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LONG TRAIL PART II

PART II - LT after the AT

From Maine Junction it took us until the very end of August to get to Mt Katahdin. The Appalachian Trail had been one hell of an adventure. Once it was over it was time to wrap up loose ends. Before I even stepped foot on the Appalachian Trail I had met Happy Feet (Happs for short). He was the other guy with a pack standing in the train station in Atlanta. We were waiting for the shuttle to the hostel so we got to talking. It seemed as though from the minute I had mentioned my LT extension plans, he was on board.

We hiked together as far as Damascus before splitting up, and then again from the Shenandoah to Delaware Water Gap. He’d fallen 9 days behind to go to a wedding in Texas and had never really caught up. Even though we didn’t hike the last seven states together, our plans remain the same.

09/09 - Day 172

After summiting Baxter Peak, I went home for two days then headed out to finish my NH48X2 and my NE67 ending on North Brother Mtn in the next ridge over from Baxter Peak. It was strange to think that in the distance Thru-hikers were coming to the heart wrenching iconic end of their journeys. I met Happs at the Appalachian Café in Millinocket for a Summit Sundae. For those who don’t know that’s: 14 scoops of ice cream (one for every state on the Appalachian Trail), one doughnut, one banana, one bag of M&Ms, one snickers, one half of a can of whip cream, one half of a container of chocolate syrup, and a cherry on top. After that exercise in self loathing it was off to Burlington Vermont to meet up with my friend Dan. It was so hard for Happs to finish his sundae. It took the poor bastard until 8 PM to finish. We were in rough shape and even stopped behind the grocery store because we thought we might hurl. It was dark by the time we got on the road and I drove as long as I could before starting to doze off. I’d lived in my car for a week at that point so it didn’t bother me spending one more night in it. What an awful night’s sleep that was though! 09/10 - Day 173

We woke up to a garbage truck slamming a dumpster to the ground in the back of a McDonald’s parking lot. Before we headed to Dan’s house I wanted to clean out the car and get our resupply for the rest of the trip squared away. As luck would have it we stopped at a car wash with an adjoining grocery store. We spread out our resupplies in the grass and organized ourselves. We met Dan in Jonesville at the Camel’s Hump State Park trailhead parking lot after a long nap on the beach along the banks of the river. It had been a year since last I saw Dan, still things just seemed the same. True old friends don’t need ice breakers. When we got to Burlington we dropped off our things, started some laundry and headed to the outfitters. Coincidentally enough the service person that helped us was a thru-hiker from 2012 named Happy Feet! Go figure. We headed to the bar for dinner and cheap drafts, then to a cidery for a rail of dry ciders. When we got back to Dan’s it was late but for old time’s sake we played some cribbage. We got to bed at about 1AM. All in all good zero-day 09/11 - Day 174

We had to be up and out by 4:30 AM and headed straight for the trail. After saying our goodbyes, Happs ate breakfast in the rain in the parking lot. To escape the weather and to hit the bunks hard we hurried to Journeys End Camp #2 to get out of the rain and having slept only about three hours we’d decided to take a nap with no alarms, just dead sleep with the windows closed until we’d had our fill. We awoke around 2PM and headed to the Laura Woodward Shelter where we met Jerome. He was a well seeming Frenchman soloing on his first day out. It was beginning to get seasonably cold and after a much welcomed hot dinner I passed out at hiker midnight. 09/12 - Day 175

When we woke up, it was frigid outside and I made hot cocoa and oatmeal. The plan was to bushwhack Big Jay before going to Jay Peak but with it being so cold we decided to play it by ear. We hiked to the summit of Jay Peak to use their warming room before slacking the bushwhack. The pine-bows were all covered in dew from the fog and we were soaked through after only a few minutes on the herd path. I was shivering uncontrollably by the time we got back to the warming room. Thank God for that room! It was a long day’s walk to Tilotson Shelter, but that night we had it to ourselves. We didn’t have to hush by 8pm and we were up late joking and shooting the breeze. 09/13 - Day 176

Happs had yet to see a moose and it had become a mission for him so when I’d begin to see new tracks in the mud I tried to avoid them. In trying to avoid them I wasn’t looking ahead of me. If I had been I would have of seen the huge cow down the trail. I practically bumped into her before she ran off. It was a long 20+ mile day and we dragged ourselves into Round Top Shelter. There was a tent in the shelter containing two sectioners from Boston out for their yearly hike, and a pair with a puppy headed NOBO. It was damp all day and most of our things were soaked from tree spit, It was to be a night in the low 30s so I heated a water bottle to hug. We thought that we would seem condescending if we mentioned the Appalachian Trail to Long Trailiens so we tried not to mention it. This of course, backfired and made us seem even more condescending when our new neighbors pried it out of us. It didn’t matter though. We were all on our own adventures and we all got along. 09/14 - Day 177

