Back in the big mountains

Vermont and the south of New Hampshire were difficult, but I loved this section of the path! I have excellent views, time with friends and an incredible birthday of trails. Real or not, the path feels different. I felt comfortable being close to society. It’s time to return to the desert and walk through the big mountains!

6/27 Sherman Brook Campsite to the Melville Nauheim shelter (18 miles)

I walked a final and rocky escalation in ma, and then crossed VT! Vermont is sometimes called «vermud» because it is known for having inevitable mud wells in much of the path. Today I walked a couple that was not so bad, it will be interesting to see how worse they get, especially in the rain. It was another great and cloudy day today. The last two days of cold weather and a lower mileage have been a good break after the heat wave I experienced through CT and MA.

I spent a pond of Castor surrounded by pines today. He gave me a real atmosphere of the north. Something feels different now that I am in Vermont. It feels as if it were in the north, where the difficulty increases as Katahdin approaches every day. Now I am further north than in any place where I have lived. I passed the latitude of Troy, NY, or yesterday or today, which is where I went to school.

I had a disaster with my bear hanging tonight. I have to wear my clothing bag as a food bag for the next two nights because my normal food bag was torn. My friends bring me a new one in a few days. I hung my food and headed to my sleeping bag to relax during the night, when suddenly a strong accident came from the forest. The strap in the bag broke that I joined the carabinero and my food bag fell. The disastrous part was putting the carabinero, to be able to hung my food again (the stick I used in the PCT method still kept my carabinero 15 feet from the ground). First, I had to lower the stick and remove it. Then, I used my engineering skills to see some dead branches of a tree, Jerry governs them with my belt, and after 30 minutes of trying, he could finally hook the carabinero and lower it to the ground. I had to do all that in darkness and rain!

6/28 Melville Nauheim refuge from Black Brook Tentsite (20 miles)

I was occupying the hiking of my own business this morning, when suddenly, I heard very strong steps (which indicate a heavy animal) that flee from me in the brush less than 20 feet away. I surprised several bears. I didn’t see all their bodies, but I glimpsed his black fur through the brush.

It was great and nebulous today. The fog made the forest mysterious; In addition to my astonishment of being in Vermont. It seems a harder environment compared to the latest states. What was added to that impression was the fact that I only crossed a land, Mountain Road today: the path again crosses remote areas. I feel that the path was very close to civilization from West Virginia to Massachusetts. It is exciting to return to the desert again.

I also met a hiker named Stretch today. We walked a few miles and camp together.

6/29 Black Brook Tentsite A VT Route 11/30 in Manchester Center (19 miles)

My friends Ryan, Landon and Owen found me on a path to the south of Stratton Mountain this morning and walked for 18 miles with me today! The Stratton climb was gradual and it was quickly. We had a good conversation all day that made the day pass fast. It was cold, windy and fog in the upper part of the Stratton Fire Tower, so unfortunately we do not have a view. We obtained a great view from Prospect Rock, looking towards Manchester Center, through the valley to the Equinox mountain, and we could even see Mount Marcy and the Adirondacks distance! So far I love Vermont opinions, because the mountains seem large again, they had been smaller in terms of elevation from Virginia.

After finishing our walk, we grabbed hamburgers in the double hexadecimal of Zoey in the city, they took me to a food store to replenish, and then left me in the Green Mountain House hostel where the night happened. It was a very fun day with the boys and I hope they can walk with me again before the end of my walk!

The boys

6/30 VT ROUTE 11/30 A Little Rock Pond Shelter (19 miles)

The view about Bromley Mountain was incredible! VI surrounding mountains in Vermont, and the mountains arrived in New Hampshire. It was probably my best view from Virginia.

I obtained the magic of Spirit’s path, which walked in AT in 2021. He had cakes, beer and ice cream. It was parked on a path on a remote mountain road; I was surprised that someone arrived in such a random place to do the magic of the paths, but notwithstanding it!

Tonight’s shelter is located right on the shore of Little Rock Pond. I swam in him. It was such a peaceful atmosphere while I was in the pond: all I could hear was birds, and was surrounded by mountains and perennial leaf trees. At the camp I started my first fire on my walk without any help! My fire skills are bad and I have been wanting to improve.

About the Bromley mountain!

7/1 Little Rock Pond Shelter to Cooper Lodge (25 miles)

I stopped at Stone’s Throw Farmstead, about 0.3 miles from the path, for a ice cream and ginger Ale sandwiches snack. I enjoyed watching her flock of sheep while eating my snack.

Later this afternoon, I arrived at 500 miles to Katahdin Mark! I jumped to Sargent Brook to swim in the afternoon. It was frozen because the water flowed directly from Killington.

Today I pressed to get to a camp just below Killington peak. It felt as if I entered the Alpine area near the camp: I walked through the pine forest and the temperature fell compared to what it was in the lowest elevations today.

500 miles to Katahdin!

