36 Miles On The Long Trail

“Good morning!!!

Henry and I got home about 1:30 this morning and I got to work at 7:00 AM after a few hours of sleep.

We left Pedxing at Smuggler's Notch about 3:30 PM Sunday after running down to Stowe for laundry and lunch.
Ped bought lunch at a Chinese buffet.
I can't think of anything better than all-you-can-eat after a good three-day ass-whoopin'.

H-man and I left Baltmore about 9:00 PM Wednesday and arrived Stowe at 7:00 AM Thursday.
After having breakfast we drove up to Smuggler's Notch where we got a few hours sleep in the car.

We successfully hitch hiked to Stowe and then to Route 118 where we found Pedxing with his gear spread out drying in the sun.
Our meet-up time was 4:00 and we got there about 3:30.

Thursday we hiked a little over three miles to Spruce Ledge shelter.
The trail took us up and down without much in the way of switchbacks.
The mother bear only got tougher as we headed south.

Friday we hit the trail about 9:00 AM making the 6.6 miles to Corliss Camp(shelter) by 1:00 where we had lunch.
We took a good long break and headed out for Roundtop Shelter(2700+ feet) after 2:00 PM.
That leg was 8.1 miles going up and down over several mountain tops.
Ped got to the shelter about 30 minutes ahead of us......we got there a bit after 8:00 PM...............whooped!!!
It was an 14.7 mile, eleven hour day.
Roundtop is very nice, an open-front log shelter with a nice view to the west.

Saturday we were on the march just before 7:00 AM......good thing, since this day was tougher than Friday.
From Roundtop we descended to the Lamoille River and found the new foot bridge only to lose the trail and waste about an hour finding it again.
At 7.7 miles we arrived at Bear Hollow shelter just before noon.
There we ate and napped for a while in preparation for Whiteface Mountain.
Ha ha ha ha......nothing can prepare one for that mother humper!!!
We began in hardwood forest and ascended nearly 2,000 feet into the spruce and fir several miles to the summit of Whiteface at 3,715(?).
The Long Trail was intended to be a challenge and it was.
I don't recall any switchbacks, only some zigging and zagging through the mud and rocks and spruce/fir.
There were giant rock steps and rock scrambles where we had to use hands and feet.
This stuff was worse than the Santanoni Range.
Once in the spruce zone the ups and downs were relentless with rocks, both wet and dry, and roots every step of the way.
We descended the south side of Whiteface to the shelter there where we rested up for the final 3+ miles to Sterling Pond shelter.
That leg took us down and then up and over Morse Mountain and down and up through more spruce and straight up a blue ski trail(rock.....all rocks)to the very summit of Madonna Mountain.
Exhausted, we dropped packs and checked out the lift attendant's warming hut sitting in real chairs for a few minutes.
With the sun going down we had to get going to make it to the Sterling Pond shelter.
Down from Madonna, way down, we went through unbelievably steep rocky spruce forest finally stumbling into the shelter about 8:00 PM........13 hours and about 15 miles on the trail.

Sunday we didn't get on the trail until about 9:00 and made the 3.8 miles of up and down beating by 11:30 AM.

After reaching the car and sharing two beers we all took bird baths in the creek below the picnic area at The Notch.
Standing ankle-deep in ice water with a bit of backpacker's suds hootin' and hollerin' buck naked...........is there anything better?

I will see about posting pictures.
That could take a couple of days since I will be worthless today and the camera is at home.
last edited: 8/01/05 9:03:24 AM”

“I thought you were worthless every day. jk ;-)

Great trip report. I look forward to the pictures when you get them up.”

“Zac, remember how I said that the Santanonis trail was the most *@^&%@!!%*&'ed up trail I've seen in 30 years?

I'm having dinner with the King Of Morroco tonight in D.C., so tonight is shot.

It might take until Tuesday evening before H-man and I figure out how to post a Photo Album on TT.”

“I can't wait to get a chance to hike the LT. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

“I'm having dinner with the King Of Morroco tonight in D.C., so tonight is shot.

Remind that son of a #&%!$ he still owes me $2.00.”

“Ha Ha!”

“I'm serious, my wife got an invitation to an anniversary dinner at the Metropolitan Club from a co-worker.

I'll do a trip report tomorrow.

They probably won't serve any booze....>8^[”

“Looks like the celebration has been postponed due to the death of King What's-his-butt in Saudi Arabia.

That's cool, I will need a nap this afternoon anyway.”

“Nice trip report! Great to hear people enjoying the rocks and roots that I grew up hiking on.

Your trip brings back great memories of dayhiking the same section but in reverse. We hiked from the notch to the Lamoille in 4 1/2 hours.”

“Hey, just leave out the nekid pics, K?”

““I can't wait to get a chance to hike the LT. It sounds like a lot of fun.”
lumberzac
10:35:33 AM
8/01/05

Ditto...
Glad you had a good time MarkO. Can't wait to see the pics.”

“Dang, REPTILES!!
You must have been flyin'.
It was a bit slower with a 30# rucksack.”

“I put all those rocks there to test you, Grasshopper.

Glad to hear Ped's doing good.”

“Ped sure was humpin' the hump.

I'm not sure how far he was going to get yesterday, but he had fifteen days and about 210 miles to go.”