We took our sweet time getting started, but once we did we moved quick. The plan was to go to town for breakfast. After about five minutes we hitched a ride into town with a contractor and his son. They raved about breakfast sandwiches at DJ’s Convenience so we decided to join them. We did a supplementary resupply and washed up at a gas station bathroom. Out in the parking lot two guys in a van offered us a ride back to the trail. “Critter and Chicken Joe” were AT Class of 12’ back in Vermont for a trail friend’s wedding. They dropped us off at the trailhead parking lot and gave us some fruit snacks and granola bars. We stood around talking for a minute then shook their hands and took off. Somehow we got turned around on the rail trail and it took ½ an hour to figure out where the trail was. After about a mile of road walking we found ourselves on logging roads where we met a wildlife photographer trying to photograph moose. “No luck today..” We only talked in passing but he was kind enough to oblige us with a moose call. We wound our way up Mt Madonna and took a break in the ski patrol hut. These places are trashed which is kind of sad. After all they do leave them open for our safety. From there it was to the Sterling warming hut. We stopped at the shelter on the way just to check out the log - nothing to report. Sterling was amazing! We had it all to ourselves, with a couch for each of us to crash on and a dining room with a view. We were more than content. 09/15 - Day 178

When we woke up in the AM there was frost in the shade. We could see it through the window of our cozy toasty little room. The rodents made it hard to sleep, but once we were out we were out cold. We checked out Elephant Cliff which had an incredible view of what was to come. I’ve never been to Mt Mansfield. I’d only heard great things of its character. What I saw from the cliff far exceeded my expectations. We made our way to the picnic area by the road. Someone had left “trail magic” which was just extra food they didn’t want (ie. A half eaten container of peanut butter and lentils). We ate lunch and took a rest. After 20 minutes or more of trying to locate the trail we headed up to the lodge for lunch #2. On our way there we met Snow Cat. She was an older woman going NOBO who’d finished the PCT the year before. We stopped and picked her brain for about 20 minutes. She dispensed some great advice and it was nice to get new perspectives on a trail. After a short stop at the lodge we headed to the Adam’s Apple. What a great view! The Chin looked so cool form the Apple! I couldn’t wait to hike it! I love that the GMC has caretakers for it’s summits! However I don’t see the point when they enforce nothing. I was disgusted to see so many people. I’d never been told about the road or the towers on The Nose. It was a crippling realization. It was so sad to see fat people doused in perfume with high heels tip-toeing to avoid mud so-as to save their designer shoes.. I almost lost my composure when a man pointed to The Nose and said “this says Long Trail… Do you know where the short one is?..” I officially hate that road, those fat fucks and those damn towers. I feel bad for Happs. He had to listen to me vent for over an hour. We stopped before the Forehead at a wide spot in the trail for lunch #3 and he calmed me down, but of course walking to the forehead I saw a couple swooning in the moss and lost my mind at them - screaming obscenities from “the god damn trai!” They weren’t 20 yards from one of the admirably large Alpine Zone signs and it set me off. I knew it was crazy for me to be so angry, but I didn’t care. I don’t have patience for people who drive up mountains. “People”… The Forehead was pretty cool and we headed to the Puffer Shelter to end our day. I was spent from all my frustration and I think we were both just physically exhausted. It was getting dark and I was a good click away from Happs. We still had two or three miles left to go so I pulled out my headlamp, which was of course dead. I was through with being frustrated and ate it. The best fuel is reason v. anger, frustration, and despair. If I’ve learned anything from the trail it’s that. The only way to make effective use of such things is to use them to light a fire. It wasn’t quite pitch black and I got to the shelter inside of a ½ hour to find a group with two tents taking up the entire platform. I was annoyed but as the late comer I was dead to rights and after kindly asking they made room with little grumbling. Happs showed up after another ½ hour, we made dinners, filtered water, and hunkered down for another frosty night.

09/16 - Day 179

The day before was so infuriating that I almost forgot!! “Today is my birthday!” I only asked for one thing this year, for my friend Alex come and hike with us. We were to meet him at Middlebury Gap and leap-frog the cars down to Killington. It was a long day. We woke up to rain and left tout de suite. We agreed that for time sake we would go to the next shelter before eating breakfast. After all we had to meet Alex at 2PM! I got ahead of Happs farther than I should have and found an outcropping with shelter from the rain.

My stomach was growling and I decided eat breakfast while waiting for Happs to catch-up. About ten minutes after breakfast I used the facile-trees apparently allowing Happs to get by me unnoticed. I waited for another 20 minutes and started to get worried. I ran a mile back down the trail shouting his name but there was no reply so I decided to hope he just took the wrong trail. He knows the woods and I decided he was likely fine.