7/2 Cooper Lodge to the Lookout Shelter (23 miles)

I walked to Killington’s peak in the dark, but unfortunately I didn’t have a view of dawn because the mountain was tarnished. Today I went to Maine Junction, where AT diverges from the long path. I also walked beyond Kent Pond and Thundering Falls, which were very beautiful. There was a refrigerator with oreos at the bottom of one of the last climbs of the day.

Today was a full day of 11 hours of hiking: I started at 6:30 am and finished at 5:30 pm there was a lot of change of elevation. I’m glad I had an early start, because otherwise I would have reached the afternoon camp. I could begin to wake up before for the rest of my walk as the land becomes more difficult, to make sure I still hit my target miles.

Kent Pond

7/3 The Lookout Shelter for Captain Stash in West Hartford, VT (19 miles)

I stopped for a morning snack on the Edge farm, which was just a 0.2 mile walk from the path on Woodstock, vt. I loved the farm store! I wanted to eat all fresh baked products. I ended up with a mini blueberry cake and a egg salad sandwich.

Captain Stash went up to the PCT 40 years ago and now lives in West Hartford, vt. The path passes right in front of his house. Let the hikers camp in their backyard. The patio is huge. It has a dinner and a stream. I met two new hikers, Road Runner and Mark Trail, when I arrived at the camp. They gave me an extra Thai pad that launched the door, which was very kind on their part.

7/4 The backyard of Captain Stash in Hanover, NH (10 miles)

Today is my 23 birthday! I am grateful to be able to start the day doing what I love. I had a very quiet morning. I felt that I appreciated the beauty of the path under a completely new light. I spent the first hours of the day completely alone with my thoughts, surrounded by the sounds of nature. I reminded myself that it is a privilege to be here.

I was very excited to cross Vermont to New Hampshire. My second state line of the path! I have a lot to wait in NH. I will cross some of the most resistant lands on the entire east coast, but I will be rewarded with fantastic views.

I ate Brunch in Lou’s in Hanover with Early Bird and Firebreather. The city was bustling for holidays. It is a very beautiful city. The Dartmouth College campus is in the center of the city.

I am especially grateful to Early Bird for making my birthday excellent. He paid me to keep him in a good hotel in the city. He also paid dinner for six of us. We start this path exactly at the same time. We have been separated for weeks at the same time. I’m glad we are walking together now. He is a great friend!

Crossing NH!

Birthday dessert!

7/5 Hanover to Trapper John Shelter (16 miles)

Early Bird and I returned to Lou’s today for breakfast, since it was very good yesterday. I obtain the same thing: an omelet with a canning hash, homemade fries and a muffin, in addition, give everyone a free dough, so I also have a cookie! We relable in the Hannover Food cooperative and then left the city. We saw a young black bear less than one mile on the walk.

7/6 Trapper John Shelter A Tentsite (21 miles)

The terrain definitely became more difficult today, which will continue to do as the whites enter. I walked on Smarts Mountain and Mount Cube. There was a tower of fire on the top of Mountain smarts with incredible views. I could see many of the mountains that I will walk in the next few days, especially Mount Washington. Both climbs were long and steep. There were also stretching where you had to move from Boulder to Boulder; A characteristic of the white mountains that will become much more frequent on the next large mountains. The temperature was also in the 90s today, so it was an exhausting day. Looking towards the whites, plan to walk less miles every day. I will probably average closer to 15 miles per day. The land is going to be very hard. I don’t want to strive. Going down my mileage will also allow me to go slower and enjoy all the impressive views.

The Tower of Fire on the top of Smarts Mountain, with Mount Washington in the distance!

One of the quartzite shelves in Mount Cube.

7/7 TENTSITE KINSMAN NOTCH TO THE APPO HOSTEL (14 MILES)

I spent 1,800 miles this morning! The main event of the day was to conquer Mount Moosilaukee; A huge peak in the elevation profile. The climb was long and sometimes steep, but not too difficult. In the last three quarters of mile before the summit, you start entering the Alpina area. It was really great. I felt that I was walking in the clouds, just a thin layer of pine trees separated the path on both sides of the vast blue sky. I was surprised how beautiful the sky looked today too. Maybe reaching the top of my first great climb in NH biased my perspective, but the sky looked like an extra turquoise.

The summit was incredible! He made it worth the climb. I took outstanding views of whites. I also ran into my friend Commando, whom I met in Daleville, goes when it happened to me. He just finished a few days ago in 90 days. He was today at the Moosilaukee Summit. It was fun to gather.

The descent of Moosilaukee was the most steep on the entire path so far, and it is what I hope is whites. It involved going down Boulder to Boulder. Sometimes, the path even had wooden steps subject to rocks to provide hikers for a navigable path. My quads trembled at the end of the descent!

I got hooked in Lincoln by Kinsman Notch to replenish, and then I got hooked on the notch. This hostel is very nice.

The summit of Mount Moosilaukee!