Date: 2012-05-21
From: Vermont Route 11 & 30 (Manchester Center)

To: Just North of Mad Tom Notch (USFS Rte 21)
Miles today: 5.5

It cooled down to 68 degrees in our room at Sutton Place, which made for a fairly pleasant night. However, we had the window open and had to listen to a great deal of road noise. We didn¢t rush to leave this morning, as we planned a short day. We paid Mr. Sutton the $65 in cash and carried our packs to the Up For Breakfast restaurant. The place is so named because it is on a second floor of its building. (photo 98) We had a great breakfast there and would recommend it to others, even if Swamp Fox thought it was pricy. Then we walked to the Laundromat on Route 11 & 30 to hitch a ride back to the Appalachian Trail. After a wait of about five minutes a nice lady with a big, old and pleasant dog picked us up and delivered us to the trailhead. We tried to give her a few dollars for gas, but she refused. She was a real Trail Angel. We left the trailhead at 9:35 am. We were confused by a sign there that said ¢Trail Closed 5 Miles Ahead¢. However, we started up the Trail. After a two mile, 700 foot climb we reached the Bromley Shelter at about 10:55 am. It was partly sunny, and a not unpleasant 69 degrees. There were minimal bugs compared to the past five days on the Trail. Swamp Fox was back to wearing shorts. We had planned to spend the night here at the Bromley Shelter, but it seemed ridiculously early to end the day¢s hike. So at 11:10 am we started the one mile climb to the summit of Bromley Mountain. This mountain has a number of ski trails (photo 99) which made the climb easier.   At noon we were at the summit. It had clouded over and was 62 degrees. The empty summit warming hut was open so we went in to relax. Soon it started raining and we were of a mind to spend the night there, considering the weather forecast of afternoon thunderstorms. Two women day hikers came in to get out of the rain. We chatted with them for a while and then they hurriedly left to hike back down to the ski resort at the foot of the mountain. Swamp Fox was in the process of making himself at home in the warming hut and had a bunk picked out on a wide bench. Then the rain stopped and we quickly decided to go on at least to the road (USFS 21) at Mad Tom Notch. This was an additional 2.5 miles, mostly downhill. Our 2012 edition of the Companion said there was a water source there. So at 12:50 pm we put on pack covers and started down the mountain. Perhaps, we thought, we could even make it to Peru Peak Shelter. At 2:35 pm we reached the road at Mad Tom Notch. We were disappointed that the water source was a pump that was inoperable. At this point Rocky didn¢t think the additional 4.6 miles with thousand foot climb to Peru Peak Shelter was feasible for her. The other problem was that we only had 54 ounces of water between us. We found a suitable tent site about 100 yards north of the road, and just off of the Trail. A light rain started minutes after we were in our tent. We have a pot and cups at the edge of the tent fly to try to catch rain water to augment our limited water. As I write this at 4 pm Rocky is asleep and I am bored. At least I have part of a newspaper to read that we picked up at the Bromley warming hut. It is quite relaxing to lie here listening to the rain hitting the tent. We have time to relax and contemplate our lives on the Appalachian Trail. However, I know it will be messy packing this wet tent tomorrow morning. Rain is expected for the next two days.We never did figure out what the ¢Trail Closed 5 Miles¢ sign at this morning¢s trailhead was all about.