Date: 2015-07-17
From: Story Spring Shelter, VT

To: Bromley Shelter, VT
Miles today: 23.1
Weather: light rain

The cold test overnight was successfully passed as I enjoyed a relatively peaceful sleep. Whether the temperature didn't drop as low as I thought or the layers I had managed to do the job, it worked. I was awake at 6:45am as the other AT/LT thru-hiked and boy scouts began to stir. By 7:30am I was ready to hit the trail, but as I made my way to the back of the campsite through a thicket of woods to check on Yoohoo, Huey, and Rabbit, I found them all still in their tents. I killed some time by taking 2 trips to the privy (too much pb&j for dinner) and got in a round of stretching. At 8:00am I decided it was time to get moving and set off alone.Within the first ~3 miles I caught up and passed the ~5-6 hikers that had left within the hour of me starting. As I reached the base of Stratton Mountain and began the steady climb over the next ~3.5 miles, it was a good feeling knowing I'd be the first NoBo summiting today. The climb would prove to be gradual, but close to never ending as each corner presented another stretch of trail leading to another corner, and another corner. A little over an hour later, however, I rounded my last corner and saw the caretakers cabin and knew I had reached the summit. Standing ~55ft above the summit was a lookout tower offering the second amazing 360-degree view in as many days. I quickly scrambled up the stairs, up above treeline, and lost myself in the surrounding landscape.Extending in every direction into Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York, beautiful spruce green ridges stretched towards the horizon, appearing to turn blue the farther away I looked, almost blending in with the cloudless sky. Towards the southeast I could see Glastenbury Mountain where I stood close to 24 hours before in a similar lookout tower admiring the mountain I was now standing on. Even farther south, back into Massachusetts, I could see the highest peak, Mt. Greylock, where I stood days before. Towards the north, rising high and mighty, barely visible at such a distance, were the White's of New Hampshire, as well as the smaller, though just as majestic, Green's of Vermont. At this location, close to the center of the Green Mountains, someone could've told me I was standing atop the world and I would've believed them. It was easy to see why Benton MacKaye, standing atop this Mountain decades ago, proposed the idea of the creation of the AT. Many thru-hikers, section hikers, weekend warriors, and day hikers alike owe a lot to this visionary.Close to ~20 minutes later, Yoohoo and Huey would join me inside the tower and we'd stare in awe through the window panes of the lookout tower, keeping us protected from the biting chill of the wind outside. We made our way back down to the ground where, like yesterday, we planned to relax for a little while in the warmth of the sun. Rabbit arrived during this time and was game for a break as well. Just as we were settling in to our spots, however, the floodgates opened up and the summit would become covered in a couple other hikers, girl scouts, and a few day hikers. We sat and, as we snacked, watched the different groups take turns climbing the tower to enjoy the view. Even a dog appeared on the summit and immediately climbed to the top of the tower to enjoy the view with his owner. It was funny to look up and see a dog ~55ft above me. After what would be just under an hour break for me, we returned to the trail knowing we had ~13 miles to do before we could enjoy a dinner that couldn't be found in our food bags.The next several hours would gradually pass as we hiked together, sometimes talking and other times quietly listening to music. Past the scenic Stratton Pond, we'd gradually make our way downhill, maintaining a good pace that was only slowed when taking a few short breaks throughout the afternoon. Shooting for VT 11 around ~5:00-5:15pm, we were surprised when we reached it an hour earlier. We headed half a mile off trail to a small roadside shack called Cilantro. We stepped up to the window, ordered our all-too-often ovoverpriced fold and drinks, and retired to a picnic table off to the side. I enjoyed a large burrito that was a spoonful of rice away from bursting at the seams, a smaller chicken burrito, and 2 Mexican Coke's. Perhaps they hope to fool people into thinking they're purchasing more Coke than they are - recognize a 12oz can even when in a bottle - so paying over $2.00 for each bottle hurt. As we ate several other customers stopped to ask the usual questions, and we enjoyed talking with them.With rain threatening as well as the day gradually coming to an end, we headed back to the trail with 2 miles of uphill hiking to do in order to reach tonight's shelter. Through a combination of a couple Coke's and yummy burritos, these last 2 miles would quickly disappear as I covered them in ~35 minutes, reaching the shelter well ahead of the others. I ran into a few LT hikers that I met a few days ago before we zeroed and would spend the evening chatting with a nice, local one. She informed me the group of 3 she had been with only days ago had decided to quit the LT a couple hours earlier. She has decided to continue on for now, at least to Killington, VT, but seems apprehensive about continuing on once the AT and LT split. I did my best encouraging, hoping she'd take advantage of this opportunity. She will never regret continuing on, only quitting as well.It's closing in on 10:00pm which means no reason tonight. It was refreshing to crack open a book for the first time in ~3.5 months. Hopefully I'll have some earlier nights in the future and be able to make a dent in my book, helping to justify carrying the weight.Here's to standing at the birthplace of the AT, roadside Mexican food stands in Vermont, and finishing what you start.