592.4 Wilbur Clearing Shelter → AT 1602.3 Seth Warner Shelter
Weather: Cool and overcast! Not hot and sunny!
Trail Conditions: Big AM downhill, long resupply/lunch stop in town, decent climb up to Mass/Vermont border. Very rocky/rooty. STEEP rock climbing for a stretch, remniscent of the climb up to the first fire tower in GA near the 100 mile mark
My Condition: Too full from lunch, flabbergasted we’re in VERMONT!! That’s the real north!
Poor Jinx lost his hat 2 days ago, went back and found it yesterday but didn’t quite make it back to us instead cowboy camping at Mt. Graylock, and took a nasty fall on the descent to town today. He was looking to stay in town and ice/rest up, but I’m not sure if he actually found a place. Hope he’s ok! Really nice grocery store resupply today, and incredible, delicious lunch – pancakes with syrup as thick as molasses and buffalo chicken mac and cheese. I’d not be a cheap date these days the way I eat! Beautiful rushing boulder-strewn stream flowed adjacent to much of the trail climb out of town, and I felt sad I still didn’t need to fill up – easily one of the best water sources we’ve seen since Virginia! Crossed into Vermont and entered the Long Trail section of the state. We laughed the whole way through our photo shoot with the sign, saying “Bernie” instead of “cheese”...although now I write it cheese would still be appropriate! Also drank a commemorative packet of maple syrup. They didn’t want to do the whole slice your hand open and become blood brothers thing, instead opting to become syrup sisters each taking a shot of syrup. Apparently I’m the bearded lady of the group – what an honor. Didn’t get a ton of Long Trail miles in yet, but lots of rocks and roots, interesting boulders, thick ferns and foliage, rock stepping bridges over long muddy patches – so far it’s pretty cool! Loving the cooler weather, although I get cold when I stop now and need my puffy.
Post Trail Analysis
It broke my heart, but today I had to let the bathrobe go. Not only stylish but incredibly versatile, it got me all sorts of compliments in town on laundry day – but to be fair, it is a lot of weight for an item that you don’t get a ton of use out of on the trail. Hummingbird helped me hold a ceremony for it, with the taps music playing in the background as I solemnly marched clutching the folded robe to my chest towards the donation bin. I hope it found a good home! We’re at the point in the trail where every step is becoming more and more of a challenge as the terrain becomes more and more rugged and unforgiving. I had finally given up my change collecting habit in Great Barrington – up to that point, I kept all the coins that we’d accumulate during our purchases and carried it gladly from town to town. Now, we were really starting to feel the effects of every single ounce – and most of us hadn’t added our cold weather gear back in to our packs yet.
Comments