Total Miles: 551.8
Today was a perfect example of something not going as planned but still having a perfect ending. I left the Green Mountain House a little late since no one else wanted to leave early, and the other guy who was supposed to be leaving was running late. Lack of punctuality is still one thing I have a huge problem with, especially when it affects other people. It was 9:00 before I was on the trail, and I was planning on doing 21 miles today. I knew that with a start that late, there would be some night hiking involved.
The day started with a small ascent, but the elevation profile seemed to be pretty flat for the majority of the day. I guess that was just relative to Stratton Mountain because there still seemed to be a constant up or down throughout the day. I was going to stop at Spruce Peak Shelter for a snack a few miles in, but it was a little off the trail. I just picked a rock to sit on and took a break there. I was in that weird "getting out of town" funk, so I called home and talked to Payce for a little while. It usually helps give me a little bit of motivation to start back up again. As I prepared to walk along a gravel road, I saw a sign for Prospect Rock. I decided to take the short side trail leading out to a valley overlook. I took my pack off and sat on the rock for a few moments, enjoying the view. I had to continue on the road for a little while, but I was happy to find it lined with blackberries. This is always a nice surprise! Shortly after I left the road and entered back into the woods, I passed the 1/4 point on the trail - 546 miles! It feels great to have made it to this point.
A few more miles found me at Stratton Pond. It was a great location, and I was very tempted to stay for the night. I wanted to at least make it over Stratton Mountain, however, since tomorrow is calling for rain. I continued on and started the climb up the mountain. The ascents in Vermont are so much different than Maine and New Hampshire because they don't present a challenging climb directly in front of you. They are gradual, and you can never actually see the top of the mountain from where you are. There are trees all around, but you can still see the sky peeping through the leaves so it's impossible to see the summit. The climb can be 2 or 3 miles, but they are actually quite enjoyable miles.
I was happy to see the fire tower at the top since it was already 5:00, and I was still planning on 7.5 miles. I climbed up to the fire tower and was able to see mountains all around. This is where Benton MacKaye visualized the Appalachian Trail, where the dream of a trail from Maine to Georgia came into fruition. I was so glad I could see it before it would be swallowed by clouds tomorrow. This was too much of an important moment to miss. After I made my way down the fire tower and continued to the trail, I passed the caretakers' cabin. They started up a conversation, and as I prepared to push on they invited me to dinner. I knew it was late, but I couldn't resist such a generous offer. I shook off my pack and made my way inside. The two caretakers, Hugh and Jeanne, were inside, as well as a guy named Adam who worked at the nearby resort. We sat and talked while Jeanne finished up dinner and then enjoyed a delicious meal that I would have never expected on top of a mountain. They were great people, and Hugh had been up there since 1968. He and Jeanne stay up there during the summer and early fall, and they seem to genuinely love what they do. They also maintain 8 miles of the trail in the area. They offered a lot of great history of the area, and I was fascinated. It was getting late as I prepared to continue on. Adam offered a ride to the nearest road crossing since it would only be a short walk to the resort from the summit, but I would have felt guilty skipping the miles. Hugh and I went up the tower to catch the sunset, which we could see trying to break its way through the clouds that were already forming. He pointed out the more prominent mountains, including Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, a mountain I've climbed before. I continued a short way down to a stealth camp after having tea. It was dark when I climbed into my tent, and I was secretly relieved I didn't have to night hike.
I am so thankful to Jeanne and Hugh, and it was great to meet Adam as well. They illustrate that trail magic can come in many forms, when you least expect it, but always at the time when you need it most.
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