Monday September 28, 18.4mi/29.6km

Taft Lodge (204.6/3609ft) to Prospect Rock (223.0/1020ft) (VT)

We departed the lodge just before 7am and hiked down the 2000ft to the road and Smuggler’s Notch. The bottom of the valley was in full color, and the low clouds obscured the ridgetops.

The trail re-climbed the other side, sometimes steeply. These stairs were a fun shape to behold.

It was a wet morning, with intermittent rainfall alternating with blowing mist.

The puncheon boardwalks were a nice break from the usual rocks and roots.

The trail joined a ski trail near Sterling Pond, this verbose sign was kind of hilarious.

We stopped in Sterling Shelter for an early lunch break, and to get out of the rain. Rachel, another NOBO, was there too. We ate while watching the heaviest of the rain fall down. After lunch we climbed Madonna Peak. No views up there!

The descent if the peak was easy at first, then it became very slippery on wet slab rocks. Yuck. The intermittent views were non-existent.

We descended down a little more to Whiteface shelter, and had another good break. More NOBO hikers were there, and a friendly SOBO guy too. The rain was lighter now, and we left the shelter without using rain gear (aka my umbrella). The climb up Whiteface Mountain was steeeep.

Of course there was only a view of the inside of the clouds on top.

The descent was slippery and slabby rocks again, along with mud.

We descended steeply for an hour, and then less steeply on a nice trail, to the next shelter. By now the rain had stopped completely, and the sun was making efforts to appear. We stopped in for only a few minutes, trying to get to a hiker/camping store before they closed at 6pm. The rest of the way to the road was nice smooth trail, following an old logging road.

This stream crossing looked cool.

We shopped at the town Hardware store for a while, and I bought a new pack raincover (I had forgotten mine in the car), and a map and fuel canister. Sweet. Mark and I hiked on, along a nice trail with some caves.

And then we crossed the Lamiolle River.

We had a final climb up to Prospect Rock, where we setup camp. It was a perfect end to the day, watching the sunset while eating dinner.

Sunday September 27, 16.4mi/26.4km

Stimson Ridge (188.2/1896ft) to Taft Lodge (204.6/3609ft) (VT)

We had a leisurely morning in camp and enjoyed breakfast overlooking the valley below.

We continued hiking on the nice new trail, it was so smooth.

After an hour we hit a spot called Harrington’s View. It was actually pretty nice.

I was surprised to see a newt still wandering around on the trail, it’s getting pretty late in the season for them.

The foliage was really getting into peak condition as well.

The trail followed the ridge all morning, and there was moose poop in a few spots. Unfortunately, no moose to be seen.

The summit of Bolton Mountain prompted a few Michael Bolton jokes and Office Space quotes.

We descended the mountain and the ridge, and traversed some nice beaver pond areas.

We began the long climb up Mt Mansfield, with its many facial features.

As we got higher, the trail got very rocky.

And the views were more plentiful, too. View to the south:

View to the north, our objective:

The summit ridge was crowded, there was a parking lot nearby. We kept moving, outpacing most everyone.

Mark standing on the lips of Mt Mansfield.

The view down into Stowe valley.

The summit of Mt Mansfield was crowded too.

We took some quick summit photos, it was very windy up there.

The view looking north was intimidating, it was a steep descent.

And it was indeed steep.

Just before we arrived at the lodge, I saw this funny sign.

We got to the lodge at 5pm, and setup our stuff on a couple of the bunks. Four more people arrived in the next hour, and we had fun getting to know them. A group of four girls arrived just before dark and they squeezed onto a top loft. It was a long tiring day, so I was passed out by 9pm.

Saturday September 26, 19.2mi/30.9km

Cowles Cove Shelter (169.0/2516ft) to Stimson Ridge (188.2/1896ft) (VT)

I was awake at 5:40am, and hiking at 6am, it was still dark when I left the shelter.

I hiked by headlamp for 30 minutes, then as I climbed up out of the trees it got lighter.

By the time I reached the summit of Burnt Rock mountain, it was sunrise.

It was a slippery rocky trail, but I descended with caution back down into the trees. Someone had left a 100 marker, presumably I am 100 miles from Canada.

The trail in the trees was nice, and very piney smelling.

All of a sudden, I came to a deep ravine. The only way to climb in/out was by ladder, hence the name “ladder ravine”.

