Faith in humanity restored – Long journey day sixteen

Day Sixteen, Sunday, August 31

Theron Dean Lodge at Montclair Glen Lodge

Distance: 12.4 miles (177.1 miles total).

Early in the morning the rain ends

I got up early and realized I was in for a slightly longer day. The rain was still dripping a little, but it looked like it was going to stop. I remember meeting hikers—very fit hikers—heading south who said that up north there were days when they could only go nine miles. Today my goal was over twelve, to reach Montclair Glen Lodge at the south base of Camels Hump. This I would consider very low mileage on a flat cruising trail, but not here.

Theron Dean was about halfway down the descent from General Stark Mountain to Appalachian Gap, where Route 17 passes. The rest of the descent was still steep, wet, and difficult, but at least it finally stopped raining!

Faith in humanity restored!

As I approached the road I saw a sign indicating the trail on my right. I was about to pass by when I noticed something stuck in it. Something familiar.

MY GOD!! My lost waterproof gloves were encased in a clear plastic bag and nailed to the sign!

If you read my previous blog, you know that these new gloves had fallen out of my pocket on the ridge somewhere near Nancy Hanks Peak. I told a couple heading south that if they found them, they should keep them. They said no, they would drop them off for me at Appalachian Gap. And here they were!

My benefactors enclosed a two-sided note. You can see photos of both sides, but here are the texts:

SIDE OUT: «8-30-25 Leaving this gear for a specific hiker. (If it’s NOT yours, don’t take it.) Thanks. Happy hiking!»

SIDE FACING IN: «I’m glad (hope) you’re getting these again. Two day hikers picked them up and used them to keep warm on Mount A. They asked us if we’d dropped rain gloves when we passed them. We said we knew who they were supposed to return to and that we were looking for them. :)»

I wish I could have thanked these kind people!

My faith in humanity took a huge leap in that moment. I don’t know their names or where they live, but this sure went out of their way for me, a complete stranger! I only hope that by some strange coincidence you read these words and receive my deep gratitude, not so much for the mittens, but for your kindness.

First encounter with hiker and freight train

As I crossed the road, I saw two hikers preparing to go up the other side. I was told their trail names were Freight Train and Day Tripper, also known simply as «Tripper.» Freight Train was a younger, wiry guy with a thin black mustache; He was holding back his long black dreadlocks with a scarf, just like I had been doing since I lost my hat. (Although, unfortunately, I only have a thin ponytail, no dreadlocks!) Tripper looked a little older, was bigger and burlier, and had long brown hair with a huge bushy reddish-brown beard.

I continued ahead, up the hill, but the two soon passed me, going fast. At first, I was just enjoying the trail, especially some of the hard-working spiders building webs next to the trail.

Imagine the work it takes for the spider to make a web like this… over and over and over again! Also note peeling birch bark, a common sight on the Long Trail.

Then the steep climbs and descents caught my attention, ascending Baby Stark Mountain and Molly Stark Mountain. Just after that summit there was an overlook called «Molly Stark’s Balcony.»

Six times? You’ve got to be kidding me!

I stopped here to enjoy the view. As he did so, an older hiker approached from the south. As we talked, he revealed that this was his SIXTH time hiking the Long Trail, three heading north and now three heading south. I gasped. Just doing it once was taking away everything I had; I can’t imagine doing it five more times! However, I took advantage of his experience to ask him if it was true that the difficulty of “El Norte” decreased after the crossing of Route 15 towards Johnson, about 60 miles ahead. He thought for a moment and then agreed that it got “a little” easier on the more northern stretches. I took it as good news.

After Huntington Gap, we reached Burnt Rock Mountain again, with many granite ledges approaching the top like a challenge. By then, the sun had been out long enough to leave them mostly dry, so it wasn’t too bad. A little further down from Burnt Rock was a place called «Ladder Ravine.» There you had to go down a cliff into a ravine and yes, there is a ladder to go down.

The tricky part about this ladder was climbing it. The approach was dubious and a wrong step would have very serious consequences.

I was disappointed when there was no “halfway” marker for the Long Trail. Now I appreciated that someone created a makeshift “One hundred miles left to go” marker. It was somehow reassuring to have Canada only double digits away!

Creative use of moss and stones.

Business day? You better move!

By now it was late afternoon, as I continued, leaving Mount Ira Allen on my left and climbing Mount Ethan Allen. I had lunch there for the second time with a great view of the valley. While eating, I suddenly realized that it was Labor Day weekend and my aspirational retreat, Montclair Glen, might be very full, at the foot of the ever-popular Camels Hump Mountain.

I suddenly felt quite anxious and tried to speed up to make up time, despite how late it was. This was silly, because a few minutes probably wouldn’t change much, but one bad fall could have changed a lot. I actually fell while quickly descending from Ethan Allen, but I twisted my body as I fell, so my backpack took most of the blow. I didn’t get hurt.

Full house at the Lodge, but I’m inside

Arriving at Montclair Glen Lodge I met Freight Train and Tripper again, having dinner. They were planning to camp in tents. The Lodge had space for eight people, four downstairs and four in the upper loft. It seemed that an older woman, named Loon, and I were the only ones in the shelter.

Before dinner, I quickly established my “turf” in the lodge against a wall on the lower level. Loon, who was on the opposite side, told me that the entire four-space upper level was already occupied by people who had abruptly left camp to run to Camels Hump to watch the sunset. This seemed a little crazy to all of us, especially the idea of ​​going back down in the dark, but you need everything.

It had been a long day and I was very tired. I filled my water bottles to have them ready for the climb to Camels Hump the next day, then had dinner and packed my food in the bear box.

Water collection for filtration.

It was getting cold, so I snuggled up in my sleeping bag. Shortly after, two young, very cheerful women came and took the remaining places in the back between Loon and me. The shelter was already full, but I was IN. It was a relief!

The girls laughed and joked, but I was so tired that I soon fell fast asleep. I didn’t even hear the four hikers in the upper bunks return from their overnight trip to the top of Camels Hump.