Stage 14 - Smuggler's Notch to Whitface Shelter on LT and out Beaver Meadow Trail

On Friday, September 4, 2009, a beautiful day n the low 70's without a cloud in the sky, I took a day off to hike up from Smuggler's Notch at the base of Mt. Mansfield (1,600 feet above sea level). Because I have an appointment tomorrow, I am unable to make this an overnight trek. I hit the Long Trail, heading north, at 9:15 am and begin the 2.3 mile climb to Elephant Heads Cliff. I had been told that this was a reasonably challenging climb but, having climbed Mt. Mansfield multiple times over the past few weeks, I find this to be pretty easy going.

About halfway up I catch up with three ladies that are out on the first day of a several day hike. One of them seems to be struggling more than the others. Just after passing them I come upon a clearing that gives me a good view of Mt. Mansfield and I take two pictures. The one above on the right is of the Forehead and Nose, and the one to the left is of the Chin and Adam's Apple.

I reach a 0.1 mile spur that leads steeply down to Elephant's Head Cliff (2,800 ft) and arrive at a view that I last saw in 2007 when I climbed up to here via the Sterling Pond Trail with Charlie Castelli and several Vermont Tech students. The shape of an Elephant's head escapes me in the photo so perhaps it is on the cliffs that are below me. I do not lean out over the major drop (several hundred feet) to try and see. As I reach the LT the three women I passed about 20 minutes ago are standing there trying to decide which way to go. I explain their options to them and one of them immediately says, "I want to see the view" and takes off down the spur. The one I thought was dragging looks at me like I'm evil for suggesting the extra hike has a rewarding view. I tell her this would be a good spot for her to sit and rest while the others hike the spur. I can see that she doesn't want to be viewed as weak by the others so I then suggest that she leave her pack in the brush and hike down. She brightens at this idea and is soon off down the spur. This is day one of a three day hike for her and they've covered less than 3 miles so far. I predict PAIN and SUFFERING for her this Labor Day weekend.

Back on the LT I continue to climb towards Sterling Pond. The trail emerges on a Ski Slope, called Snuffy's Ski Trail (3,080 ft), Snuffy the Snuffleupagus, I assume, and I follow the trail down a short way to the striking Sterling Pond (3,000 ft). At the Pond is a man and his young son and their Golden Lab. The father throws a stick out as far as he can into the pond and the dog retrieves it with no hesitation. I think about joining the dog as it is warm, but instead eat a couple of cookies and drink some Gatorade before pushing on.

In short order I cross another ski trail and reenter the woods to come upon the Sterling Pond Shelter (built in 2005, sleeps 8, 3,030 ft). From there I begin a steady climb to the top of Madonna Peak (3,668 ft), the highest point of today's hike. At the peak is a chairlift and I take a picture facing Northeast from the peak and showing the lift (in all it's beauty). I have hiked exactly five miles so far, most of it up, up, and up. From here I must follow a ski trail down the north side of Madonna Peak. The trail is sparsely marked and I get nervous that I may miss where it reenters the woods. Off in the distance I see Whiteface Mountain and, below the summit, I see a building that I believe is Whiteface Shelter, where I plan to leave the LT. About 50 paces past the intersection of the Chilcoot Ski Trail ( the one I'm on) with the Catwalk Ski Trail, I find a cairn that shows me where the trail re-enters the woods.

I begin to drop steadily until I reach Chilcoot Pass (2,950 ft) and Chilcoot pass trail. Here a sign warns me that I am in imminent danger. I decide to stop here and eat lunch which consists of a roast beef sandwich and Gatorade. While in recline a young hiker from the north joins me. It turns out he graduated in the last couple of years from MIT and is a computer engineer in Boston. I tell him my son went to the University of Chicago. We share a few jokes at the expense of Harvard - If MIT or UChicago students really wanted to make A's they would've gone to Harvard - that sort of thing. We chat for about 15 minutes and it's time to part.

I now begin to climb the south slope of Morse Mountain and soon reach Hagerman Overlook (3,190 ft). The view looks back over Mt. Mansfield one more time. I continue to the height of land on Morse Mountain (3,380 ft). From here I begin to drop to the base of Whiteface Mountain, a mountain that I will tackle in my next hike.

At the base, I come to Whiteface Shelter (built 1958, sleeps 5, 3,156 ft). This is a nice lean-to shelter that faces south and gives me a chance to take a picture of the ground I covered coming off of Madonna Peak. The ski trail coming off the mountain is the one I hiked down earlier. I pause here to drink some more Gatorade and then leave the LT to begin my descent down Whiteface Trail. I have hike 7.3 miles to this point. Whiteface Trail is a 1.0 mile steady descent down Whiteface that, in short order, intersects with the Beaver Meadow Trail.