I hiked on up the hill and a mile later I was on the summit of Mt Ethan Allen.

There was a small iron rod on the actual summit.

And a nice view to give reason to stop and take a snack break.

I quickly descended the peak, arriving at the bottom at a shelter. It was even a 4-sided shelter!

I refilled my water at the nearby creek and hiked on, trying to make good time. Only 1.7mi to the summit of Camel’s Hump!

The climb up “the hump” was steep at times, I used hands and feet.

I could see why it’s called Camel’s Hump.

The last part was so steep, the trail switchbacked around the cliff.

The summit was quite crowded, and I only lingered a minute.

The requisite summit selfie.

The view to the north was quite colorful.

I descended the summit and got to the trail junction, where the mountain plaque is located.

The descent off Camel’s Hump was steep and slabby.

Near the bottom, I got a nice view of the neighboring ridge.

There was even a bench at the lookout over the Winooski River!

I arrived to the trailhead at 12:10pm, and turned onto a road.

It was a nice walk along the Winooski River for an hour, and almost no car traffic on the road.

I crossed the swingbridge, and met my friend Mark, who was waiting for me with refreshing beverages. He will be hiking with me for the last section of the Long Trail to Canada. We spent the next 6 hours shuttling cars to the necessary trailheads, and got back to hiking at 7pm. It was just after sunset.

We crossed under the interstate in a nice well-lit tunnel, which appeared to be made just for the Long trail.

We hiked 4 miles up the hill, to a nice camp spot on a ridge, with views down to the Bolton valley. A long day!

Friday September 25, 27.1mi/43.6km

Emily Proctor Shelter (141.9/3445ft) to Cowles Cove Shelter (169.0/2516ft) (VT)

I was awake at 6am and hiking at 6:30. A mile later, I got to watch the sun rise.

Most of the morning was up on a ridge with short stunted trees.

An hour later I found a viewpoint, I could see down into the fog covered valley below.

I stopped for 2nd breakfast at a shelter, and refilled my water, it’s surprisingly dry out here.

Next up was Mt Grant, a 3600ft mountain that is on Vermont’s Presidential traverse, and a mossy summit as well.

I came to Sunset Ledge, and saw heaps of dayhikers.

A quick mile later, and I was at the highway at Lincoln Gap.

On the climb out of the gap/pass, I saw a few very random things. The Gandalf rocks (“you shall not pass”):

And a presumably misplaced bouquet of flowers.

I stopped for lunch at the Battell shelter, it even had a picnic table. I’m a sucker for a nice table!

I hiked on another mile, and summited Mt Abraham. It’s one of Vermonts 4000-footers, and it was steep.

The requisite benchmark photo.

The next summit on the ridge was “little Abe”, ha!

The view from nearby Lincoln peak was much better.
Looking south:

Looking north:

The Sugarbush ski resort is below the ridge on this part of the trail.

The summit of another 4000 footer, Mt Ellen, was unremarkable.

I followed a ski trail for a little while, it was nice.

And then I exited the Green Mountain NF, and entered Mad River Glen ski resort.

The view from the top of the single chair lift was nice.

There was a nice building at the top, “Starks nest”. Hikers are allowed to sleep here, but I think it’s primary purpose is for skiiers.

A mile later, I passed by a random gnome.

The descent of the ridge was steep. So many ladder rungs!

At one point there was a fork, a choice to make. Standard route, or cave route?

No thanks, too tight for me.

I arrived at the next road, Appalachian Gap just before 5pm. It was full of people.

It was funny to see this sign, only 109mi to Canada.

The trail climbed insanely steeply for a half mile, gaining 500ft.

I had a view a mile later, looking north to camel’s hump.

I hiked on, I came to a junction at 7pm. 2.9mi to go!

I arrived at the Cowles Cove Shelter at 8pm, and very tired. The shelter was empty, so I setup camp in there to save time in the morning. Hopefully there’s not too many mice…

Thursday September 24, 16.6mi/26.7km

Brandon Gap/Hwy 17 (125.3/2175ft) to Emily Proctor Shelter (141.9/3445ft) (VT)

I drove the final 2 hours, crossing into Vermont after an hour.

I did some quick food shopping, and arrived at the trailhead at 10am. I was already packed, so off I went!

