Vermont! Once upon a time, Benton McKay stood atop the Stratton Mtn fire tower and envisioned a long distance footpath through the wilderness. The Long Trail through VT resulted (which M&M completed in 2013). The LT begat the Appalachian Trail, and the trails share 105 miles until the AT hooks a right after Killington and heads into New Hampshire while the LT heads north to Canada.
Vermont! Where the Green Mtns rose to remind our calves and quads that the White Mtns and Maine terrain are coming. There’s a saying that the final 20% of the trail demands 80% of the effort. We passed the 500-miles-to-go mark….23% to go…
Vermont! State #12 of 14…cooler mornings…a red leaf or two on the trail and a rising sensation that the beginning of the ending is Now.
So we slowed down a bit: to soak in the beauty and enjoy. We had a super fun “Vermont Crew” of Laces (of course!), Adios (chef, Denver), Outro (architect, Dallas), and Southpaw (engineer-to-be, Atlanta). We cooked a family dinner (with vegetables!!), witnessed some fantastic sunrises and sunsets, and had a beer at the Inn at the Long Trail, where the original trail was discussed and designed.
Thanks this section to the father/daughter team who hiked up Killington from Farm & Wilderness (yes, they knew ‘Quest for Spinach’!) and shared their chocolate and blueberries with us. To the man we passed hiking naked — keep Vermont weird! To Betsy from Norwich, VT, (another NP!) who let us stay with her and did all 6 of our laundry!! To the folks of Lookout Farm, who let hikers stay in their private cabin. And of course to all the strangers who stopped their cars to give some mangy hikers a ride into town…..we couldn’t do it without you….
Welcome to VT!! The Long Trail and Appalachian Trail share the first 105 miles of VT.
Green Green Mountains from the Glastonbury Mt firetower
Enjoying a beautiful summer day with a dip in Stratton Pond
Mya plays stick with “The Family.” An ER doc on sabbatical with his wife and the youngest 5 of their ten children.
The VT crew waiting for sunset on Killington. left to right: Laces, Clover, Southpaw, Outro and Adios
Playing shadow ninjas: still waiting for the sunset
Mya waiting for the sunset
finally …. sunset on Killington
Little Rock Pond
The VT crew with 500 miles to go!
Lucy’s Lookout
Sunset to the west; with a storm rolling in to the east at the Lookout .
sunrise from the Lookout cabin
doing her thing
Trying to stay dry through a thunderstorm by pitching Laces’ tarp over the trail…it worked until we realized the rain wasn’t going to stop…so after this break we wound up hiking in the rain anyway….
the VT forests are stunning
Mya practicing her Jedi mind tricks on Outro’s dinner: “is that for me?”
There are certain things you can be sure of… this is “100% true facts”
The VT crew goes into NH!
Paula
Su, Jamie & I just just spent a week in VT, & did some hiking on the Long Trail! I thought of you~ see you soon! love, Paula
Deb
Only 500’miles? You guys ROCK! Sorry for the pun…I love your posts and will stay tuned for the next one. hakuna muttata!
Deb
Only 500’miles? You guys ROCK! Sorry for the pun…I love your posts and will stay tuned for the next one. hakuna mutt tata!
8 Paws
Thanks Deb!! Actually right now we only have 300 or so left!!! Our blog posts are a little behind schedule. Stay tuned to our New Hampshire post. Thanks for the support