At the intersection with the Beaver Meadow Trail (2,165 ft) I decide to turn right and work my way over to Beaver Meadow Lodge. The trail quickly thins out and after about 0.2 miles I come to a most interesting building labeled Burling Camp (I wonder if the owners are from Burling-ton). I enter cautiously and discover a stove and several bunks along with a built in table.
The place reeks of mold and I doubt if I could spend five minutes inside, let alone a night. The trail is so thin I give up trying to find the lodge and figure I will find it on my next hike. I retrace my steps back to Beaver Meadow Trail.

As I suspected, Beaver Meadow Trail is a wonderful way to end the day. the downward slope is mild and the trail is wide and well-worn. I cover the 2.3 miles very rapidly, probably averaging three miles and hour. I arrive at the trail head (1,550 ft) , however, and have a decision to make. The trail abruptly ends at a steel gate and intersects with an unimproved road. I must decide whether to turn left (up) or right (down) to get to my car. I choose the easier route, right, and am rewarded about 15 minutes later when I arrive at my car and the end of the hike. It is 4:15 pm and I have covered just over 11 miles (in 7.0 hours). My feet are sore but, other than that, I've had no threats of cramps or side-stitches. I feel very good and am glad to have taken this beautiful day to hike. Hopefully, I'll be fully recovered over the weekend as I hope to get out again on Monday.

Stage 13 - Hell Brook Trail to Profanity Trail and Down Mt. Mansfield on Long Trail

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009 I took a day of vacation in order to hike what promises to be the toughest trail I'm required to complete - HELL BROOK Trail! I arrive at the trail head with some trepidation as several people have told me this is a tough one and the guide book talks about precipitous ledges and actually recommends that no one attempt to descend the trail. This is balanced by a web search I did where I found pictures of people climbing in the dead of winter so I figure I'll survive.

I arrive at the trailhead (1,803 ft) at 10:00 am and begin the 1.5 mile climb to the intersection with the long trail. At the trailhead is a warning sign - the first I have encountered in my hikes. The guide book says the trail should take 2 hours to complete, or .75 miles per hour, the slowest time in the whole book. The trail begins a ruggedly steep ascent from the very start and in no time my calves are screaming for a rest. There is practically no break in the climbing as I continue to work my way up. I find I use my hands to pull myself up by grabbing roots and rocks almost as much as I use my feet. Frequently, I must get an uncomfortable knee hold from which I pull myself up - my knees do not like this very much. On a couple of occasions I pause to consider how I am going to make a climb or traverse because one slip might mean a short fall or slide of 6-20 feet.

Frequently, I reach a brief opening in the woods that gives me a good look at the cliffs on the opposite side of VT 108. I believe this one may be Elephant's Head Cliff. After about one hour's worth of climbing wouldn't you know it starts to rain and the rocks become more slippery. Having said this, however, not once do I ever slip or come close to falling on the entire ascent. I reach the intersection with the long Trail in one hour and 59 minutes - besting the guidebook by one minute and find an interesting sign that I assume is an attempt at a warning for anyone wishing to descend the Hell Brook Trail.

From here I continue to climb on the Long Trail over an exposed and fairly technical ascent to the Chin of Mount Mansfield (4,393 ft), the highest point in Vermont. The guide book talks about the breathtaking views from up here but I am enshrouded by a mist and clouds block all views. All views that is, save for a young lady from Quebec that speaks French and looks like she just walked out of a Victoria's Secret catalog to greet me at the summit. I choose not to take a picture of her - that would be rude, wouldn't it - but I include this description just to see if my wife is really reading my blog. There are actually a lot of people up here - most of them coming up the Toll road or rinding up in a gondola.


I descend to the south from the Chin a short distance until i intersect with the Sunset Ridge Trail - a trail I hiked earlier this year (The trip that put me in the hospital). I pause at this intersection and eat a couple of cookies and drink some Gatorade. Across the way from this intersection I find the Profanity Trail - a good name for a trail located close to Hell Brook if I say so myself. It is really less of a trail and more of a gully that I descend steeply for 1/2 mile before reaching Taft Lodge.

Taft Lodge (built 1920, sleeps 24, 3,650 ft) is a great structure and just as I arrive and step inside it comes a gully washer, complete with thunder and lightning. I rest there, along with 8-10 other hikers for about 30 minutes while the storm passes through. I eat five or six Nutter Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies for my lunch and drink some more Gatorade. It was my intention to hike another loop covering about 1.1 miles and completing all of the side trails on this end of the mountain, but the rain has made everything slick and wet and I decide I'll have to come back again to complete the side trails.

I head out before any of the others are ready to descend figuring that if I slip and fall on the wet trail down someone will find me quickly and offer assistance. although the 1.7 mile descent is steep, it is not as slick as feared and I make good time down the mountain on the Long Trail.
I arrive at the intersection of the Trail with VT 108 and turn north to hike 0.75 miles up smuggler's notch to reach the car. It is 3:30 pm so I've hiked for 5 1/2 hours and covered only 4 miles. No problems with cramps at all but after I get home I discover a number of scrapes and scratches I earned while climbing Hell Brook.

