This year's hike was one of the most difficult and correspondingly one of the most rewarding. The ascent of
Camel's Hump (4083 feet) in particular, was maybe the prettiest, and steepest, part of the trail yet. It is the most popular so if we are to trust the hoople we are in agreement. It was the most breathtaking for around 374 reasons but a few of the highlights were the view-you can actually see, on a clear day, the Appalachian Trail's end,
Mt. Washington, the view to the west of Lake George and Champlain, New York's Adirondacks to the west and the White Mountains of New Hampshire on the flank to the east. The trail itself was also unique this year because of the varied-the descent was around 3000 feet to the base of Camel's Hump-topography. The types of forest and plant life are noticeably different as you descend. Hikers can also see the peak from around 10 different perspectives as the trail winds along rocky patches that expose the entire valley to the south and the rocky summit that is above the tree line.
The hike was a rough one overall however. The initial ascent from rte 17 was brutal to say the least. Our climbing baptism of fire after a year off was once again a rude awakening as the rocky Long Trail dished out some whoop-ass on the weak thighs and calfs of the Fons/Trochanowski troop up the misnamed Baby Stark Mountain. The group marched at a different pace in the morning this day as Chris dropped off Jim and Tim at the trail head so he could drop the car off in Waterbury so that the future haggard hikers could rest their weary bones at the Old Stagecoach Bed and Breakfast at the end of the proposed journey. This year the goal was to begin at rte 17 (Ap gap as the LTer's-Long Trail hikers-call it) to rte 2 at the base of Camel's Hump. The taxi driver by the way was a lefty from northern New Jersey whose family were original English settlers in the mid 17th century who had farmed in Saddle River until the 1920's!
After meeting at noon at Birch Glen Shelter the Troika advanced, uphill of course, on a rocky trail to Cowles Cove Shelter where we camped the night in luxurious quarters with a Quebecoise with a bed pan and a Connecticutian who works at the Burning Man.
The next day's hike was the primary topic of conversation that evening as the challenging reputation of the trail was discussed by both other hikers who passed and the trail guide. The hype was not over-rated as the next day's ascent and descent of Ira and Ethan Allen mountains were maybe the toughest (in the rain by the way) and most brutal hike that we have experienced. The slippery conditions certainly did not help as after one makes it to a summit the descent becomes incredibly treacherous adding a physical and mental dimension to hiking that one might not expect.
The night's incredible sunset and later the black/cool/clear/star-packed sky proved to be a positive omen however as the next day's ominous behemoth, Camel's Hump, loomed to the north.
The next day's hike was a tiring (over 8 miles) but amazing day as we climbed Camel's Hump and descended to rte 2 ahead of schedule. The "milk stinkers" we shared Montclair Glen Lodge with the night before kept the same pace as Chris and Tim as we quickly climbed the mountain that has two quite unique formations as one advances from the south, 1) a rock face that looks oddly like George Washington
and 2) the Hump that looks like a Sphinx-like resting lion (called by French settler's Le Lion Couchant).
The final day left us ahead of schedule so into Waterbury we went, swimming in the Winooski River (our fist bath in days) along the way.
After a surprisingly grand meal at the Alchemist brew pub, great Porter by the way, we hung out at the downtown band shell with many a well-heeled liberal Vermonter watching an Ethiopian band while perusing the farmer's market. Tim struck up a conversation with the local boomerang monger who invited us to learn the "sport" at the local ball field into the star packed cool Vermont evening. The
boomerang dude by the way was a hep-cat if there ever was one, taking lots of time to show us how the odd wood is thrown, made and used in sport.
The following day, after the first good sleep in days and a fab breakfast with some Ontarians, we went to Stowe for some site seeing, LAUNDRY??!!, and sleeping in front of libraries.
The final evening found us in the booming metropolis and capitol of Vermont, Montpelier, for the championship game of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, featuring the Vermont Mountaineers and the Rhode Island Gulls. The Vermonters won so the hometown crowd was ecstatic and so was Skip!
Really a good trip this year. Great weather, really spectacular views, very little bickering and good food-particularly the Mongolian sheep soup! Until next year....
