Miles Hiked Today - 9.3
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1723.9/2,193 (78.61%)
Stony Brook (1714.6) to Winturri Shelter (1723.9) - tent at Winturri Shelter
Total ascent - 2,658’
Total descent - 1,995’
Total States Completed - 11/14
**No Rain - Pretty nice weather day. Mid 80’s
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A pretty relaxing day. With the way the shelters are positioned between Killington and Hanover - we decided upon a shorter 9.3 mile day out of town. Sam had to wait until the Post Office opened at 8:30am to get a resupply box - so we had Steamboat pick us up at 9am. It was about a 30 minute ride back to the trail - we were hiking by 9:30-9:45am.
A bunch of roller coaster hills today. So - even with 9.3 miles - it was a challenging day. We both had brought a sub sandwich from the deli next to the hotel for lunch. Solid lunch! Toward the end of the day - there was a shelter called: “The Lookout”. It’s not an actual AT shelter - but a privately owned cabin that allows hikers to camp and tent. There was a staircase leading to a lookout platform over the roof. We climbed up there - really nice views!
We got into camp around 3:30pm. This allowed me to take a 1-1/2 hour nap before fixing dinner. We shared the shelter site with a father/daughter pair. The daughter had just graduated from Tufts University and she and her dad were doing the entire 151-mile Vermont section of the AT as a graduation present. They’ll be done in 2 days. The dad went to Dartmouth (located in Hanover) - so they’re pretty familiars with the area. They live in Boston and own property near Hanover. The daughter has travelled extensively and has done a number of hiking excursions. They were interesting to talk with for sure.
Tomorrow is a big 17.4 mile day with nearly 4,000’ vertical. I’m hoping to get an early start to beat the heat. If things go well - this would leave me with only 9-10 miles into Hanover on Wednesday. Pending weather and how I’m feeling - there’s a chance I may grab a shuttle into Hanover tomorrow night after the hike and get 2 nights in the hotel. I would be able to just shuttle back to the spot I left off and walk into Hanover on Wednesday morning. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.
Sam and I are planning to hike the New Hampshire section together. I’m pretty fired up about this. She grew up in New Hampshire, lives in Massachusetts now, and has hiked the White Mountains on a number of occasions. She also has a friend that lives in Lincoln, NH that is willing to help us slackpack the extreme sections where a 40-pound pack would not be practical (and even potentially dangerous). She’s slower than me up the mountains and we’ll likely have an extra day or two to get through the “Whites” - but her experience in this area (with weather and camping locations) is so valuable to me - I’m willing to defer to her background and follow her lead through New Hampshire ——- “Whatever it Takes”
Here’s to health and good times. Goodnight from Vermont!
View from “The Lookout”
Lookout Shelter
View from “The Lookoit”
Ladder to platform
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