The First Leg

On Friday, May 9, 2008 at 9:50 am I start the long trek north. The starting point is in North Adams, MA on the Appalachian Trail at the edge of the Berkshire Mountains. The above photo shows Sherman Brook I follow as I leave the town of North Adams (Remember, you can click on a picture to see a larger view). This point is at an elevation 660 feet. The second picture is of the house that sits at the trail entrance.


The first few miles are generally uphill and at times strenuous. There are several rock slides that I have to clamour over as I ascend (picture below). 4.1 miles later I arrive at the Vermont State Line. I am now at 2,330 feet above sea level so I have climbed 1,670 feet over the 4.1 miles.



The southern terminus of the Long Trail is on the Appalachian Trail and they remain as one trail for 75 miles until the AT takes an easterly route into New Hampshire while the LT continues north.
Here is the evidence that I am starting at the southernmost point of the trail. If you click on the picture you can read the Trail description.


From here I descend to a small brook, climb to the east side of a low ridge before climbing again to Seth Warner Shelter (built 1965, sleeps eight). At this point I met my first person on the trail. He was in his late sixties and came in from Brownsville, Texas. He through-hiked the AT in 1996 and, since then, comes up each summer to hike and work on trail maintenance crews in Vermont. He seemed to enjoy his privacy so I did not stay long at the shelter.



As of the shelter I had hiked 6.7 miles and was rather worn but determined to push on to the 10 mile point before setting up camp. My backpack weighs about 45 pounds and I am new enough at this to feel every ounce. I ate cereal for breakfast before the hike and an apple on the way up to the shelter. I climb again until I reach the peak height of this trek, 3,025 feet before beginning a gradual descent. Three miles north of the shelter is Roaring Branch Brook and I decide to push on to there, refill my water supply, and find a place to camp for the night.
This picture shows Roaring Brook where I pumped my first water. I bought a Katadyn Hiker Pro Microfilter to filter water with. It was easy to use and in less than two minutes I had filled up my Camelbak water reservoir. I am now at 9.7 miles and ready to camp for the night. I load back up and go north about 50 yards when I come upon a perfect spot to camp for the night.

The location overlooks an old Beaver Pond that is the source of Roaring Branch Brook and it has been camped at before. I set up my tent - a solo Eureka Spitfire tent and put the rain fly on as the weather looks threatening. The day has been cool - high 50's - and the forecast is for showers in the evening. As I unpack my sleeping gear I discover my first possible catastrophe. I had not screwed the lid back on my water pack tight enough and about 3/4 of it has leaked into my pack. I keep my sleeping bag in the lowest compartment on my backpack so I figure it is soaked and I will have spend the night in rainy, 40 degree weather, in a wet sleeping bag. Fortunately, the waterproof stuff sack did its job and my bag is dry as a bone.



I walk back to the brook and re-pump water. Worrying about rain and wanting to keep animals away from my food, I wrap my backpack in a waterproof cover and hang it from a low branch at my campsite. One should not keep food in your tent as it may attract unwanted animals during the night. It should always be suspended above the ground. You should also not eat at your campsite as the smell may attract animals throughout the night. Accordingly, I eat my dinner down at the brook. For dinner I have a 2 ounce can of Albacore Tuna topped with honey mustard and a banana. It is a feast and I enjoy every bite. By now, it is 6:30 pm and I am tired and go ahead and crawl into my tent. I brought along a lightweight book printed in 1880 containing verses that grade-school kids were supposed to memorize. It was a book that had belonged to one of Kim's distant relatives - James Calderhead. I read the poems for the first three grades and only find one worthy of remembering:

Once a task is begun,
Never give up until it's done,
Be the labor great or small,
Do it well or not at all.

Back home when I recited it to Kim, she immediately remembered it as a poem her great-grandmother used to say.

