Day 8-9 (Season finale)

Wait… what happened?

Don’t worry, i’m home safe, i’ll explain later on but i will recount my section chronologically.

Section: VT15 to Smuggler’s Notch

It was a bit difficult to find a shuttle for that section, as i was staging my car at the Barnes Camp Visitor Center. I decided to hitch-hike, for the first time ever !! The first hitch was easy, as most people in the park are rather hiker-friendly. Thanks to Ross (fellow veteran) who even drove out of his way to get me in Jeffersonville, so i could get my second hitch. People from the town were way more hesitant to pickup a hitchhiker, but thanks to a lady who gave me a ride. Interestingly enough, both of my rides were born in Quebec but moved with their parents to Vermont when they were young.

Easy peasy…

The first part of that section is called by most “the easiest section of the LT”. All the way to Bear Hollow shelter, you walk on a logging road with an easy grade.

A deceitful beginning…

After ordering myself to take a 1 hour break, i felt well enough to go for Whiteface Shelter, convincing myself that there were only a few miles to the summit, and it would be an easy downhill to the shelter. Oh was i ever wrong ! The climb was long and excruciating, and so was the descent, forcing me to scramble downwards on many occasions. I was glad there were two perfect trees for my hammock at the shelter, which i had to myself all night.

View from Mt Whiteface

Madonna and Barnes Center

I woke up at 02h30, and could not sleep anymore. I stayed in my hammock until there was a bit of light from the sun, and left camp at 04h00. Navigation was very difficult with a headlamp, i was struggling to find the trail. The sun came up when i hit the ski slopes, and i was on my final push to the summit.

A classic: top of the Madonna ski lift

I made it to Sterling Pond, and stayed about an hour there. What a beautiful shelter. It tends to be busy, but the view on the pond is very nice.

Sterling Pond

It was time for the very grueling 2000 feet descent to Barnes Camp. The trail was very difficult all the way down, stepping over big rocks, a bunch of roots, steep sections of rock slabs, you name it: everything the trail could offer, it was there, non-stop. I finally made it to the Notch extremely tired and hurting all over, took a picture quickly and climbed into my car.

At last…

Why i stopped my hike

I started that hike because i always had this dream to be a thru-hiker. After struggling with chronic pain, i wanted to know if i could still make it. The problem with chronic pain is that after a while, if anything hurts your brain will process it quickly and not bother identifying the source anymore. When that happens, you just hurt all over.

I tried different hiking styles and paces, but in reality, if i’m hurting at home doing nothing much, surely will it hurt a bunch when i do big miles. It just became too much, and after 65 miles (108km!!) i was not having fun anymore and could not appreciate what the trail was offering in the state i was in.

I am extremely grateful for the Trail, and to all that were there physically or virtually, cheering me on. I see this as a success. Am i a thru hiker ? In my own mind i guess i am, on my own definition of a much shorter Long Trail.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank first and foremost my spouse and children, they were always the first ones to encourage me in this quest. Love you all !!!!

Thanks to my friends followers for being there, and for all your kind comments.

Thank you to Zach and The Trek team, for accepting me as a blogger and believing in that crazy project/adventure.

This is Sly the Navigator, now proceeding Offstation.

Cheers and 73,

StN