Long Trail Finale! (long) -- 7/15-22/06

In July of '03, Shamie and I started off on our first weeklong backpacking trip. We had decided that we would do the Long Trail in sections, one each summer, until we had completed it. This past July 22nd, we finished it. Along the way, we met a lot of interesting people and had an amazing time. True, we didn't push hard and put in heavy mileage days (our average was about 11mi per day) but there was no need for us to. When we started, we had no idea how long it would take us and we didn't care. Being out there was the important thing. Here is the account of our forth and final section:

Day 1, 7/15/06
After leaving a car at the Journey's End TH, we were dropped off in Smuggler's Notch and started off on our way around 3pm. At the stream crossing near the start, the weight of our packs made things a little tricky. We had weighed then before leaving and my pack weighed 45lbs while Shamie's came in at 37lbs. It was a very hot day and we were sweating a lot as we worked our way up. Eventually, we reached the spur to the viewpoint at the top of Elephant's Head Cliff and I dropped my pack to go check it out. It was a good thing too since you drop quite a bit on the way out there. The view was good and I took some pics before running back up to Shamie who had chosen to wait at the junction.

No long after that, we arrived at Sterling Pond and saw our first people for the day. It was beautiful there, definitely worth checking out. We took a snack break at the shelter and then pushed on to Madonna Peak (which is NOT near the borderline). On Madonna, we checked out the newish warming hut and the broken pole graveyard. The views up there were great and this would be the last of the ski areas we'd see until Jay Peak. As nice as it was there though, we had to keep moving as daylight was not on our side. We hurried along as best we could, stopping only briefly to read signs and take pictures in the fading light. We had to use our headlamps for the last half hour or so before reaching Whiteface Shelter.

There, we met a SoBo LTer from Indiana and had a great conversation with him. It was funny, he had thought that all New Englanders were going to be rich snobs. he was very surprised when I told him that we have rednecks in NH and that our mountains are much rougher. He asked if there was a long distance trail in NH that would take him to some of the rougher peaks and I recommended that he do the NH section of the AT which he said he would someday.

Day 2, 7/16/06
Our second day was a bit on the easier side, which was good because it was very hot. After a steep climb first thing in the day to the summit of Whiteface, we then descended to the Bear Hollow Shelter where we took a break and saw an outhouse with a VFTT (view from the toilet). After that, we were soon on a dirt road for a long while which eventually brought us out to VT15. Here, we saw that since my guide had been published (2003) they had rerouted part of the trail to go over a new pedestrian bridge. Previously, you had to go in the opposite direction on VT15 for a little ways until it crossed the Lamoille River. We opted not to save the mileage and went the old route because just after you cross the bridge on VT15, there's a place called The Long Trail Tavern.

We stopped in and the air conditioning felt sooooo good! We sat down had a Long Trail draft and some mozzarella sticks and watched the Red Sox for a little bit. Talk about a trap! Why on earth would I want to leave that place? We met the owner who also runs a hiker hostel called The Doghouse and he had me sign his hiker log. I flipped through to see if there was anyone I knew and sure enough, there was Post'r Boy!!! He had stopped in after finish the LT a couple years ago. As good as this all was, we needed to keep moving so we headed out.

Back on the road the sun was harsh. We were very thankful when we got back into the woods and started our climb up to Prospect Rock. It was a little bit of a climb getting up there but the views were fantastic! We took another break there and took it all in. What a nice spot! From there we went down a little bit to an interesting area of logging roads and wetness before climbing up Round Top and then down a little to Round Top Shelter. There, we were swarmed with bugs and shared the shelter with a local guy and his grandson. They were very nice as was the view from behind the shelter. Great sunset.

Day 3, 7/17/06
The next day we rolled a ways before reaching Codding Hollow Road where there's a great stream. We took a break there, soaked our feet and pumped more water. It was another hot day but by now we were used to our pack weights so it wasn't quite so bad. Near the stream, there is a house set back aways so we were careful not to be too disruptive in case someone was there. It was odd though, there was no bridge and it seemed that in high water it would be difficult to drive across.

After our break, we climbed up the short but steep Laraway Mtn. I tell ya' sometimes you forget how steep these lil guys can be! There were some impressing cliffs there as well as a view. From there is was an easy descent to Corliss Camp which we had to ourselves for the night. That was a neat place and it was nice to have it to ourselves. The bugs weren't as active there but the coyotes were. We heard them a ways off that night making quite a racket!

Day 4, 7/18/06
I always enjoy being on the trail for my birthday and this year I reflected about my past birthdays on the LT. Last year, I did Abraham & Ellen. The year before that, I spent the night with ATers and I got my trailname. This year, I had a low mileage day (6.6mi) and did a couple of 2Ks (Butternut & Bowen). Things weren't terribly exciting but that was good. It was kind of nice to have a lazy trail day for a change. We had Spruce Ledge Camp to ourselves and I thought that Shamie's company and the view from Devil's Perch were present enough. Of course, the little bit of wine we brought was good too!

