Sucker Brook Shelter - Emily Proctor Shelter (11.7 Miles)
So remember the group that didn't want to move over. Well i woke up to find the woman on MY pad! Frustrated i break camp early before the girls even got ready and bolted up the trail. And it was a great day. For the first time of the week we were treated with a warm sunny morning. I enjoyed being alone and ahead of the group for once. I just let my mind wander and tried not to eat every spider web i walked into.
I stopped to write my journal 3 miles down the trail on the top of Middlebury Snow Bowl. Sitting in the sun and finally drying out for the first in 3 days i was quite pleased. A little breeze kept the bugs away, the birds sang in the trees, for the first time since I'd stepped foot on the trail i was happy. The gals came into the clearing almost a full hour after i had arrived. Everyone decided i had the right idea and they laid out their gear like i did.
(Top of the Snow Bowl)
Soon we were off down the trail to find some water before/after the gap as the guide said water was harder to find in the next stretch of trail. At the gap we waited, and waited...and waited for loni. I was starting to get concerned and started crunching numbers, an ultra rummer no-no. When loni finally arrived i asked if she had got lost or hurt, but nope, was just taking her time and enjoying the trail.
We climbed up out of Middlebury Gap and into the Breadloaf Wilderness. Briefly talking to an older couple coming back down saying the trail ahead was "a rushing stream" haha, no kidding. I'm still crunching numbers in my head. Today was our shortest day of the trip. What time is it? How are we going this bloody slow?? Are we at the top? We find a nice little spot where someone could shadow camp and had our lunches of cliff bars. A half an hour later we are finally at Boyce shelter. I write a quick entry while waiting for loni to show up and chat a bit with Rocket before blasting ahead again.
(Log Bridge that ran out before the water did)
I finally catch Leah who's out of water and spot some SOBOs and chat trails ahead for both for us. Seeing dog prints in the mud i wonder where it is. Leah and i come across the little flat faced pug at Skyline with Queen of Social Awkwardness and a couple of young kids. It was obvious they were busy, thankfully Loni arrived soon there after and we split. The climb up Breadloaf was a steep one. It felt even more so steep with the worst rash ever. I had a nice ultra waddle going on. At the top we walked out to the spur in hope to getting a nice western view and some cell service. The view was grand, you could see the Adirondacks stretching toward the sky beyond over Lake Champlain.
(View West from Breadloaf)
I turn on my phone to check the weather. More rain lies ahead and i'm defeated. I sit on a rock and i'm ready to go home. I'm completely done with soaked feet and dealing with this muddy trail. This whole trip had been shit show. My feet have been wet for 3 straight days now. I put my pack back on and walk the .6 miles down to Emily Proctor. We had caught up to Rocket again who would leave us for the last time after he ate at the shelter to shadow camp up the trail. The sun is still shining and i try to enjoy the rest of the evening basking in a shelter to ourselves.
(Lounging in Emily Proctor)
my journal entry from later in the night was written as follows:
"I'm bummed to miss out of the views that we could have already had. And as the week goes forward knowing that we'd miss out more on the views as the trail gets rocky and up towards the alpine 10 miles north of here. We shall see what tomorrow brings, but my heart is already at home"
Quote of the day:
"These must be surveyors miles"
1 comment:
Ugh... Queen of Social Awkwardness was so horrid... I felt like I walked into a YA novel about the dangers of sleeping with your teacher.
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