I immediately entered the Battell wilderness. I love getting photos of these signs, and it shows that the congress occasionally does the right thing. 🙂

After a mile, I had climbed 500 feet, and was on top of the cliffs on Mt Horrid. It was a splendid view.

The trail weaved around ridgetops all afternoon, and it was a nice mossy & bouldery forest.

There was a random trail sign, not at a Junction. Onward to Middlebury gap!

The descent towards the Gap was gentle, but also a massive rock slab.

I passed by Middlebury college’s Snow Bowl, and I checked out the ski infrastructure.

There were some expansive views from the ski trail cuts, and it looked like a storm cloud was moving in.

Yup, definitely moving in.

I descended to Middlebury Gap, and re-entered the woods after crossing the deserted road.

I immediately entered a new wilderness! Mmmm… breadloaf.

I climbed up out of the Gap/Pass, and I was getting hungry so I stopped for a snack at an empty shelter.

I ate a ton of goldfish, gummy bears, and animal crackers. It was an accidental theme! I moved on, hiking to the next shelter to get water. Most water sources have dried up in this parched September. I talked to some ladies at the shelter, filled up with beaver water from the pond, and hiked on into the setting sun.

I arrived at the next shelter only 45 minutes later, and I found a spot to camp nearby. The group of 4 guys already in the shelter were strange. They saw me coming, turned off their headlamps, and pretended they were sleeping. I wasn’t going to ask to join them in the shelter anyway, but it seemed rude. Oh well, I had a nice dinner of bacon mac and cheese and went to bed early.

Tuesday September 8, 0.9mi/1.4km

Sunrise Shelter (124.4/2546ft) to Brandon Gap/Hwy 17 (125.3/2175ft) (VT)

Jeff and I were awake at 7am, and we were packed up and walking at 7:45.

It was only a mile from the shelter to the road, so it didn’t take long.

We got to the road shortly after 8am, and walked to the trailhead parking lot to hitch a ride.

We got a ride after only 30 minutes of trying, not bad for 2 males, and in a pandemic year. We got back to Jeff’s car, and spent the rest of the day doing fun Vermont Touristy things – Ben and Jerry’s, Smugglers Distillery, Cabot Cheese, and driving thru the mountains. I’ll be back to Vermont to finish the last 145 miles of trail, hopefully soon!

Monday September 7, 14.9mi/24.0km

Gifford Rolston Shelter (109.5/2175ft) to Sunrise Shelter (124.4/2546ft) (VT)

It was a warm dry morning, with almost no dew on the tents. We couldn’t locate the toilet in the dark last night, but it was definitely worth the wait — brand new and spacious!

Much of the trail today was in a sense forest with few viewpoints, but it was easy walking.

The junction with a side trail. Jeff still has his Pringles!

The one viewpoint in the morning was down to Chittenden Lake, a drinking water reservoir for Rutland.

For some unknown reason, there was an old broken sign pointing to a telephone. We were miles from the nearest road, so this was confusing.

We walked thru a low damp area, and for a mile we saw heaps of mushrooms.

The trail climbed out of the low area, on some nice stairs. Jeff went charging up the stairs, he was probably excited about our next planned break stop, coming up soon.

We stopped for a nice sitting break on a wooden bridge, and had some snacks. Ok, a ton of snacks.

We spent a few minutes filtering water with the usual sawyer squeeze & smartwater bottle setup.

Every time the trail dropped down into a pass, there was a sign indicating it’s name. They seem to call the passes “gaps” around here, and this one had a cool name – Bloodroot gap.

For some odd reason, this tree had a thermometer nailed to it. It confirmed a perfect hiking temperature, 60F/16C.

Towards the end of the day, we were getting pretty tired. And Jeff’s borrowed Osprey pack didn’t fit him quite right, so we were really looking forward to arriving at the Sunrise Shelter. The trail was a nice gradual downhill to the shelter.

We arrived to the shelter after dark, and there was one other hiker there. He was very friendly, and we chatted over dinner for an hour. Jeff and I set up the tents behind the shelter, since sharing a shelter during a pandemic isn’t advised. Plus, shelters are often full of mice. After a long day, it was easy to fall asleep!

Sunday September 6, 5.0mi/8.0km

US Highway 4 Trailhead (104.5/1886ft) to Gifford Rolston Shelter (109.5/2175ft) (VT)

I left the Adirondacks at 7am and drove the 2 hours over to Vermont.