Day 5, 7/19/06
The next day started off with the fun scramble though Devil's Gulch which I guess is the LT's answer to Mahoosuc Notch though they really don't compare. Anyway, that was fun but the climb up to the lookout on Ritterbush Pond was tough. Well we made it and crossed VT118 and took a break at the trailhead for Belvidere Mtn. I knew there was a tower on top of this 3K and had planned to slackpack it.

This was a tough fun climb and definitely worth it. I would say we say more people on this mountain than we had on each of the earlier days combined. Still, it wasn't crowded. There were just more day hikers which was understandable. When we got to the spur, we stashed our packs in the brush and raced up, feeling giddy at out lightness. At the summit, amazing views awaited us. These would be the best of the trip. They were so good, Shamie climbed the tower with me and she normally doesn't want to. Up in the tower, we caught our first views of Jay Peak and we both felt much more excited now that we could see the symbolic finish line. Our spirits really picked up after that! We had lunch and talked to some day hikers before moving on and throwing our packs back on. From there, the descent and short climb to Tillotson Camp flew.

That night was a ton of fun. We enjoyed the company of four guys who worked at a nearby Scout camp, a NoBo named Sea Doc, and a lively SoBo named No Problem. We spent the night making all kinds of jokes and telling stories around a big fire. One central joke related to the wood the scouts were using. They found some stuff that they could literately just pull parts off of and so it was said that they were shuckin' wood. No Problem was an interesting character. He had lived in Ohio pretty much all his life but had a real thick North Carolina accent. He talked in a high pitch voice too. Besides that, he had a pack that was way too heavy, had been spending the night at every shelter, and had been having a ton of problems, in spite of his name. He tried to offer helpful advice on lightening his load but he was content with the fact that he had mailed his tent and all of his winter clothes back to himself. A few shelters later, we found his salt and pepper shakers and mini Tabasco bottles...

Sea Doc was on his 14th day and was planning to finish up the remaining 23 or so miles the next day. He said he had been doing at least 18mi per day since his second day out! Two of the scouts camped out while the rest of us stayed in the run-down, crocked, old shelter. Fortunately, since Shamie and I were the first ones there, we got the flattest bunk.

Day 6, 7/20/06
The next morning, we headed up and climbed to a point near the top of Tillotson Peak. I have no idea why the LT goes close to but not over the summit of so many 3Ks but it does. One that at least has a spur is Haystack so we dropped the packs and were sure to check out the viewpoints up there. It wasn't as good as Belvidere but, on the LT you take what you can get and enjoy every view.

The descent into Hazen's Notch was fun and interesting. On the way down, we passed a packboard that we were to find out had been there for at least a couple of days. I was kind of spurred on to get to the notch because no Problem had told us that there was trail magic there, bottled water and chips. Well, we got down there and there was nothing. I was very disappointed especially since after that you've got to do some steep climbing as you avoid the cliffs on Sugarloaf. After that tough climb and a bit of a drop, we reached the spur to Hazen Notch Camp where we stopped to have lunch.

Here we wound up in some kind of time vortex. Sure, we had lunch, admired the view, and rested a bit but it was inconceivable how we lost over 2hrs there! After we filtered some water, we were really behind timewise. We needed to put on some speed. Fortunately, at this point neither of us noticed our packs weight and we were able to move really well. Once back on the trail, we made ridiculously good time to Bruce Peak and the summit of Buchanan Mtn. We stopped at Chet's Lookout and saw Jay Peak looking close and inviting and that spurred us on faster. Before we knew it, we were crossing VT242, passing the Atlas shelter and were at Jay Camp, our destination for the night. There, a couple day hikers told us that it was supposed to storm that night and into the morning. They left and we had dinner and went to bed, not realizing that the owner of the mini-mattress and sleeping bag would be coming in very late.

Day 7, 7/21/06
The next morning when the alarm went off, we heard the rain pounding so, we went back to sleep. When we woke up again, we noticed the guy in his bunk. We talked and he said he was up for a mtn biking event and that he was staying there since it was close to the road and free. Can't argue with that!

The rain had stopped and so we got going, climbing up Jay Peak. I started to get a little sad while doing that because I realized that the adventure was almost over. This was the last big climb on the LT. I enjoyed it immensely and really took it all in. The trail going up is wonderful. I'd recommend it to anyone. I didn't find it to be hard but nor was it boring either. Once we got near the summit area, it was very obvious that we weren't going to get any views. It was there that I decided I would not go over to Big Jay as I had been planning. I had been thinking before that I wanted to finish the NEHH in VT and figured it would probably be on Equinox but I changed my mind and have now decided to finish on Big Jay on a clear day so I can get those views and revisit the LT.

On the summit, the cover was so think, you could barely see the lodge. We heard voices below and then saw that at the bottom of the stairs a wedding was being held during this windy cloudy day. I felt bad for them. We went in and filled our water, washed up a bit, and had a snack. The soda machine was empty. We spent a little while there in reflection before heading out again. A guy working there asked if we were going to stay at Laura Woodward Shelter and we told him we planned to go farther and stay at Shooting Star. He said that miles between are said to be really hard. Oh well, we were only doing 7.6mi that day so it shouldn't be too bad.