“Ahhhh the LT! Sounds great, MarkO. I can't wait to see the pictures. You don't recall any switchbacks because there are no such thing in the NorthEast. ;)

BTW ~ I was in VT a week ago and my mom and I went to Old Home Day in South Royalton...what a treat that was. One rickety ferris wheel, a ghetto tilt-a-whirl, and a green full of people watching a bunch of 70-somethings clog dancing on the gazebo. :P”

“Marko,
I was a lot younger then and we had the help of some VT greenery to get us "flyin" on the downhills.”

“It was a treat to get back up to Vermont.

When we left Baltimore it was hot as hell.
It was a relief to feel a little in the evening.

Saturday was nearly cloudless as we climbed up and down the thing they call a trail.

Yesterday when we headed down I-89 between Exit 3 and White River Junction I sighed to think that that was my every day commute for a while long ago.
last edited: 8/01/05 2:26:25 PM”

“Switchback? Please explain as I am not familiar with the term. ;-)
last edited: 8/01/05 2:29:34 PM”

“REPTILES, the downhill was murder.

My knees are still kinda sore.

I was sad to see Pedxing head up and wished I could go with him.”

“Lemme draw yuhz a pitcher, Zacky!”

“They have only two directions in the Northeast: up and down. No messing around with that silly sideways.”

“They must have some mighty big deer up there in Vermont.

I saw big tracks in mud( 4" ) and piles of big deer crap.”

“Any trouble with Pedxing's feet? I know he was worried. Nice report. Thanks.”

“Ped's peds didn't seem to be giving him any trouble.
He applies vitamin E lotion to his hands and ankles and feet now and then.

I could tell you that he was hurt pretty bad and has recovered very well to be hiking this mother bear of a trail.”

“Thanks MarkO, that's great news! Tell H-man I said hey.”

“Right on!!

I gotta get that kid to help me post pictures tonight.”

“Repeat - no nekkid pics!”

“I stayed at Sterling Pond and climbed whiteface a few years back. It's a great area/trail! Did you see any moose? How is ped doing?”

“Pedxing has recovered well and is hiking strong.
He has to deal with a body that will never be the same and he's drivin' on with it.

I saw a lot of moose crap and some tracks, so the buggers are out there somewhere.

That area is a real butt-kicker!!”

“Is he planning on stopping at the Inn at the Long Trail? 'Cause when I passed through 2 weeks ago, I left something for him. 8)”

“I have no idea if is going to stop there.

I thought about you as I passed by Sharon and how that stretch of I-89 was my daily commute to Lebanon........many moons ago.”

“Well if he doesn't show by August 1, I left further instructions. ;-) No harm, just an envelope with some beer $$$ and a note to have some Long Trail on me.

Ahhhh little Sharon ~ if you are up there again and need a place to crash, let me know! My mom is right off Exit 2. Did you see the new Rest Area they are building between the Sharon exit and the Woodstock one? Fancy shmancy...”

“That's very sweet of ya!

I didn't notice any rest area stuff.

Was there an old one??

It was nice to be in a place where it cools off at night, if only for a few days.”

“There was an old one but it was spooky ~ one of those "Don't stop at night unless you want your body found in the dumpster" kind of stops.

I'm looking forward to your pics. I've never done any hiking on the LT south of Camel's Hump.”

“Ah, so you've hiked Whiteface Mountain??

My knees are still sore.”

“No ~ I haven't :( It's on my ever growing list ~ I hear it's a real buttkicker though. Gotta love those rolling Green Mountains ~ so deceiving. Up. Down. Repeat.”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/pictures/user/marko.php

Here are pictures......my first time posting trip photos!!”

“Great photos, MarkO!! I loved the ones of the morning fog in the Lamoille River Valley.”

“Nice, Mark-O! Hat's off to you guys. I don't think my feet could have taken that trek. David looked content. And that bridge was really cool!”

“Great photos MarkO, now I really want to hike that trail.”

“Thanks, guys!!

Zac, this trail might just satisfy your need for self-abuse.”

“LOL @ MarkO

I doubt it. ;)”

“What can I say, pain and hiking go hand and hand for me. ;-)”

“There were places where we climbed hand over hand.”

““There were places where we climbed hand over hand.”
MarkO
8:27:00 AM
8/03/05
ignore this user

Now that sounds like my kind of hiking. Hmmm, maybe I can do a big chunk of the trail next year.”

“It was great and much cooler than home.

From some of the overlooks we could see Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond.

A great section would be from Smuggler's Notch south across Masfield and on to Camel's Hump and Lincoln Gap.
last edited: 8/03/05 8:17:09 AM”

“great report and pics Mark”

“MarkO (or anyone) have you heard from Pedxing? Where is he??”

“Great thanx for the TR MarkO, and another hollar for them VT syrup goodies too!!”

“Hey Tango. I'm back, 12 pounds lighter, and busy as heck. Lots of work to do on the house and I'm working more than full time at my hospital job for a stretch and gearing up to teach two classes this fall.

I'm trying to type in my trail journal from my written notes, not sure when I'll get that done.

http://www.trailjournals.com/pedxingLT/

I came on to thank MarkO and Henry for everything. They were great sports, great to hike with, gave me great moral and practical support and took pictures. I took no camera, so it was great that they took some photos.

lilmountaingirl - sadly I pulled into Long Trail Inn on August 7, so I knew nothing of your kind and thoughtful gift. It was a fine place, with a great hiker's discount (I couldn't resist taking my one off-trail night there).”