Date: 2017-07-12
From: Kelley Stand Rd

To: Bromley Warming Hut
Miles today: 20.5

Socks and I both woke up around 5am and through silent agreement rolled back over for another 45min of sleep. He was packed up quicker than I (since he didn't have a tent and had cowboy camped) and hit the trail a couple minutes before me.I followed a couple minutes after, passing the LTer's, still fast asleep in their hammocks. The climb up the mountain was pleasant, the trail was well graded and not overly rocky as I ascended into a cloud. The sun started to peak through, sun beams piercing the fog and canopy.At almost 4000ft tall, Stratton Mt is the highest point on the AT in Vermont (but not the highest mountain in VT, Mt Mansfield, which is on the LT north of where the AT splits off) and usually offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and ponds. Today however, I was treated to yet another panoramic view of a cloud from the top of the fire tower on the summit. Socks decided to head down but I lingered a few minutes at the summit, hoping the caretakers would come out of their cabin and chat (and maybe even offer an apple, as they had last fall when we chatted), but no such luck. Eventually I got up and shouldered my pack, breaking the pristine silence at the top of the mountain. and kept moving, heading down the mountain. Of course, as I descended the fog broke and soon enough a clear blue sky was visible above me, but I wasn't about to turn around and re-climb the mountain for the view. The trail down the mountain was as pleasant as the trail up had been, not too rocky nor steep, which made Stratton a very enjoyable mountain to traverse. Down at the bottom I came to Stratton pond and took in the undisturbed wilderness which bordered the pond, the smooth water marred only by the ripples of a gentle breeze, and the gray clouds boiling in the sky high above the pond. I stopped and took a break at the pond and chatted with a couple LT NOBOs and a couple of section SOBOs, taking in the scenery and allowing Socks a bit more of a lead on me. The next couple miles weren't particularly challenging, and I cruised over the relatively flat terrain, dancing around the mud puddles... I mean trail. I came up with a new candle scent as I hiked... muddy evergreen, which combines the sweet smell of the evergreen trees with the deep earthy tones of well trampled mud. I met up with Socks just before Prospect rock, where I decided to take lunch, overlooking Manchester Center where we had just spent the previous afternoon. The view we such that I could see individual cars driving along main street, just as we had to get to the Price Chopper we resupplied at yesterday. Socks continued ahead soon after and I chatted with a couple of NOBO LT sectioners who were just finishing up their trip at Manchester before I followed.I stopped at Spruce Peak, an overlook that I had skipped last year on the LT because of fading daylight, but was disappointed to find it tree'd in such that all I could see was a dense wall of conifers. Back on the trail I passed a guy covered from head to toe... headnet, long sleeves, gloves, pants such that no bug stood a change at getting to his skin. We exchanged short greetings as we passed, and I found the juxtaposition amusing, with my lack of shirt and shorts. HYOH!I crossed the busy road, VT-11, and passed a water jug with a note on it (that I didn't bother reading), planning to fill up at the shelter so as to save myself from carrying water father than I had to. The initial ascent of Bromley Mt was tame, gentle sloping and switchbacking up the mountain and crossing numerous mountain streams (and their associated mud). I came across Socks at Bromley Shelter and found out that he had left me that jug of water and note from some trail magic he had gotten... whoops! I filled up my water from the spring at the shelter while Socks admired its design and construction, with its 4 bunks and ladder in between, benches bordering the covered porch and picnic table, and pegs spaced all around for hanging packs. Everything a thru hiker needs!The last mile up to the summit was steep, and the 3L of water I had taken on weighed on my back, making me glad I hadn't filled up at the bottom, trail magic or no. Eventually the trail dumped out onto a ski trail, which we followed up to the summit amidst a field of wildflowers and views of the surrounding mountains behind us. For a green circle ski trail, it was still pretty steep to walk up, but it passed quickly and we found ourselves at the summit and home for the night. At the summit of Bromley Mt the ski area maintained a warming hut for skiiers in the winter, but left it open for hikers to use during the summer and Socks and I joined LT NOBOs Bill and Julie in the hut. Though the bugs were out in force, we all enjoyed our dinner out on the chairlift which gave us a commanding view of the surrounding landscape... Stratton Mt (where we had been this morning) and its ski area clearly visible in the distance as well as Mt Snowe and a number of other un-named (at least to me) mountains. I found some wild strawberries a little down the hill and collected and ate those for a while, a great dessert! Part of the reason that we had chosen to stay here (apart from the view) was the fact that it was supposed to rain pretty hard tonight and a little before sunset the clouds started to roll in, so dense that at times the chairlift wasn't even visible from the hut. During breaks in the clouds we could still see over to Stratton, which had been once again wreathed in a halo of clouds which were streaming off the mountain in the wind, colored orange and pink by the fading sunlight.