October 10: Spruce Ledge Camp   Miles Today : 18.3 Total Miles : 18.3

I started out in Johnson, VT – the same place that I left off last year about this time. I got a later start than I would have liked, about noontime, but the trail was in good shape and I was just glad to be back in the woods once again. The first stop of the day was a bread new shelter on the Long Trail called Roundtop. This place just about blew me away. It was a large shelter with a bench and chairs inside for cooking or writing, and just out back was a fantastic view. From the backside of the shelter you can sit on a small bench and gaze down into the valley and into the town of Waterville. The foliage was pretty amazing as well.

From there is was a lot of up and down hiking without much happening, until I got to Laraway Mountain. The climb up to the top was tough, true enough, but what was worth mentioning is that the closer I got to the summit, the more SNOW there was on the trail. By the time I did get to the top of the mountain, there was over four inches of the white stuff and it was noticably cold on this beautiful day. It was like I walked into a walk-in cooler.

All this snow on a warm day meant some trouble of course. The trail was a mud bog just about everywhere below 2000 feet, soaked with the runoff from the recent storm. My shoes were soaked through and covered with muck. Still, this will fine with me, since this meant that finding water was not going to be a problem, something I was worried about before starting out on this trip. One quick note, all of the leaves that have fallen off the trees do an excellent job of covering over the mud bogs and puddles. They make them look like solid ground, until you put your foot down and it goes right through the façade, that is.

Still, it was a great day. The sun was shining brightly and the foliage was spectacular all day long. I arrived at Corliss Camp at 4:20. This was a nice camp, with a wood stove even, but I really wanted to get a few more miles done today. The only problem was that the next camp was over 6.5 miles away and I was pushing my luck with daylight.

Well, of course I went for it, I had to, there is something wrong with me. So Bear and I headed out from Corliss with several miles and three small mountains to climb before we could rest. It was close, but we made it here, just barely, without having to turn on my headlamp. I got water at the side trail and headed up to the cabin just before it became pitch dark.

There were already two other people here, both southbounders, and we quickly became good friends. These guys were out on the LT when the last snowstorm hit. It was apparently a good one, dropping about 16 inches in under a day. Needless to say, they got stuck wherever they were for a day or so.

The shelter here is pretty sweet. It is fully enclosed, has a couple of cooking tables and a great view just a few steps to the north. It was great for star gazing and I hope it is just a good for the sunrise tomorrow. Now, it is time for bed.

-Chomp

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