So we continued on and descended to Laura Woodward Shelter where we met a SoBo hiker named Claws and a NoBo named 46er. We snacked with them and Claws warned us about the miles ahead and that Shooting Star had no water. We had heard that and had filled up everything at the tram.

After that, we climbed Doll Peak and descended and climbed some other minor peaks on our way to Shooting Star without noticing anything different from the rest of the trail. It was then that we realized that all the horror stories came from SoBos who were just starting out, many of whom had never done rolling ridges with a heavy pack before. 46er shared the same thought and we had a great last night on the trail sharing the shelter, trail stories, and gear tips. He had done the AT when he was 46 (hence the name) in '89 and had done the LT previously as well. His pack was ultralight and his gear was enviable. I thought my Marmot Precip was light until he showed me his pocket size GoLite jacket. Amazing!

Though the edge of the shelter is being eaten by a porcupine, we spent the last night peacefully. It was a good place to spend it for sure. More sadness about it almost being over...

Day 8, 7/22/06
Another short day. That was the theme of this trip which was fine because we really savored it and enjoyed our time in camp. The day began with a short climb up Burnt Mtn before descending to VT105. From there, we climbed our last peak, Carleton Mtn. When we reached the summit, I went out to the outlook despite the fact that things were completely socked in. It figured I thought. We had little or no view on most of the significant peaks we had done on the LT. As I stood there in quiet contemplation, the clouds lifted enough that I was given a shadowy view of Jay and I gratefully took it.

With a heavy heart, I descended the long ridge, passing the 45th parallel and reached the border. We walked around the boundary marker and stopped for a snack and to talk. There were no big cheers. Here we were. Canada. It was done. I wonder how many others feel this way either on the LT or the AT. I took pictures and wondered about those unfamiliar mountains I saw and what lies beyond them. It was almost otherworldly. We congratulated each other and headed off on the Journey's End trail back to the car.

We stopped briefly at Journey's End Camp both to check it out, sign one more log, and delay the end of the trip. It's a very nice shelter. The best we saw on this trip. In the log, we wrote our final reflections and read those of others who's adventure we had followed. Our friend Sea Doc was very dehydrated and tired when he reached this point. It was obvious in his writing. 46er was sorry to not have had the chance to say goodbye to people he had hiked with earlier. We were glad to have had this experience and to have shared it with so many people across the past few years.

The rest of the way out was wide and easy, terribly deceptive for any SoBos who may think that's how the rest of the trail is going to be. At the car was changed and headed off to the first restaurant we could find to begin the "retox". A half-pound burger, a cup of chili, and a Long Trail do the job nicely as does stopping off at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill and Cabot Creamery Annex on the way back.

It's been an incredible experience, one I'll always treasure and one I'm thankful that I was able to share with someone.

Here are a lot of pics.

Way to go, Double Bow! What's next?

Hey DB and Shamie! Congratulations on completing the LT. That's an incredible accomplishment, one you can certainly be proud of.

Congratulations Double Bow & Shamie! Your report was great... especially since I'll be heading out that way to finish the LT soon and it was fun reading about everything that's coming up.

I too think Big Jay sounds like a good place to finish the NEHH.

- Ivy

Tom Rankin said:

Way to go, Double Bow! What's next?

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Ahhhh... the million dollar question!

On the micro scale, Shamie has 4 peaks left towards her 48 and plans to finish that in October and I've got 4 left towards the 67 (possible Oct finish).

On the macro scale, I like to spend my b-day on the trail every July and want to do something BIG for next year's. I have hopes of doing a big peak out west but finances may not permit that. If that doesn't happen, I plan to either hit the 'daks for the first time (in which case I'll be looking for advice & company) or, I'll challenge myself with doing the 48 in less than 10 days!!!

In future years, we'll plan on backpacking sections of the AT though hikin' in NC in July might not be that much fun!

Way to go! That's an awesome achievement. Congratulations!

I read about a Long Trail trip done by a couple in 13 days in Appachia, now your report...I think I am being called.

Congrats and thanks for the report...great reading

Thanks for the great TR! Sounds like you and Shamie did a great job enjoying the hike and all it has to offer. Good luck with your next adventures.

Hey, I was on Mansfield on Sunday the 15th. I went up from Smugglers and down Hazleton Tr to Stowe.
Its funny but on the ridge just south of the summit area I passed a guy who I thought I knew from somewhere...anytime that happens I figure it must be from noticing peoples pictures from here!
I should have said something I guess.

Anyway, great hike, great trip report! Keep it up!

Great report! Congrats.

Reading the report, I regret taking the new route and skipping the LT tavern (especially since it was poorly marked out last year and we spent a lot of time trying to figure it out).

Double Bow said:

Day 6, 7/20/06

With a heavy heart, I descended the long ridge.... There were no big cheers. Here we were... It was done. I wonder how many others feel this way....

pics.

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Yup. I have many times. Its not the destination, but the journey. I'm looking forward to my hike tomorrow. Great trail report and pictures, thanks!

Nice TR and congrats to finishing a kick @$$ trail!

DB and Shamie - nicely done and fab photos! You definitely have a gift for photography!!

Marty