I bypassed the next shelter thinking that he may have passed me somehow. Come to find out he was at that shelter and I reclaimed the lead! So much confusion! I was in a hurry before I lost Happs! I practically jogged to the road and when I got there I knew I’d made up for the lost time and there was no way he could have passed me. I’d have caught up by that point. While waiting I decided to write him a note in the road with rocks but before I could finish he popped out of the woods! It was exciting to finally figure out how that happened! What a weird coincidence! We ate 2nd breakfast at the next shelter and watched the rain die out before heading to the bluffs to the south were we had third breakfast and reflected out loud. Despite the rain it was a great day. So many times in the woods I’d think to myself “I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.” This was one of those mornings.

By the time we got to the road the temp was picking up and it started to sprinkle. On the other side of the bridge the roads were steaming and the sun was at our backs. This was the longest road walk I have ever walked on a national scenic trail. The footbridge project seemed kind of a excessive, a sidewalk would’ve sufficed. We collapsed into the car and headed straight to Subway! I have few weaknesses that rival a foot-long sub after being in the woods! It took about an hour and a ½ to get to Middlebury Gap but the ride was more than welcome. It was beautiful outside and the wind through the open windows was magical. When we got there the lot was empty aside from one other car and it wasn’t Alex’s. We started to get ready, repacking and such when a car blasting jam-band sped in. Alex worked in radio and had a confidence about him that one can’t quite define. My friends always break their mold. When he showed up my inner GBA cynic came out and it was like the good old days. After about an hour of dicking around and getting packs together we all hopped into Alex’s car and headed back to the Camels Hump parking area. By the time we got there it was pitch black and we might have celebrated my birthday with a pint. After 5 ½ months of hiking 6 days a week, that pint hit me like a sack of bricks. I am ALWAYS rushing. I was concerned that we’d be showing up to the shelter at 11PM and disturbing sleeping people. That’s never good trail etiquette and I usually try my best to avoid drama. After one of the hardest sections so far it took us forever to get to the Bamforth Ridge Shelter. We were hoping that it would be empty so’s not to offend anybody, but it wasn’t. We were like mice with red lights and were in bed within ten minutes.

09/17 – Day 180

We met our neighbors when we woke up. They were two older amicable gentlemen. One was a solo SOBO named “Ol’Slow” and the other a solo NOBO was a local eager to share SOBO trail wisdom. After breakfast with the neighbors we headed to the Hump. It was a pretty easy hike to get there and Alex was doing just fine. The care-taker at Camels Hump was an experienced thru-hiker and great to talk to. Side surprise: My friends who’d been heading NOBO caught up to us at the top! It was a short reunion because we had a long day but it was great to see old friends.

Because of the brevity of our visit with those friends we decided that we would go slow and do smaller days. We had the time to. Somewhere in the mix of it I screwed up our millage and it left us with a huge margin. We went through Ladder Ravine and over the Allen Mtns stopping at Cowls Cove for the day. We came up with a trail name for Alex! From now on he is “Risk” because he doesn’t look before he leaps. There’s a longer story that ends with him saying “I’m risky not retarded..” but I think I’ll stow that dialog.

Ol’Slow showed up and we all had a great night talking and getting acquainted. Ol’Slow is a sweet guy. I hope he made it to N Adams.

09/18 – Day 181

At the car we didn’t have everything we needed so we only packed for 2 days and planned to stop in Irasville for a resupply. It was exceedingly foggy in Appalachian Gap. We were going to need a lucky break to get into town. That brake came in the form of a somewhat disreputable couple who’d been traveling around and living out of a van. I <3 Vermont. They dropped us off at the store after passing a police detail and saying “Shit! I got warrants! You guys have to hop out quick..”

So that was fun. I decided to revert back to vegetarian that day. We all resupplied way too much as per usual and headed back to the trail with full bellies and packs. We staked our claim on a prime intersection spot and within five minutes we were picked up by “Mad Marley” a Long Trailien from years-passed. She was a magnetic soul who worked with kids and her passion which was alpine skiing. I’d be lying if I didn’t say she stole my heart for the day. What beautiful blue eyes.

We had planned such a short day that we took our sweet time, and got to Stark’s Nest with hours of light left. After our mandatory ski lift photos we set ourselves up and made dinner. Literally within fifteen minutes of eating Risk was uncontrollably sick. Happs and I watched the sunset from the lift tower and after some coaxing Risk joined us. I felt bad for him. He was hurtin’ somethin’ awful. After that we played an intense game of war, Risk and I “ate sandwiches..” up on the tower, and we all went to bed. We had the place to ourselves and it was one of the most peaceful days I’ve had in years.

09/19 – Day 182

In the morning we woke up whenever the hell we felt like it and headed out at our own paces. I found Happs napping in the grass at one point. The summer of our lives was almost coming to an end and we wanted to soak in every last drop what with weather on our side.

