Date: 2017-07-11
From: Inn at the Long Trail, Killimgron, VT

To: Dan Quinn's Barn, VT Rt 12
Miles today: 21.6

7/11/17, Dan Quinn's barn loft, VT Rt 12, VTMiles hiked: 1406.6, Miles to Katahdin: 465.3, Miles to go: 783.2When Sitting Bull, Hoops, and I went to the pub for dinner last night we ended up sitting at the bar because there was a large tour group taking up all the tables. While waiting for our food, we began discussing today's hike. There was a big gap between the shelters and we were trying to figure out where to stop for the night. The man sitting at the bar next to us heard our conversation and suggested we hike to VT 12, which was 21.6 miles away, and stay in Dan Quinn's barn. Dan's barn isn't listed in any of the guides; but, he lets hikers stay in the loft. The man at the bar was a local shuttler named Tom and was a friend of Dan's. He called Dan, who is out of town visiting a sick relative, and made arrangements for us to use the loft. Woo hoo! The forecast was for heavy rain all day, so a dry barn loft would be particularly nice. It rained all night and we awoke to a gray, blustery day. I had to wait until 7:30 AM for the restaurant to open for breakfast. Then, the service was a bit slow. As a result, I wasn't ready to hit the trail until 8:45 AM - another late start. Sitting Bull and Hoops were just coming to breakfast as I finished. We made plans to meet up at the barn and I headed out. On the 0.5 mile climb back to the AT (of course, those miles don't count) the rain stopped. Although it continued to be gray and drippy all morning, it was a vast improvement over what had been forecast.The hike took me past Kent Pond, where I was almost carried off by an army of mosquitoes. Generally, I leave bugs alone because I am a visitor to their home; but, I hate mosquitoes and ticks and kill as many as I can of the vile, nasty creatures. I almost broke down and got out the DEET for the first time on this hike. I hate DEET almost as much as I hate mosquitoes. I knew that I had a big climb after Kent Pond, so I decided to wait and see of the mosquitoes abated as I climbed. After Kent Pond I passed a side trail that led into the town of Killington. I decided to make a quick detour to the outfitter's in Killington to see if they had replacement tips for my hiking poles. I have already worn through two sets of metal tips. I was in luck - they sold both hiking pole tips and Dove Ice Cream Bars. Now that's what I consider a good second breakfast.I spent the rest of the morning climbing up and down the Vermont hills. We appear to finally have reached the end of the mud. I think that it missed the turn at Maine Junction, where the AT diverged from the Long Trail, and kept trucking on up the Long Trail. I just hope it doesn't realize its mistake and catch back up with us. Let the Long Trail hikers deal with it. Speaking of LT hikers, since the trails diverged the AT has once again gotten quiet. I didn't see any other northbound hikers on the trail today. I did see quite a few SOBOs though. They are less than 500 miles into their hikes and look all crisp and new. Although, they have already come through the 100 Mile Wilderness and the White Mts, so they must be pretty tough. After lunch, the sun began to peak out and the afternoon turned quite pleasant. I passed two crews from the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps doing trail maintenance. In each case, I thanked them for maintaining the trail for us. At one point, I came to a 14 ft aluminum ladder affixed to the rock face so we could climb down a 20 ft vertical drop. Since I knew that I'd be hiking most of the day by myself, I downloaded an audio book to help pass the time. It really did make the afternoon pass faster. Due to my late start and detour to Killington, it turned out to be a long afternoon of hiking nonetheless. At one point on top of a mountain, I turned off airplane mode on my phone to check messages. I had a text from Sitting Bull saying that they got an even later start than me and would not reach the barn. Bummer. I finally reached the barn around 7:30 PM. I'm the only one here tonight. The loft has a table and chairs and a pretty sketchy looking  bed. I decided to sleep on my air mattress on the floor. It also has various things like Christmas and Halloween decorations and a bunch of skis. Best of all, it has electricity and an old box fan. So, I can charge my phone and dry my clothes. All things considered , it's a pretty cool set up.