START LOCATION: Chateauquay Road
FINISH LOCATION: Thistle Hill Shelter
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 16.8
TRIP MILEAGE: 1,722.7
MILES TO GO: 456.4
Smoke and I broke camp around 9AM after a damp overnight. I started out feeling very slow. We had lots of rolling hills out of the gate. But, I pulled up to "the Lookout" cabin right at 10AM... A 3.5 mph clip. The Lookout is a private one room cabin that sits atop a vista at 2,500' ASL. The owners invite hikers to use it as they need. Not only did it have a nice view from it's porch but it also had a crow's nest on it's roof that afforded near 360 degree views of eastern Vermont. Smoke and I could see rain clouds headed in our direction, so we opted for an early lunch to see if it would blow over. It never did, so we made or way to Winturri Shelter under gusty winds and ominous fast-moving clouds.
We cruised into Winturri, got water and checked the register. Turns out that Fred and Lou did make it there last night but not before hiding under boulders to escape lightning and hail. Smoke and I were glad we didn't push on last night. We got caught up chatting with some nice thru-hiking southbounders. We are starting to hit the bubble of June-start southbounding thru-hikers. They are a quiet, reserved, independent bunch, but they provide a wealth of good info for us northbounders and we exchange our knowledge too. It's very helpful, especially with our most challenging hiking just ahead.
The weather was heading out and we had a very nice smooth 3 miles down to VT-12. Here we made our way through a gauntlet of grazing dairy cows and hopped off the AT. We walked a 1/4 mile into Pomfret, VT where "On The Edge" farm stand was selling ice cream, sodas, baked goods, etc. We jumped on all of it and enjoyed the warm sunshine... perfect weather now.
At 4PM we started our 8 mile push to Thistle Hill. This stretch of trail made today my favorite hiking day in Vermont. There was loose pine forest, gorgeous high pastures, wildflower fields and long stone walls trailing off up the hillsides. These coupled with the cool sunny weather just made today one of the most pleasurable hiking stretches in quite some time. There was one vista at the top of a hill where I could see the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It may sound strange, that after coming all this way Im feeling this emotion now, but when I saw the mountains of NH today, I was overcome with the biggest sense of accomplishment I've felt on this whole hike. Harpers Ferry, the halfway point, reaching New England, reaching Massachusetts... None of it felt as satisfying as seeing New Hampshire ahead of me today. I think it's because the White Mountains are the climax of natural beauty on the AT and they are the biggest physical test out here as well.
Smoke and I are camping near the Thistle Hill Shelter under a starry moonlit sky. It is our last night we'll be spending in Vermont. This state was beautiful, exciting and frustrating all at the same time. The rainy weather was the biggest test. But, I'm happy that our last night here will be under tame skies. Let's hope the Whites are that way too.
-natedog
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