Day 88 – 97 | Switching to Hiking Solo and the Longest Game of the Floor is Lava

Day 88 1576.1 – 1590 (13.9)

We woke up in the morning, at a fairly normal time, packed up, and quickly walked down the street to the coffee shop. (Levardi’s doesnt have a privy / bathroom) 

We hung out at the shop for an hour before making our way through town and up the trail. 

The trail out of town was an easy walk, with a thousand feet of gain and decent over 8 miles.

At a view overlooking Cheshire we stopped for first lunch and to dry out the tent. Shortly we descend into the town, where a local tried to convince us to stay for a town picnic, but it would have been a very short day. We walked through town, stopping at a Dunkin for a snack on the way out of town. 

The climb out of Cheshire was the beginning of an eight mile, three thousand foot climb to the top of Mt. Greylock (the highest peak in Massachusetts). We stopped for the day about two thirds up the climb and pitched tent near Mark Noepel Shelter. 

(Me setting out the tent to dry at lunch)

Day 89 1590 – 1608.5 (18.5)

In the morning we continued the climb up Mt. GreyLock, walking through different environment until we reached the subalpine and the top. Mt. GreyLock has a lodge and a war memorial tower. We started with the tower, but it was hazy and the views were limited. 

We descend into the valley near Williamstown After crossing Route 2, we road walked to a grocery store for a light resupply and late lunch. 

The climb out of town was steep but after a few miles we had gained the ridge and the Vermont boarder. Vermont met us with mud, pines, and rocks. 

We spent Sassafras’s last night on trail camping at a dismantled shelter site because it was the only flat spot to tent in the area.

Day 90 1608.5 – 1618 (9.5)

This was Sassafras’s last day and we spoke to a misty forest from the rain the night before. We walked through the quite headed, taking with each other as we didn’t pass many other hikers.

After what felt like too long for the short miles we covered we descended the last hill of steep slippery steps that led to the road into Bennington. A tense 15 minutes waiting for a hitch passed, feeling like the last hurtle to civilization. We caught one and sighed some relief as we wandered the town towards are hotel.

After a shower, we felt like taking a step towards a more societally accepted normal life,(for me just for a day) and walked to Goodwill to buy another pair of clothes. (Yes, I have had only one pair of clothes to hike in and one pair which are both sleeping and town clothes)

I changed into my new pants and washed my hiking clothes at the towns Laundromat. 

Day 91 zero

We slept in for our zero and spent most of the day wandering about town doing chores and checking out the local shops. I caved in treated myself to a haircut  (I hate hair on my ears but wanted to see what it would be like with longer hair) We spent some time at the library catching up on this blog, emails, etc. 

Day 92 1618 – 1637 (19)

Sassafras’s bus was in the morning, so we said a sad goodbye. From there, a local taxi driver stopped me and asked if I need a ride to trail. I took her up on it was back on the trail. 

The climb up Glastenbury mountain was steep. Partially through the climb I met World Wide and Shepherd. Hiking with them and the diverse conversations made the rest of the climb go by quickly. 

A rain storm came in earnest, and we rushed to the shelter. The shelter was packed with 12 other hikers hiding from rain.

There is something magnetic the culture of huddling with a group of people, some hikers I didn’t know by name but the connection of feeling in this small shelter together brings a charm of shared experience.

The feeling fades with the rain, and as it died down I repacked my pack, and set out again. Through the haze I hiked another 9 miles to Story Spring. A big group of us made it there for the night. Talley Joe and I worked to get a fire going (we eventually did with a lot of determination) and Ketchup pulled out his banjo giving the evening a magical vibe.

Day 93 1637 – 1658.1 (21.1)

The trail was flooded from the rain overnight and the day before. Essentially it was either a guessing game of how deep will that mud puddle be (some of which were at least high ankle depth) or root and rock hopping wherever possible. I just figured my 5 year old self playing the floor is lava need validation for all that practice, but it was turned up to expert mode. 

