Start: Porcupine Lookout
Destination: Story Spring Shelter
Trail Miles:14.6
Total Trail Miles: 295.1
State: VT
Today was a great day of hiking. I was constantly reminded of the impending afternoon storm, which propelled me to move faster than I usually do. I knew I wanted to get to Story Spring before the rain at 3:30pm, but wasn't sure if my body would comply. I didn't make it by 3:30, but I did make it by 4:00 and it started to rain about 4:30. And it was a huge storm. I decided to put my tent up before the rain. Not my brightest moment...why not sit in the shelter, dry and wait the storm out? Oh, I don't know, apparently, I enjoy mud and rain and general disgusting-ness all over the things I have to carry on my back. Anyway, it was a good test of my tent's ability to keep out the elements. It did MOSTLY well. There is a leak...a very slow drip in the ceiling of the tent. It was like a form of torture, but I survived.
At one point my tent stake drowned in the deluge and started floating away. So half of my tent collapsed on me. The key is to keep your sleeping bag dry. And I was failing. I put my shoes on and went out in the worst part of the storm and fixed the stake. About 30 seconds later, it happened again. I like to think I don't make the same mistake twice, but in this case, not very smart. So, I held up my tent with my foot, laid on my sleep pad, and let the drip drive me crazy. Then it was over and the sun was shining.
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| I keep looking for the four leaf, but apparently, they're not all that common. ;) |
The hike today was beautiful. The eye-popping heat could have taken it down a notch. And the harassing attacks of the yellow flies were unbearable. But, I was still enjoying the hike very much, somehow. The day started out foggy and chilly. You could see the fog rolling in over the mountain. I woke up in the morning to catch the sunrise, but it was too hazy. I didn't mind though as it got me on the trail by 6:30am.
I met a lot of new people today. The trail is very busy with the Long Trail and AT running together for the 105 miles. Ken and his dog, Zhu, Mass, Kyle, Wild Bill, Grumpy...they are all at this shelter. There is a huge sprawling tent area and I'm alone in a little clearing in the woods. Well, I'm not alone, there is currently some large animal checking me out. But it runs away when I try to get out of my tent.
I made beans in my vestibule during the storm (before the deluge and subsequent stake drowning). They were delicious! I'm looking forward to more of those.
Tomorrow I am hiking Stratton Mountain. It's a 2,000ft climb! A little intimidating, but I'm ready.
Happy Trails~
Punky Shire
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