Twig Adventures

Sun Oct 4th, 2020, 0850-1630RT 4 / Inn at Long Trail to Clarendon Shelter, SOBO LT mile 182.815.6 miles, 3450 gain,  4350 loss I was super excited to wake up for breakfast in the morning. It was a real breakfast: an omelet with potatoes, toast, juice and coffee. The hall was filled with LT and AT hikers. There were at least 10 of us, including Doug and Steve, a son and father duo we met a few days before. Their mom/wife picked them up from Middlebury gap during the rain so they could stay at the Inn. Incidentally, the Inn’s 2 dinning rooms incorporated large rocks in situ, which was pretty cool to see how the rooms were built around[…]

Sat Oct 3rd, 2020, 0550-1200David Logan Shelter to RT 4 / Inn at Long Trail, SOBO LT mile 16613 miles, 2900 gain,  3600 loss Rain drops on a metal roof made for a very pleasant sleep. But the dying fire also made for a smokey cabin. The early morning brought a thick fog and gear that reeked of smoke. Ah, The Great Outdoors. I could barely find the nearby privy in the dark, my headlamp beam was so distorted by the fog. Finding the side trail from the hut to the main trail was another adventure, then it was a game just trying to stay on the trail. We could’ve made it easy on ourselves by just sleeping in a[…]

Fri Oct 2nd, 2020, 0550-1500Boyce Shelter to David Logan Shelter, SOBO LT mile 15320.7 miles, 5600 gain,  5900 loss It rained lightly on and off during the night, but at least my tent was dry in the morning. I finished packing just as it started to sprinkle again. The forecast called for a 60% chance of showers between 10 am and 1 pm. This translated into a steady drizzle with occasional heavier rain from 6 am until bedtime. Hence the reason I didn’t have many pictures to add to this post. Everyone woke early and we were on the trail well before dawn. The drizzle and reflection off the wet ground disrupted my headlamp beam, making it hard to find[…]

Thu Oct 1st, 2020, 0620-1730Stark’s Nest to Boyce Shelter, SOBO LT mile 132.523.2 miles, 6500 gain, 7200 loss It was hard to leave a warm hut when it was so cold outside in the morning. I always think I’ll be faster packing up inside a hut, since I don’t have to deal with my tent, but I’m usually much slower. This morning was no exception. It was nice watching the light slowly grow in the east. It would have been even more beautiful to watch a sunrise here, but we needed to press on. We caught the sunrise on the way up to Mt Ellen (4075′) instead. At this vantage point, I could again see all our previous mountains, as well[…]

Wed Sept 30th, 2020, 1500-1620Appalachian Gap to Stark’s Nest, SOBO LT mile 109.32.4 miles, 1500 gain,  280 loss A nero into town and a nero out basically added up to a zero. It was a real ‘pissah’ outside anyway (meaning lots of rain), so there was no rush to get back on trail. It rained hard all night and well into the morning. I cracked the windows to let the cool air in, while the white noise and soft bed made for a perfect sleep. In the morning, I did the usual chores while also lounging in bed.  Breakfast was yogurt parfait, sausage, and waffles with real maple syrup, of course, served by the Inn. It was all really good[…]

Tue Sept 29th, 2020, 0800-0915Birch Glen Lodge to Appalachian Gap / Waitsfield, SOBO LT mile 106.92.5 miles, then about 5 miles of walking in town, 1200 gain, 900 loss I slept really well overnight. The wind blew strong all night but there was no rain. We didn’t get too early of a start since it was a short walk to the road. I also hated to disturb my fellow lodge mates banging around before it was light. We hung out for a bit, then said goodbye to Broken Toe and company. I figured I’d see him again… he’s like an ephemeral spring along the trail. The morning was nice and dry. I even get a view north to Camel’s Hump,[…]

Mon Sept 28th, 2020, 0600-1530Gleason Brook to Birch Glen Lodge, SOBO LT mile 104.415 miles, 6600 gain, 5100 loss An early start was clutch this day. A huge climb of over 4,000 feet greeted me. I began in the dark and enjoyed the transition into the world of colors. I was shortly on a ridge, where the air was fresh and the day bright. The trail followed solid rock ridges for long stretches, offering clear views among the stunted conifers. It could be hard to find the trail at times… a study in looking for the white hash marks painted directly on the rocks. The colors of the surrounding deciduous forests were astounding. Camel’s Hump loomed prominently at 4,072′. At[…]

Sun Sept 27th, 2020, 0600-1800Taft Lodge to Gleason Brook, SOBO LT mile 89.423.5 miles, 6350 gain, 9300 loss (highest & lowest points on the trail, in the same day!) I sleep surprisingly well in the lodge, despite the comings and goings of my fellow occupants throughout the night. The ancient door latch gave everyone a fit, making a lot of unnecessary noise. We should have set an alarm for everyone to go pee at once. Several got up at 5 am, including myself, all hopeful to see a sunrise from the highest point in Vermont. I set off in the dark up the steep, rocky flanks of Mt. Mansfield. My headlamp beam was distorted by fog and I struggled to[…]

Sat Sept 26th, 2020, 0545-1730Waterman Brook to Taft Lodge, SOBO LT mile 6611.2 miles, plus about 2 miles walking around town, 5900 gain, 4500 loss I was ready to go early but didn’t feel as well as the day before. It’s called a ‘Hiking Hangover,’ most often experienced after a previous big day. Of course, the rugged terrain from day 2 was also back. Whoa Nelly! was the climb to Whiteface Mountain steep! I was scrambling over slimy rock faces while grabbing onto roots and limbs…a lot of that in the light of my headlamp. I got to the top for a nice view of the sunrise through the valley haze. It was very humid but there was probably also[…]

Fri Sept 25th, 2020, 0600-1630Spruce Ledge Camp to Waterman Brook, SOBO LT mile 54.724.0 miles, 7200 gain, 6500 loss I slept perfectly overnight, despite some nearby anonymous snoring (earplugs do wonders!). My shirt and skirt were still wet in the morning…recall my pond excursion the afternoon before? I optimistically hung them to dry overnight, but nothing dries at night on the east coast. I hated putting on wet clothes to start the day but at least it wasn’t cold. I woke feeling pretty great, like Tony the Tiger grrrrreat! Perhaps I’d finally found my hiker groove. I hit the trail very early, having to use my headlamp for the first 15 minutes. I already felt productive, despite an in-your-face steep[…]