I hiked (rock hopped) solo for most of the morning over Stratton Mountain, eating lunch at the base of the fire tower. From there I hiked through the gnome forest (according to a day hiker with biomes where preferred for the gnomes) to Spruce Peak Shelter. It was 5:00 and the town of Manchester was just a few miles on. With only one other hikers at the shelter, I debated what to do since I was feeling social. With some more research on the map app I use, Farout, I saw there was free camping at the VFW in town. I elected to push on and convinced the only other hiker, BiBo to join me. We talked through the decent caught a quick hitch and were in a grocery store before 7. 

Day 94 1658.1 – 1677.9 (19.8)

After a coffee and pastry in town, I caught a hitch from a local and was at the trail head by 8. I hiked solo again for most of the morning, listening to audiobooks and podcasts. For lunch I stopped at a shelter. Bars, meat and cheese in a tortilla, pop tarts, the standard fair.

Fresh, Talley Joe, and Putt Putt stopped there for lunch as well. We all left the shelter together and I attempted to keep up with them and their fast pace for the later half of the day. A mile from where both they and I were camping a group of hikers were hanging in a parking lot. There is a larger crew of hikers that has taken to travelling the trail with there thumbs or with friends vehicles.

We hung out for a bit before finishing the last mile to Little Rock Pond Shelter and setting up tent. The camp area was next to a beautiful lake, despite the name, with a full time care taker.

It started to rain hard as we cooked dinner in the overhang of the shelter and chatted with the care taker, Long Trail hikers, and other AT hikers.  

Day 95 1677.9 – 1694.2 (16.3)

It rained all through the night, finally letting up around 7. Fortunately it didn’t rain through the day. All that water made it quite humid. I hiked solo in the morning in the very misty forrest. 

Talley Joe, Fresh, and Ketchup caught up for late 2nd lunch. Afternoon flew by as we talked macro economics, global politics, societal construction, and worked to solve the worlds problems. 

Talley Joe’s family was coming into the area to support her and do trail magic, she offered include me in their slack pack adventure so I kept up to be sure I could partake. 

We made it to a local farm stand that offers self service local goods .They had some amazing cheese, maple drinks, and fresh veggies. We back tracked .2 miles to stealth camp since the slack pack pick up was the farm stand in the morning. 

Day 96 1694.2 – 1711.5 (17.3)

In the morning we Walked back to farm stand. I had a breakfast of local cold brew, chevre, and a mini sourdough loaf. At 7:30 we stuffed most of the hiking gear into Talley Joe’s families car and 8 hikers plus Talley Joe’s sister headed off up My Killington, the 2nd highest point in Vermont. 

I tried to keep up but elected to stay back as my knee started to feel strained at the 4+mph pace up a 3,000 ft climb. At the top the group split, with some heading to the ski lodge and others hiking down the mountain. I did the later. 

I took the old AT and a blue blaze to stop at the Long Trail Inn, a hotel and Irish pub. There I met up with Gandalf the Red and Ketchup, had a beer and ran into Professor Milkshake. As we were getting ready to leave, another patron of the bar offered to buy us a round of whisky. The last mile of the day went fast as the three of us climbed (stumbled?) the hill and descended to Talley Joe’s families trail magic at a car camping campground. 

The trail magic was steak, grilled veggies, brats, and much more. We all ate to our content. The campground offered hot showers, so mid way through the feast I took a break to shower and wash my clothes. It sad to say but the shower laundry significantly improved the smell of the clothes. 

With wet clothes on the feast continued till six ish when a storm threatened. We helped the family pack up, and set up tent. The storm came indeed and we spent the evening under a shelter for rent at another campsite.

Day 97 1711.5 – 1732.8 (21.3)

I headed out of camp late (but earlier than the rest), and hiked solo. I figured I need the extra time since I moved slower. But the crew never caught up to me, near the end of the day I turned my phone off airplane mode and was informed they didn’t get out of camp until about noon and had a short day. So it was a full solo day of hiking for me. 

They say the AT doesn’t have switch backs but instead goes straight up the mountain. This far for most of the trail that seemed to be an exaggeration, but after the trail turned left on Vermont someones been trying to make a point. 

5,000++ ft of climbing and descending later I was approaching Rt12 when it started pouring. I was hoping to stay at a Trail Angels house there, but no one answered so I elected to climb one more hill and camped solo at the top.