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Long Trail, day 11

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Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Start: Middlebury Gap/Gathering Inn, Hancock

End: David Logan Shelter

Mileage: 17.6 on LT (+0.5 for side trails to shelters)

Elevation gain/loss: 4308’/3835′

We had a pretty early night last night, and some good sleep, though we were woken up by the rooster at 6am. This morning we were able to get a ride back to the Gap around 7am from Kathleen who runs the Gathering Inn. We were also able to avoid the offer of a ride from a man who lives on the property who was creepily overly interested in Towanda.

We climbed up from Middlebury Gap toward the Middlebury Snow Bowl, passing by Lake Pleiad. We made it over Worth Mountain and then swung by Sucker Brook Shelter to resupply on water. We chatted with Ursa and her friend for a bit and then pressed on. We went down to Romance Gap and then climbed up to Romance Mountain, Gillespie Peak, and Mt Horrid. Then we descended to VT-73/Brandon Gap. There’s been a heat advisory for local towns today and water was scarce for the first half of today, so we were pretty dried out. We were both REALLY hoping for some trail magic – and lo and behold, we found some cold beer at the Gap, sitting in the shade! We each had one and saved another for dinner.

We then climbed up to Sunrise Shelter and refilled on water again. Then we climbed up to Farr Peak, then down to Bloodroot Gap, up to Bloodroot Mountain, down to Wetmore Gap, and then finally up to the New Boston Trail to go 0.2 to David Logan Shelter where we’re staying for the night.

Overall, the terrain today was quite forgiving. The uphill was mostly of a gentle grade and the trail was smooth with minimal rocks and slippery/muddy bits, though some sections were just plain boring.

We arrived at the shelter around 3:45pm and had it all to ourselves until 6pm, when two sisters from Ohio arrived (Ma’am [AT LASH 2015/2017 who is a Hospitalist and actually met Towanda in 2015] and Melanie). Around 7pm, a third NOBO LT thruhiker came to join us. Thankfully, he’s tenting so there’s plenty of space in the shelter.

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