Date: 2017-07-25
From: The Inn at Long Trail

To: Sunrise shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: overcast clouds

After breakfast at the inn at long trail I went out to route 4 and at the northeast end of the inn parking lot I picked up the Sherburne Trail and headed up the hill. In 0.8 miles I reached the intersection with the Appalachian Trail where I headed south. Although this was the same train I had hiked in May I had difficulty recognizing the landmarks. In his particular area there are numerous side trails that intersect with the Appalachian Trail and both the Appalachian Trail and the long trailer Mark with white Blazers. Anyway I headed south on the Appalachian Trail and around 930 I came to Maine Junction where I turned right to head north on the long trail. Pictures. On the Sherburne trail I didn't see anyone else but while I was headed south on the Appalachian Trail I ran across at least a dozen northbound Appalachian Trail hikers which included 3 of the folks I had met at the inn. This was Zeus, flash fire, and a guy from Augusta Georgia who is trail name I have forgotten and who my head just met this morning have prior to enduring breakfast.It was raining slowly but steadily though the overhead canopy of leaves did block most of the downfall so with body heat generated by hiking I was able to stay relatively dry. The temperature was in the high 50's maybe 60 degrees. And the ground was damp and muddy but it was obstructed by deep mud and puddles only in places.  The rocks on the trail of course were wet and slippery.The long trail North of Maine Junction appeared to be fairly well maintained.Around 10:30 I crossed elbow Road which is a gravel road leading to Pittsfield to the east. In many places from that point North word I noticed sign indicating that a private nearby landowner had timber rights on the land around the long trail. These science caution hikers to be on the lookout for falling and fallen trees and to be cautious around the places where timber is skated across the trail.Sometime before 11:30 I came to the Ralston rest shelter and decided to stop for a snack break. I that point I had hike 1.4 miles to get from the N at long trail to the Maine Junction and 3.8 miles of long trail north bound to get to the shelter. That was 5.2 miles an 2 hours and 45 minutes, or an average speed of 1.9 miles per hour. I did not want to go much faster than that for a number of reasons. First the wet and slippery trail conditions. Second it was the first day back on the trail after a to week break. Third my pack included a full food bag. And 4th I was breaking in a new pair of boots. During my two weeks off I had purchased a pair of keen low top non waterproof hiking shoes. I was still experimenting with how I wanted to tie the shoes.Shortly before my break at the Ralston shelter I met a southbound like her who was just doing a short section and shortly after my break at the shelter I met a hiker who was doing the long trail South bound.At about 1:45 p.m. and about 3/2 miles south of the David Logan shelter the long trail joined Vermont Appalachian snowmobile trail. I took pictures of a couple of the signs indicating this.I reached the David Logan shelter at about 3:30 p.m. that was my intended destination for the day so I stopped and refill all my water bottles but as I was preparing for dinner hi realized it was really too early for that and I had not eaten lunch. So I ate a tuna salad tortilla at a late lunch instead. As I would doing so pair of hikers arrived from the north they were a man in his life 5460 Sand what appear to be his daughter or young woman and her twenties. They had psyched South from the sunrise shelter 6 and a half miles to the north. The man said that they did not do long distance is a hike only shelter to shelter and the girl said that it wasn't easy trail that they had done in 4 hours today at the very slow pace that she likes. As I was talking to them I decided to try to press on and see if I could reach the sunrise shelter before dark. Otherwise it appeared that the weather was improving.So I figured that if it appeared I would not make it all the way to the next shelter I would have a option to stealth camp. So I treated one and a half liters of the water I have collected. I dumped the other later so as not to have to carry the extra 2 pounds. & I hiked up the .2 mile blue trail back to the long trail from the shelter and headed north again.The Sun begin to poke through blue holes in the grace guy sometime in the late afternoon and as it started setting in the evening I could see it shining through the trees and the water still dripping off the leaves sparkled in the sunlight. I arrived at the sunrise shelter about 6:50 p.m. and I had the shelter to myself. I setup my stuff for the night, changed into dryer clothing, and made dinner and tea before wrapping things up for the night and going to bed. For dinner, I had a burrito with fajita chicken from packit gourmet the freeze dried food company that Dorothy recommended. It was excellent. Just like eating a Chipotle burrito. I had no cellular coverage so I was unable to upoload my trail journal. I guess that'll have to wait until tomorrow.17.7 Maine Junction to sunrise shelter1.4 then at long trail to main Junction0.4 to and from David Logan shelter blue blazeTotal distance 19.5