I met my brother, Jeff, in Rutland VT. We will be hiking the Long Trail together, heading north for 170 miles to the Canadian border. After a resupply shopping trip at Price Chopper, we drove the 2.5 hours north to the Northern terminus, dropped off a car, and drove the 2.5 hours back to the trailhead near Rutland. By this time, it was almost 8pm and dark, and we packed up by headlamp in the parking lot.

All packed up!

Saying goodbye to the car. Be back in 10 days!

We started hiking in more layers, it was cold.

After a mile, we hit the famous Maine Junction. From here, the Appalachian Trail continues to Maine, while the Long Trail travels thru Vermont to the Canadian Border.

There was a shelter near here, but we continued on another 4 miles in the dark.

After a couple hours, I heard a lot of noises coming from a tree above the trail. A porcupine!

We got to the next shelter just after midnight, and setup our tents. It was easy to fall asleep after a long day of driving!

Saturday September 5, 18.9mi/30.4km

Ouluska Lean-to (120.9/1940ft) to Lake Placid Train Depot (139.8/1760ft) (NY)

We packed up and hit the trail at 7:30am, aiming to finish the trail by late afternoon.

After a mile, we passed by a “Hermitage”, where this guy had lived for his whole life.

A couple hours into the morning, I saw this sign at a trail junction. It’s very befitting of this trail that there are two different distances listed for “Long Lake Trailhead” on the same post.

We crossed a branch of the Cold River on what appeared to be an old road bridge. I wonder how many years ago this was drivable?

The large Brook under the bridge.

We stopped for a break at Duck hole Lean-to, which appeared to be brand new. It still had the fresh wood smell!

A couple hours of hiking later, and we stopped for lunch at the final Lean-to on the trail, Moose Pond. We didn’t see any moose (meese?) but did see some good artwork.

The rest of the hike out was flat and easy, though the trail was muddy. Occasionally there was a small waterfall to distract from the green tunnel.

Looks like a bear was using this tree!

We went chasing waterfalls.

Michele providing the entertainment, those tree burls are huge. “I like big burls and I cannot lie…”

We hiked out of the woods at 5:30pm, and into the trailhead parking area.

After enjoying a nice cold beer by the river, I hiked the last 2miles, which is a roadwalk.

I walked into town of Lake Placid, and I knew I was close when I saw the train tracks.

The Train Depot is the northern terminus of the trail.

Michele had driven into town and picked up food, and what a great way to celebrate finishing the trail, pizza and ice cream! We had a couple hours drive back to my car in Northville, back at the Southern terminus.

So, Northville-Placid trail complete! Tomorrow I will drive to Vermont and hike for 10 days on the Long Trail, to finish what I started last year.

Friday September 4, 23.2mi/37.3km

Blue Ridge (97.7/3020ft) to Ouluska Lean-to (120.9/1940ft) (NY)

I had an early start from the ridge, departing at 6:30am in the dawn light.

The trail descended the ridge quickly, dropping all the way back to 2000ft elevation. The meadows were wet and full of nice boardwalks.

I crossed highway 28N and did a quick 15 minute roadwalk up a residential street. It was still early and the neighborhood was quiet. I turned off the road and into the woods again.

The trail cruised on flat terrain along Long Lake for three hours, but seldom coming down to the lakeshore.

When it did go to the shore, the views were great!

I passed this curiousity along the way, it’s a small structure over a spring. I’m not sure why the spring needed protection, but the water was cold and delicious.

After some more smooth trail…

..I emerged onto the lakeshore for the final time.

I had lunch at the Plumley Point Lean-to, taking in the sounds and sights of Long Lake a final time.

After lunch, I left the lakeshore and turned inland. First, I crossed Moose Creek on a fun swingbridge.

And a short while later, the massive Cold River on another swingbridge.

It’s a big river.

The next section of trail was on an old overgrown road, and had all sorts of interesting plants.

I followed the Cold River upstream for 5 miles, occasionally getting a glimpse of it up close.

This was Miller’s Falls, a popular camping and swimming area.

I arrived to Ouluska Lean-to at 5pm, and met my Friend Michele! After enjoying a nice happy hour, we setup our tents and had dinner.

She had brought a ton of food, and I had some extra too, and it was a feast for our last night in the woods. It was almost 9pm when I went to bed, tomorrow is the last day of this trail!