Date: 2018-07-07
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Stratton Pond Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: clear sky

The Caretaker at Stratton Mountain said the temperature dropped down to 41 degrees last night on the 3,940¢ summit. With Goddard Shelter sitting at an elevation of 3,568¢ it likely got down to 42-43 degrees. It sure felt like it. I needed to wear my pants, socks, and puffy jacket to keep me cozy warm. I didn¢t mind a bit though. It meant that the day would be off to a cool start. One young hiker that slept in the same shelter as me only had a sleeping bag liner and no puffy. He said he thought he was going to freeze to death.Everyone sleeping in the shelter woke up to a big thud at 0500. A hiker that came in around 10PM put his sleep mat on a bench on the hiker porch. You guessed it, he fell off and hit the wooden floor hard enough to make a big sound. He apologized to everyone, packed his stuff up and hit the trail before any of the rest of us were even out of our bags. Nonetheless, most of us got an early start to the day, myself included. I was hiking by 0630, still wearing pants and a Long Sleeve Icebreaker 150 Merino Wool Shirt. It was only .3 miles to the summit of Glasenbury Mountain. It seemed that at every tent spot between the shelter and the summit was occupied. In addition to a bit of an AT bubble, there are an abundance of LT and weekenders. I suspect it will remain that way at least until the AT and LT part ways. I climbed the 66 steps up the Glasenbury Fire Tower for an amazing panoramic view. From there it was a bit of a roller coaster for the next several miles. There wasn¢t any shortage of rocks, roots and mud along the way. It is hard to find a rhythm with all of obstacles on the path.A few miles into the hike I ran across some moose scat on the side of the trail. I was surprised to see signs of moose this far south. I kept a close lookout for Bull Winkle around the bogs the rest of the day. No other signs of moose, but I did come across several turkey. They flew/ran just out of sight and I could hear one clucking, but another hiker came along before they had a chance to come back my way. By the way, I forgot to mention that I jumped a grouse yesterday. He flew up about 30¢ behind me then walked out of sight.About 12 miles into the hike the trail started a 1,700¢ climb to the summit of Stratton Mountain. However, the ascent was spread over 3.8 miles and the terrain was some of the best all day. Another fire tower marked the top of Stratton Mountain. The real significance of the summit is that it is where Benton MacKay was inspired to propose a continuously marked trail along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains. McKay wrote about his vision in an article that appeared in the Journal of the American Institute of Architects in 1921.MacKaye, who was from Massachusetts, sometimes took long walks in the mountains of Vermont. He claimed that the idea for the A.T. was born one day when he was sitting in a tree atop Stratton Mountain. The first section of the trail was constructed in Harriman State Park in New York in 1922; the final section was added in Maine in 1937. MacKaye died in 1975, but not before his dream became a thing. Better yet, he left behind a thing that millions of other people can dream about.I climbed the tower that rose above the trees and surveyed the mountains, lakes, and ponds that surrounded the area. Stratton Pond, my destination for the day, sat three trail miles to the northwest of the tower. Farther north were Bromley Mountain, Styles Peak, and Millington Peak. I sketched a mental overlay of the trail across those peaks and beyond and was satisfied that my dream was still alive.I made the 3.0 mile hike to the Stratton Pond Shelter in a little more than an hour. The spacious shelter comfortably accommodates 16 hikers. I claimed a bottom bunk and headed down to the pond with my pack. I passed the Care Taker on the way to the pond and paid the $5 fee for staying at the shelter. The fee covers two other pay-to-stay spots in Vermont. After retrieving water from a spring that feeds the pond, I found a comfy spot to enjoy a cup of hot tea and eat my dinner. I stayed at that spot until the sun set beyond the other side of the pond. I am dreaming my dream until my dream becomes a thing. What is your dream? Keep on dreaming...Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 3,615Descent - 4,550Grade - 8.0Weather:Day - 67 / SunnyNight - 53 / ClearOver The Horizon: Killington Peak, VT