Stage 21 - LT Day Hike from Rt.242 to VT. 105

In spite of a less than favorable weather forecast, I decide to take my last "long hike" on the Long Trail on Wednesday, May 19, 2010. The weather is cool, upper 40's - low 50's, windy and wet. The forecast calls for light showers most of the day with winds up to 30 mph. I decide to go because I have three more hikes left to finish the LT and all of the side trails and I want to do it before June 10th.

Kim drops me off at the start of the hike at 9:30 am on Rt. 242 at the base of Jay Peak (2,220 ft. above sea level). As soon as I enter the woods I reach a day shelter that I did not photograph. It is not intended for overnight use and fires are not permitted there.
In short order, 0.1 miles, I come to the south end of the Jay Loop trail that leads 0.2 miles to Jay Camp (built 1958, sleeps 10, 2,350 ft). From there it is another 0.2 miles to the northern intersection of Jay Loop with the LT. I actually by-pass the Jay Loop trail at the start of the hike with the intention of driving back to it and covering it after I finish the rest of today's hike. That way, if the weather turns really nasty I'm that much closer to my car.

As I ascend Jay Peak it starts to drizzle but not so badly that I have to break out the rain gear. It is 1.7 miles to the peak and all of my running these past few months has really paid off as I make it with ease. At the top (3,858 ft.) I must manuver around some water pies and a fence, cross a ski trail, and continue to climb. At the very peak there is a ski-lift station and I take some stairs off the rocks and get on a ski trail for several hundered yards. The view from up here is non-existent given all of the cloud cover and the wind is whipping hard.

I am pleased to be heading off of the peak given the cold wind. It is 1.5 miles down to the Laura Windward Shelter (built 1956, sleeps six, 2,800 ft). The trip down is relatively easy, although there is still a fair amount of snow (3 feet in places) and I have to navigate the first ice of this year's hikes. The trail is very well marked, however, in this region.

I now undertake a 0.9 mile ascent of Doll Peak (3,409 ft). The climb is steady but smooth. I then proceed down and up 0.5 miles to an unnamed "peak" on North Jay Mountain. On the descent from North Jay I encounter a bit more snow but no ice. The northern side of the mountains are wet, slippery, and more likely to have snow until June I have found.

I now take a very pleasant 2.9 mile hike down North Jay to Shooting Star Shelter. The trail is soft, forgiving, and feels very good on my feet. I make excellent time down and arrive at the shelter feeling very positive as the misty rain has ceased for good it seems. The shelter (built 2001, sleeps six, 2,260 ft) is situated on a prominant rock outcropping that I find rather slippery to negotiate. I rest here for all of about three minutes before pushing on.

I climb steadily for 0.6 miles to the peak of Burnt Mountain and then descend 1.2 miles, again gently and speedily, to my parked car at VT 105 and the North Jay Pass. I have traveled 9.3 miles in five hours. Feeling good, I drive back to my starting point and hike the Jay Loop mentioned earlier, bringing my total mileage today to 10.2 miles.