Friday, August 9, 2019
Rained a good part of the night but was done by early morning. Got up at 5:30 or so and left Corliss Camp around 7:30 a.m. I needed to get in 11 miles to get to Johnson, my first town stop to resupply, shower, and eat real food.
Like most starts, it was uphill from the get-go. First up was Laraway Mountain. It was a pretty gradual ascent and then a much steeper descent. At the summit I met a young hiker who was doing a section hike. She was kind enough to take a photo of me by the summit sign. Laraway isn't very tall at around 2,800 feet so the top was covered in trees (i.e., no views).
From there, it was a few smaller climbs with some cool terrain along huge walls of granite.
I reached Roundtop Shelter and had some lunch at the picnic table. The day was foggy until that point but now it was clearing into a beautiful summer day. After eating some peanut butter quesadillas, I hiked three and a half miles downhill (more or less) to get to the trailhead at VT-15. The views of the valley below were simply stunning.
I arrived at the trailhead in Johnson around 3:00 p.m. and walked the half mile to Johnson’s Hardware. They accept resupply boxes so I sent my first box there. It's a free service they provide for hikers. Even though it's mostly a hardware store, they have a good-sized hiking/outdoor section that's legit. It's a good place to pick up any needed items. Plus, they take your photo and put it on the wall with the hundreds of other hikers who pass through.
Dave, the co-owner of Nye’s Green Valley B&B, picked me up at the store and brought me back to my first civilized home in five days.
Once I showered, Dave took my clothes to wash them and then dropped me off in town. I ate at a top-notch pizzeria and then picked up some things at the store. His wife Marsha came back to pick me up a couple of hours later. They have a special rate for hikers that includes these wonderful services. It's worth every penny. The property is lovely and has a neat backstory. Check it out on their website.
Tomorrow, Dave will make breakfast for all the guests and then take me back to the trailhead. I start a pretty brutal stretch of days that includes Whiteface, Mansfield (VT’s tallest mountain), and Camel’s Hump. Can't wait!
Total miles for the day: 10.9