August 24th, 2018, Vermont
It was another perfect hiking day with a high of 75 and sunny all day. It was just one of those days that everyone I passed commented on how beautiful the day was.
Around 9am I passed three hikers heading north that I have seen the past several days. I recognized them and said, “okay, I’ve seen you for three days in a row. You must be slackpacking yourselves south.” They said they were and continued on. I said, “see you tomorrow!” I assume they have two vehicles and hike to the more northern one, parked at a road crossing somewhere.
The next day they leapfrog down however far they want the hike to the car they parked the morning before. I’ve been seeing them earlier each day, so I must be hiking farther than they are and will soon reach a point where I don’t see them any more.
At an info board near a road crossing I saw this flyer asking hikers to report any American marten sightings. I was immediately cheered up upon learning that this animal exists in the world.
I mean, would you look at that face?
Thank you, American marten, for making us happy.
The trail went over two suspension bridges over deep ravines with fast moving water. I was glad the bridges were there.
There were a couple places near hilltops where you could see Rutland and it’s airport in the distance. As far as I know, Rutland is the first town very near the trail with an airport. There may have been others but I don’t recall seeing or hearing any other airports.
The trail also shifted between nice, flat surfaces to long stretches of rocky and muddy areas.
Then, one rocky area was, according to the AT guide, a rock garden.
Apparently woodland gnomes have been arranging the rocks in this area. I took a few pictures but it was hard to see. Here is a short video of one section.
Around 3pm I came to a lake where a few people were swimming. It was warm and sunny so I took the opportunity to cool off as well—and rinse out my hiking clothes. The water was perfect: cool, clear, and calm.
And on the way out of the pond area I passed a “caretaker” for the shelter and campsite near the pond. Because there is a road with parking nearby, the pond apparently gets a lot of use. The US Forest Service and Green Mountain Trail Club employ a caretaker to collect a $5 fee per person for camping and ensure the area is take care of.
I hiked until around 6pm and found a quiet place to set up camp. Because there was little to no chance of rain I didn’t set up the tarp and enjoyed seeing the trees and sky above.