Once I settle into the tent I start to get a few leg cramps. I am concerned that I might not have drank enough water so I bring the water pack into the tent with me. Wouldn't you know I once again hadn't screwed the lid on tight enough. My guess is that about 1 cup of water leaks into the tent - what a dummy! The night is chilly and my sleeping bag, rated to 20 degrees sufficed, but I don't think I want to try to use it in 20 degree weather. No rain came and I enjoy the sounds of birds, frogs, insects and the brook as I try to get used to a harder bed than my one back home. I have a lightweight self-inflating mattress that is about 1/2 inch thick when inflated. It helps but it is surely not a Sealy Posturpedic. All in all I have a pleasant night, get plenty of sleep, hear no large animals, and get up at 6:45 am to break camp.

I ate a bagel for breakfast, brushed my teeth, and broke camp by 7:30. The map indicates that today's hike will be less strenuous than yesterday's and so it is. I began by climbing to the top of Consultation Peak (2,810 ft)and descending to the Sucker Pond Outlet Brook (2,180 ft). Along the way I see four fresh piles of moose poop, but no moose. Perhaps you have seen the bags of chocolate candy sold as a novelty item in stores as Moose Poop Candy. The real stuff is similar in shape and size (a little larger than Malted Milk Balls) but a much lighter brown. It also doesn't taste as sweet - I drank most of my water supply after that! So, I stop at the outlet brook to refill my water supply (picture at left).

Sucker Pond itself is a interesting sight. In addition to a large Beaver den on the pond, I cross the Beaver dam that created the pond.
The trail crosses about five feet lower than the dam so I am able to look at the pond from eye level without squatting down. This picture shows the Den from below the dam.

A short distance from the pond I come upon the stone foundation remains of an 1800's tavern. It's hard to believe that a business could survive in this remote location at this elevation. I understand that in 1900 Vermont was 80% cleared cropland and 20% forest. In 2000, it is 80% forest and 20% cleared cropland. I always think of this irony when I listen to so many Vermonters whine about change and economic development and listen to them argue that it is important that we keep Vermont the way it has always been for the generations to come. If their argument is sound, we sure have a lot of forests to cut down - we'd better get to work!

Within a mile of the tavern remains I came upon a wonderful stream (Stamford Stream) and follow it downstream for about 1/2 mile before continuing North on the trail. The stream looks to be navigable in higher water, but you better be comfortable with rapids.

Just North of the stream I came to Congdon Shelter (built 1967, modified 1994 - sleeps eight with bunks).
This is a nicer shelter than the other ones I've seen and it has a nicely elevated and inviting-looking stone fire pit as you can see in the picture. It is also right on the trail. The other shelters have all required a several hundred yard trail spur to get to.

Now begins my final climb on this leg of the journey. It is a steady climb to the summit of Harmon Hill (2,325 ft). This spot offers a picturesque view of the town of Bennington. The tall obelisk visible in the top right of the photo is a memorial to the Battle of Bennington, an American victory in the Revolutionary War over the British. Our leader in battle was none other than Benedict Arnold, later found guilty of treason. At this point he was a hero in the eyes of patriots.

From Harmon Hill I begin my descent down to Rt. 9. The descent is gradual at first as I move from 2325 feet to my destination at 1360 ft. But just as I am feeling worn out from two days of humping it, the bottom falls out of the trail. I spend 45 minutes slowly navigating steep and extensive rock staircases. I have to constantly remind myself to focus on each step because a fall here would be painful and a bit dangerous. About 200 yards from the bottom I pass a young couple beginning the ascent. The young lady is bouncing ahead with a lightweight pack and a smile on her face. The young man is carrying a pack that is at least 50% larger than mine with a tent, two sleeping bags, and two sleeping pads strapped to it. He's climbed about 150 yards and has already set the pack off to the side to rest. I smile at him and tell him the view at the top is worth it, but that he's got every bit of a 1/2 mile climb to go. He looks at me with an expression saying "no way". I laugh and tell him to save some energy or his girlfriend will be disappointed.

At the end of this trek my legs are shaky and my upper back is sore, but I feel very good about my first overnight hike. I have climbed approximately 3,150 feet and descended approximately 2,450 feet over the roughly 18.6 mile trek.