On Saturday, May 23, 2009 I set out on what promised to be my longest single day-hike of my odyssey. I plan to hike 9.7 miles along the West Ridge Trail to Goddard Shelter and the Long Trail up on Glastenbury Mountain and then reversed field and trek back down for a total of just under 20 miles in one day. I arrive in Woodford Hollow at 8:15 am but struggle to find the trailhead. I continue down the dirt road until I meet a man on a small backhoe. I ask him and he advises me to park in his yard and head north up a snowmobile trail until I reach the blue blazes marking the the trail. When he says blue blazes I figure he must know what he is talking about so I follow his direction. I start hiking at 8:35 am in 60 degree weather with overcast skies and a 30 percent chance of rain/thunderstorms (1,300 feet above sea level). At the start of the trail there is a horse farm with about a dozen pretty white horses. They seem pleased to see me.
The snowmobile trail snakes northward and climbs steadily for about 2.5 miles taking one hour of hiking. I realize partway up that the trail is not heading westward enough for me to meet up with the West Ridge Trail and that there is a serious ravine between me and the trail. I know, however, if I keep going north, not only will I reach my destination, but I also may be able to cut my hiking distance down significantly. Unfortunately, after an hour I run out of snowmobile trail as the trail ends at a private lodge partway up Glastenbury Mountain.
I have a decision to make - bushwhack on up or turn around and admit defeat...I bushwhack. The climb is steady but there are numerous moose trails that help me navigate through the bush. I use my compass and try to keep moving in a northern direction as much as possible. After one and a half hours of this I step out onto a trail and immediately see a blue blaze. It turns out that I am just about 200 yards from my destination - Goddard Shelter (3,748 ft) - on top of Glastenbury so I have climbed 2,500 feet, mostly bushwhacked, and have knocked off about five miles and two hours of hiking by taking this route. I reach the shelter at 11:00 am.
I pause at Goddard Shelter to eat a cold hamburger I brought with me and to change out the inserts in my hiking shoes. At 11:15 I begin the descent down the West Ridge Trail. The going is fine and the descent is not too steep but my feet are exceptionally sore today, especially my left foot. Every step on a rock, root, or at an angle, anything other than on a soft pile of leaves, is uncomfortable to say the least. 
I must descend 7.8 mile to the crest of Bald Mountain (2,857 ft). About halfway to Bald Mtn. I come to a spot where the trail enters a flodded area. I do not relish the idea of stripping down and wading across. Eventually, I find a way around that keeps me from getting wet. 
I arrive at Bald Mountain at 3:00 pm having covered about 8 miles in about four hours. Along the way I pass an older couple who obviously are just learning to overnight hike. They are carrying way to much gear and are laboring under the loads. I ask if I can help but they politely say no - they are fine. I wonder if that is really true but decide to push on. When I pass them they are about six miles from their car and heading home. 
On the top of Bald Mountain there is an unusual white dust covering that, I'm sure, is the basis for its name. The views are not majestic, but the clouds have cleared off and the day has warmed up into the mid seventies. The black flies have been out in force for much of the hike and I put to good use my mosquito netting Kim got me for Christmas. It covers my hat and head and works great. I never use the bug spray.
I turn east just after the Bald Mountain summit and begin a steep 2.0 mile descent back to the road I started on. The descent is tough on my already sore feet as there are numerous rocks and roots that have to be stepped on during the trek down. I reach the road at 4:00 pm and now see where the trailhead was that I missed to begin with.
My large map located it 1.2 miles from Route Nine but it is actually 0.8 miles from there. I hike the remaining half mile up the road to my car having travelled roughly 16 miles in just under eight hours.
On the way home I drive through Bennington where a Moose Festival is going on. As if I haven't hiked enough, I park my car and walk through the festival, taking pictures of the only moose I've seen on the hike. Something tells me that they are not the ones that left all the moose poop up on the mountains I hiked today :)
Let me know what your favorite moose is - don't forget the one pictured at the beginning of this entry...
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