Day 9 – Near Fall and Wrong Turn

Getting ready for bed in the Ski Patrol Hut on top of Bromley Mountain. This is a very cool spot to spend the night with an open area at the top of a ski resort. There are the top of ski lifts all around. Great sunset, but the best part is stepping out the door into the windy night sky. I can see Manchester Center twinkling below. The Whites (White Mountains) can be seen in the distance just east of north. Today I had a close call on Baker...

Day 8 – Extra Miles, More People

It was a 14.9 mile day from Minerva Hinchey Shelter to Lost Pond Shelter. This was after adding 1.7 miles to our original plan. The major climbs were over early in the day, but we still had typical Vermont rocky trails which I really feel on the bottom of my feet. By the end of the day the trail became friendlier (less rocks). We had some beautiful lakes. Including this one where I ate a hot cooked macaroni and cheese lunch in the gorgeous Little Rock Pond Shelter close...

Day 7 – It was a cold night

It was a cold night camping at Cooper Lodge. The cold wind blew all night long under the edges of the tarp and through the front opening. At first I could feel myself warming during pauses of the breeze, but eventually my body couldn’t keep up with the repeated blasts of cold air and I slept on the cold side of the edge of comfort.   Here is the tarp setup where I suffered through cold winds all night long on Killington. We had 14.1 miles to make Minerva Hinchey Shelter....

Day 6 – Killington Peak

Finally we have a cool clear dry morning . We hike 10 miles from Mountain Meadows Lodge to Cooper Lodge, but first a breakfast of 4 sausage egg cheese rolls, juice, and coffee. We climbed today to over 4000 feet where we tarped near the top of Stratton Bald. As I lay in my warm sleeping bag, a cold wind blows up the mountain and under my tarp. The best part of the day was hiking a mile of high ridge with dense firs that blocked the sun from...

Day 5 – More miles than planned

We planned on a 15 mile day, but ended up hiking 16 miles to Mountain Meadows Lodge. Turns out that Thundering Brook road crosses the trail twice and we had picked out the wrong one. What’s another mile when you are hiking 15 miles.   Today I was on stride. Felt good all day. Cooler weather and dry socks might have helped. Used some moleskin on some blisters from yesterday and feet did well. I went off trail twice. First, we lost the trail while leaving Winturi Shelter on the blue blaze. Using Guthook we bushwhacked back to the shelter trail. Not a good start. Next, I missed the trail when cruising the last half mile trail. Backtracked and Sheffy never missed me. Had fun climbing this trail ladder.   Stony Brook Shelter where we had a short lunch. I helped move this wedding trellis in return for a ride to the Deli store. Mountain Meadows Lodge: Hot showers, laundry, room, pizza delivery,  and breakfast. Thundering Brook Falls