I strip my bed, make coffee a cup of coffee in the Keurig, and I am on the road at 6:20 for the hour-long drive to Killington to meet Christine.
Christine arrives at eight. Another hiker needed a ride from the same location this morning and we wait a little while for the other rider to arrive. I don't mind waiting, as Christine is funny and easy to talk with. Plus, I am just happy to have a ride back this morning. Flash pulls up shortly and loads his stuff up and we are on the road.
Flash is a very nice retired gentleman from New Jersey who is section hiking the trail. He plans on doing the next stretch back to his vehicle (55 miles) over the next five days.
Christine and I have a fun time chatting on the way back, and the trip goes fast. I realize that I forgot to refill my hand sanitizer in my toilet kit and I ask them if they mind if we stop somewhere so I can pick up some. As we pull into Manchester, Christine's phone rings. It's a hiker at the Hampton Inn in Manchester. He's looking for a ride back to the trail. Flash and I don't mind: at this point what's an extra 10 minutes?
I run into Walgreens and pick up a large hand sanitizer so I can squeeze some into my smaller bottle and I leave the rest as a donation for Christine to keep in her vehicle. We pick up EZ at the Hampton Inn and we are all at the trailhead and donning our packs at 10:30. I get a quick picture with Christine since this is probably the last time I will see her, although she reminds me that she will be slackpacking two ex-Marines through this next section over the next five days and she is here to help us out if any of us need anything. She's such a wonderful person!
I settle into a comfortable hiking speed up the hill, and for a while I am following EZ, letting him pace as we gain elevation toward Bromley Peak. I stop for a pit break but catch up in a short time later when EZ stops to talk to a southbound hiker.
The trail reaches a turn off to the Bromley Shelter. I look at my map and realize this is our last reliable water for the next 8 miles. We both decide to take the blue-blazed trail to the shelter to top off our water. The trip takes a little while, as the water source is a ways down a hill beside the shelter, which is lovely and open, unlike some of the dark and nasty shelters along the trail.
We hike together the rest of the way up to Bromley Peak. The trail is steep in places, but not too difficult. For the last quarter of a mile we crest the mountain on a ski slope and emerge at the most amazing view!
A huge fire tower is next to a Ski Patrol lodge. Flash is sitting in front of the building. He is surprised that we are behind him, but we explain that we had stop to get water at the last shelter.
I go into the ski patrol lodge which remains unlocked year round for hikers to seek shelter in bad weather. The outlets work and I plug in my phone to charge while I eat lunch. I visit the privy In the woods across the ski slope, and then climb the fire tower to take advantage of the gorgeous 360-degree view.
After 20 minutes I say goodbye to everyone and continue north. The trail rapidly descends the heavily wooded mountain. The breeze is really chilly at times, and I hike fast to stay warm.
The trail crosses Mad Tom Notch Road, a gravel forest road, before heading steeply uphill to Styles Peak. On the way up I meet two southbound thru hikers named Stinky and Turd. I kid you not. We talk enthusiastically for 10 minutes before I wish them happy trails.
At the top of Styles Peak is anther view. I take off my pack for a few minutes and EZ comes up to join me a few minutes later. We look at the FarOut and talk about our plans for the night. EZ is thinking about staying at the next shelter, but I tell him that I I'm going to try to get all the way down to the river, another seven miles from the shelter, and 10 miles from here. This will mean a long day tomorrow, but then I will be set up perfectly to summit Killington on Wednesday, where I would like to stay at the top so I can see a sunset that night and the sunrise Thursday morning.
EZ Says he wasn't intending on doing that many miles but it sounds like an awesome plan, so he may do the same. I say goodbye to hurry down the trail because it's already 3 P.M and I really don't want to hike in the dark.
Three miles later I come to the Peru Peak Shelter. It's a lovely solid log cabin style shelter built by Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. Bilbo and Frodo are here, and we talk about what an awesome place it is. There's a gorgeous stream roaring In front of the shelter. Bilbo says that Mile Marker left his toiletry bag, and he was planning on camping at the lake down the hill. I take it, hoping that I will not have to go searching for him because I don't have a lot of daylight left for the miles that I want to do.
I get to Griffith Lake, which is absolutely gorgeous, and walk towards the tent sites. Thankfully Mile Marker is in the first tent site that I come to. I give him his toiletry bag, and he didn't even realize he had left it.
My good deed accomplished, I get back on the trail. I make the next six miles to Big Branch River fairly easily, as I only have to climb about 500 feet after leaving the lake.
I make it across the suspension bridge and find the hidden campsite described in the app by 7:30 PM. I set up my camp quickly and filter water to heat for dinner. As I finish eating the sky darkens rapidly and I am in my hammock At 8:45.
I can't believe I got as far as I did with the late start this morning on the trail, especially with the amount of time I spent relaxing on top of Bromley! I am exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.
Today's Stats: 17.6 miles, 3,419 feet gain
Trail Stats: 1,674 miles, 325K feet gain
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