Monday, August 12, 2019
Beautiful night at the Twin Brook Tenting Site. All alone. Perfect weather.
I left camp at 7:30 a.m. so I got a good jump on the day. Unfortunately, I didn't have much jump in the legs. The day was a bit of a slog. I wasn’t miserable but the hiking was more tedious than joyful. After getting up and over Mt. Mansfield the day before, I probably needed to rest my legs as they felt tired all day.
As I was trudging up Bolton Mountain, grinding out the miles, the most intriguing set of hikers passed me. Long before I could see them, I could hear them chatting away in the valley below me. They were definitely gaining on me and soon enough, they were on my heels. Turned out to be four retired ladies in their 70s, doing a day-hike. Apparently they do sections of the Long Trail two or three times a week and it was clear they were pros. It was tough terrain (at least for me) but they were crushing it. I moved over to let them pass and watched them leave me in the dust.
Around noon I caught up to them at Puffer Shelter, an older shelter that has a beautiful view of the valley below. The ladies were just finishing their leisurely lunch. We chatted for a bit but then they were off. I never saw them again. Too fast.
I finished lunch and carried on.
I eventually got to Buchanan Lodge where I spent the night. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day but I could tell I needed to rest up the legs. I had hiked 82.2 miles thus far. The next day had easier terrain and I was very much looking forward to it.