This was the day that I finished my 67 4K’s of New England! It was pretty exciting but I tried to just enjoy it and observe. Mt Lincoln made up for Ellen, and Abraham was great in it’s own right. On our way down to the gap Risk landed hard on his leg jumping a short drop and tore his meniscus pretty bad. He could hardly walk. At the time he couldn’t confirm that that’s what was wrong so he tried his best to shake it off. He kept apologizing for “slowing us down” which was funny considering Happs and I talked eagerly about how nice it would be to slow down before he joined us. We made it to the gap and Risk decided that he was going to try for the shelter [3.5ish miles] but by the time we got to Sunset Cliffs he was in agony and couldn’t continue on. The cliffs were a popular day hike and as luck would have it, the majority of the people who were there that day were cute nurses with cuter puppies! At least eight nurses, go figure. The forecast called for a deep frost and one of the nurses took pity on us and showed us a privately owned shelter called “Stewart and Mary’s Place”. You always hear “the trail provides” but never has it manifested such a necessity! If you ever read this: Mary we were careful of your flowers! Thank you both SO MUCH! Somebody left a can of Long Trail that the three of us split while watching the sunset. Risk had only been with us a few days and already the idea of walking him out tomorrow was awful. We gathered wood and had a fire while we ate our dinner, listened to good music, and played cards. When it got too cold we retreated inside, played a few more rounds of war and passed out. We wanted to make Risks last day great, and I will never forget Mary and Stewarts Place. I am more grateful than I could fit into a ten page journal.

09/20 – Day 183

In the morning we packed up and walked Risk back to the road. We left him with our somber goodbyes and some good luck. He would after all have to hitch back to his car. It was at least an hour ride and he needed all the luck he could get. Happs and I took off, and traversed the VT Presidentials. I stopped at Bread Loaf Mtn. We were going fast again and decided to stop at the shelter before the road, but I’d remembered that one of my good friends had invited me to a party in Campton NH with a lot of great old friends. After discussing it with Happs it was agreed we’d go to the party, but WOW! Campton is far from Middlebury Gap! And what’s more; by the time we got there all of my good ol’ friends were in rare form God bless’em. All TRASHED. I don’t know what I was thinking. We wound up cutting and running after a beer and some hugs. I was exhausted about ½ way back and we slept in the car in a gas station parking lot.

09/21 – Day 184

I woke up stiff achy and ready to go. We were excited! When we got back to the car we could have an extended respite from the trail. We parked the car in Killington and tried to hitch back to Middlebury Gap. It only took about five minutes to thumb down a jeep and we were on our way, but only ¼ mile down the road I saw Dennis!! He was the third out of our original first day group! The driver was kind enough to stop for us and we exchanged all of our info. The guy driving was no stranger to backpacking and gave us wonderful advice about the Camino. He dropped us off on the side of the road and we were at it again. To make a really long story short after two more hitches we still had a ways to go and were fortunate enough to have a man and his son give us a ride ALL the way to the trail head! By the time we got there it was almost 1PM! We hiked up to the ski lift seats and ate lunch before making a B-line for the Great Cliff. Happs and I were supposed to meet there for dinner. At the last shelter before Mt Caramel a local got locked into conversation with Happs so I headed out to avoid the same fate. When I got to the cliff I made dinner and ate. By the time I was packing back up the sun was going down and I was starting to worry where Happs was. I decided to go to the shelter, make a second dinner and go from there. After another ½ hour he was still not responding to my howls and I was putting my shoes on. Thankfully I saw a headlamp through the trees and my fears abated. I wrote an entry and drew my tag in the logbook. We talked about our last night in the woods and at some point both conked out.

09/22 – Day 185

This was it! The last day!! There were no more mountains before us and we had no time limit. We walked without a care in the world gitty for Maine Junction and when we got there it was a secret surge of emotion. There was no more unfinished business. There was nothing left but relief. We took timer photos of ourselves throwing our hats and dry leaves into the air.

To TOWN! To pizza! If I’d had a sword I’d have pointed it south. When we hit the road, we exploded with whoops and hollers jumped in the car and drove straight to Pizza Hut. After each eating our own pizza we headed for the movies and watched Defenders of The Galaxy! Our plan had always been to stay at the Yellow Deli on our last day but by the time we got out of the movies I was worried that they would be closed. Luckily they weren’t and they had no problem letting us work for our stay. We took long thorough showers and slept hard.

09/23 – Day 186

After a gracious breakfast with the wonderful Aysh and our hostelmates, we scrapped the back side of their retail building for a few hours, and said our farewells to Wet Dog and the 12 Tribesmen. It was time to go home. Happs lived with us for a couple weeks helping me paint before heading home to VA. I will miss my friends.. my tramily. I will miss my TRUE HOME.

I WILL MISS IT ALL.

#lt2014

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