Vermont Expedition August 2008
Monday 8/7 – Steve, Ben and I drove to Newark Airport to pick up Ted and Chris. Ted was there when we got there but Chris’s flight was late, about ½ hour after we got there. Ted and Ben went for a snack, Steve stayed with the car and I went to meet Chris about 12:15. Off to River Edge to pick up Tim. Loading and a few pictures and we were off. Lunch along the way from Dante’s .Easy ride up the NY Throughway to the side roads of Vermont, especially VT 100, to Waterbury and the Old Stagecoach Inn where we ended last year. Nice supper at Arvad’s a couple of blocks down. Everyone slept well. One of the rooms was the same as last year.
Tuesday 8/8 – Winooski River Bridge at Rt 2, Jonesville to Buchanan Shelter. Nice breakfast and a fairly early start. Trail description all up and wet but nice weather when we started. 8.3 miles. Tim and Chris drove the rest of us to the trailhead and then drove off to the Alpine Inn at Stowe. The rest of us started hiking. Similar trail conditions to our first year with water running down a not too rocky trail. After a couple of hundred yards,WHOOSH the mud sucked off one of Ben’s shoes and he was skipping through the water with one shoe and one sock. Steve rescued him, reattached the shoe and his feet were great the rest of the day. Uphill slogging for the rest of the morning, warm and my shirt and most of the others were soaked with sweat. Ben was not comfortable with his pack and Ted carried his sleeping bag for the rest of the day. Tim and Chris caught up about 11:15. A lot of controversy about Dad’s lunch selection. Personally I like the European rye with Dante’s salami and Ben was satisfied with his peanut butter on white. Tim had his own provisions and Chris had acquired some rye bread and cheese. After lunch Ben, Chris, Ted and Tim hiked on ahead to Buchanan Shelter. Started raining near the end. Steve and I arrived a bit later (maybe 2 hours?). Rotten thing the shelter was .3 mile off the trail. Downhill but slippery and WET. Very nice shelter with enclosed sleeping area and a verandah. The first hiker we met (he was going south) was from Ridgefield Park, NJ. Only one more man going south and two girls going our way to the same shelter. Ben found the girls were 21 years old and they were from Colchester, VT. Nearby. Ben and Chris and Tim built a bonfire (quite a trick with wet wood) and Ben entertained the girls with a “sparks” shower. Rain started hard late in the night with loud pattering oon the tin roof. Mice scurrying about and some heard a loud, bloodcurdling scream “OOHAW-LEE” from some unknown animal. Chris thought maybe a moose. Ben did a good job of leading us on throughout the day. A vertical climb of more than 2,000 feet.
Wednesday 8/9 – Raining at wake up and breakfast. Decision made to split up. Tim, Ted and Chris to go on uphill north to Bolton Mt. and Taylor Lodge and then to Lake Mansfield via the cut off. Ben Steve and I to return the way we came (downhill) back as far as Bolton Notch Road. 3.3 miles. We saw the boys off and completed our packing. The rain continued and Steve slipped on the stairs of the lean to and broke off about two inches of wood from two steps without hurting his back. We all went back up the .3 mile to the main trail (although some thought the distance was underestimated). Steve said it didn’t seem as far in the morning as at the end of the day before when we were tired. Ben did a good job of leading us downhill despite the wter. We saw one man who passed us mid-morning. Asked if he saw two 40 year olds and a 16 year old going north. He said no but he did see three 20 year olds. So much for reliable witnesses. One other woman and a man passed us. The man had a GPS and said the Bolton Notch Road was .2 mile ahead. Hooray! We were there in 15 minutes. Took off our packs and tried to call the taxi or the Alpine Inn. Not much luck in getting their numbers but Steve finally succeeded in calling and leaving a message at the Inn. Luckily a nice lady stopped and gave us a ride to Waterbury on the way to her Yoga lesson there. Also gave us some information on an alternate trail in the Adirondacks which is more level. We called the taxi for a ride to Stowe. In the waiting time lunch at Arvad’s again where we had supper the first night. Checked in at the Arbor Inn and showered. Shortly after Steve got a text from Ted that they would be at Lake Mansfield at 3:30. A short time letter a message that they were already there. Picked them up and Ted will relate the story of their walk. While waiting to be picked up they were told there was no beer for sale (to them at least) at the private Lake Mansfield Trout Fishing Club. Interesting couple as innkeepers at the ARbo Inn in Stowe. Both Polish immigrants (about 25 years ago) Jolasta and Witold Lukasiewicz. He related a lot of fun in English speakers pronouncing his first name. It was listed as “Willy”.
Thursday 8/10 – A day of fun. Went to the Waterbury State Park and Reservoir in the morning with stops for fishing tackle and a license for Tim. The pack was anxious to swim across the lake again, including Ben, Steve, and Ted this time. I rented a canoe and followed. Ben swam with them about half way across. I then threw him a life preserver and Steve put it on him. He swam a bit further and then got in the canoe to help me paddle. The group went the rest of the way and returned drafting each other in a “peloton” on the way back. Beautiful weather and scenery for nice pictures. Had a nice lunch and headed for Stowe. We all rode up to the top of the Alpine Slide on the ski lift and all enjoyed the slide down. Walked over to the Euro Bungee where Tim and Ben jumped up and down and Tim did a few flips. Walked over to the Gondola to the top of Spruce Peak. One unnamed member relying on Al Gore’s theory of anthropogenic air pollution really did a trick on the air quality in the gondola. Quick action in opening the ventilation windows prevented asphyxiation. Nice experience at the top although clouds soon moved in. Back to the Inn and later supper at the Alchemist Pub in Waterbury.
Friday 8/11 – Relatively uneventful ride to River Edge via the ferry at Fort Ticondereoga.
