I get packed up and grab my bear canister from the bear box. Lefty, Righty, and Awkward Silence are making coffee and eating breakfast, and Speedy and Eagle Eye are almost ready to hit the trail as I shoulder my pack to head out. My plan is to hike to the next road crossing and get a ride back to the Wicked Waystation for a Nero (near zero) day, so I have a little pep in my step.
The trail is a little muddy from the rain last night, but not unmanageable. The ground has been so dry that it just sucked the water right up in many places, and the profusion of pine needles creates a carpet of sorts between the muck and my shoes. There's still a lot of rocks that are slippery, and every time the wind blows a fresh shower of water falls down to the ground, so I tred very carefully.
The trail is undulating up and down and around and over rocks. Several trees are down in the middle of the trail and create a little bit of a maze. A couple miles into my hike I realize that I'm having a lot of fun today. My malaise of the last several days has abated, and I'm actually enjoying the trail again, looking for an adventure instead of dreading the unknown.
Part of the explanation for my shift in mood is the cooler temperature . I am two miles from the trail when I decide to take off my pack and put on my Alpha fleece; I am that chilly.
Righty and Awkward Silence catch up while I am stopped, and I follow behind them for a short time, until Awkward Silence gets enough of being caught between our conversation and begs off, leaving Righty and me to chat for the next couple of miles to Story Spring Shelter. On the way we pass the most impressive beaver bog I have ever seen, with the dead tree stumps testament to the landscape-changing power of the beavers. I believe that the Army Corps of Engineers has nothing on a couple of beavers.
When we arrive at Story Spring Shelter, I arrange for a shuttle from Sloth to meet me at the next road crossing. I then visit the privy (dark and scary but I leave the door wide open), eat a snack, and filter water from the spring behind the shelter, before saying goodbye to my recent hiking partners.
A couple miles from the shelter, as I near yet another scenic beaver bog, I see moose tracks In the mud In the middle of the trail! Two sets; one large and another much smaller. Now I am on a mission to see a moose, and I keep my eyes peeled for the huge forest denizens.
I don't see any moose, but the trail is beautiful nonetheless. The remainder of the hike is quite easy, and I arrive at Kelley Stand Road by noon.
Sloth is in the parking area and waves to me as I approach. Nearby I see Speedy and Eagle Eye enjoying some trail magic provided by a gentleman who has a small pull behind trailer attached to his car. They ar sitting on camp chairs, readying themselves for the hike up to Stratton Mountain where they will take the ski lift down to the resort where they're staying for the night.
We exchange goodbyes as Sloth drives me to Wicked Waystation, where I will stay for the night. When he drops me off he refuses payment for the shuttle, saying he lives right down the street. I thank him profusely and head inside to clean up.
I now have all afternoon free to explore. Stratton Mountain is very close by. I will be hiking over the mountain tomorrow, and the resort offers free transportation down the mountain to the village via the gondola, but it doesn't open until 10 AM. I was hoping to be well over and down the mountain by then, but I have serious FOMO about exploring Stratton. So I decide to take the truck over and check itBlog,
I take the gondola ride up to the top of Stratton Mountain and walk around for a few minutes before heading back down. In the village, I order a Stella Artois and some nachos with steak birria and dig in. The weather is perfect, and I hope this continues for a while!
I head back to the hostel where I get my backpack ready for tomorrow morning, work on my blog, and I am out by 7:45 PM.
Today's Stats: 8.3 miles, 1,191 feet gain
Trail Stats: 1,640 miles, 319K feet gain
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