Stage 12 - Nebraska Notch Trail To Mt. Mansfield Forehead to Haselton Trail

On Friday, August 14, 2009 I am able to slip away for another long day hike cover a portion of the Long Trail. Kim drives the second car and drops me of at the Nebraska Notch Trailhead (1,400 ft above sea level). This will be the third time I've traversed this pleasant 1.5 mile trail. I get started of a warm, sunny day at 10:00 am.
The hike up to the LT is just as I remember and I am able to move along at about a 2.0 mile per hour clip. At the LT Intersection I turn north and begin to cover new ground on my way up Mt.Mansfield.
The first part of the ascent is gentle and I make really good time as I cross a few small brooks and make my way 1.5 more miles to the Twin Brooks Tenting area. This area consists of multiple tent platforms and a nice central area for a fire. It is located about 50 yards down a spur of the main trail. After pausing briefly at the tent site I push on up Mt. Mansfield another 1.2 to the Wallace Cutoff Trail. This trail descends steeply one tenth of a mile to Butler Lodge - a very nice shelter.

Butler Lodge (built 1933, sleeps 14, 3,100 ft.) is located on the side of Mansfield with a pleasant westerly view shed. I stop here for 15 minutes and drink some Gatorade and eat a few crackers. I'm feeling well and decide to take the first of several optional side treks. This one is called the Rock Garden Trail and it is a short (1.4 miles out and back to the Lodge) but challenging hike. I follow the Wampahoofus Trail for one tenth of a mile to where the Rock Garden Trail begins - even this short section requires that I work myself around and over steep ledges. Once on the trail itself I find I have to descend into a steep rock gully and then crawl on all fours under a low pass that is only about two feet high. The crawl is only for six to ten feet but I wonder who will find me if the rocks shift while I am under them. Of course, I'm sure they been in this position for eons, but the thought still crosses my mind. After working my way up, down, around, under, and over five or six formations I arrive at the end of the trail where it intersects with the Maple Ridge Trail, a trail I hiked last year. I return the way I came and wind up at the Lodge after 70 minutes of hiking. thus I travelled 1.4 miles in 70 minutes, giving you some idea of how difficult this little trail was.

I spend another 15 minutes resting at the lodge and eat my lunch which consists of Nutter Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies and Gatorade. At least the word sandwich is in the title so I count this as a healthy lunch.

Now I face the challenging part of today's climb - a 1.0 mile ascent to the Forehead of Mt. Mansfield that climbs 1,000 feet along the way. I take my time, stopping frequently to drink and lower my pulse rate and, aside from taking almost an hour to complete, arrive at the forehead in good shape. The Forehead, at 3,940 ft., is the highpoint of the southern peak of Mansfield. Here the trail intersects with the Wampahoofus Trail. The furthest visible peak in the picture above is Camel's Hump, I believe.

The Wampahoofus is optional hike number two on the days list and I am feeling good enough to do it. I descend steeply along the forehead ridge line for two tenths of a mile to where the Wampahoofus intersects with the Maple Ridge Trail. I did the rest of Wampahoofus last year so I am able to turn around and ascend back to the Forehead. At the turnaround point I get a good view of the TV towers that sit upon the ridge line of Mt. Mansfield north of the forehead. The most prominent tower sits on the Nose, with the Chin, and Adam's Apple visible off in the distance.

Back at the Forehead I turn North and descend and then climb towards the Nose. I arrive at the northern terminus of the Forehead by-pass, a side trail that is recommended in bad weather to keep hikers from being exposed along the ridge line. I turn south and begin the descent down Mt. Mansfield. After 3/10ths of a mile I come to the Intersection of this trail with the South Link Trail and I have a decision to make - I can follow the by-pass for another 0.9 miles and the return for an additional 1.8 miles on this hike, or I can take the South Link and return another time to finish this side-trail?

I'm growing weary so I choose to take the South Link 0.6 miles down the mountain to where it intersects with the Toll Road. Mt. Mansfield has a Toll Road that wimpy tourists take to get to the top without getting sweaty. It's rather expensive - on the order of $25 bucks per car plus a head charge for however many people are in the car, I believe. It makes for a crowded summit and lots of "hikers" walking around on exposed rocks in flip-flops. At the Toll Road I face my first real challenge of the day. The Haselton Trail is supposed to start in the vicinity of the south Link Trail and continue down the mountain but I can't find the trail as it is unmarked. I work my way over to the Octagon, a ski lift terminal located across the Toll Road and down the mountain about 100 yards but I can't find the trail. From the Octagon I get a nice picture of the valley that I'm supposed to climb down to if I can find the trail.

I return to the Toll Road and finally find the unmarked trail about 100 feet up the Toll Road. There a ski slope heads north and the gate blocking the slope shows faint signs of hikers circumventing to go up or down the slope. After walking about 100 yards on the slope I find a blue-blaze indicating I'm on a side-trail, hopefully Haselton. After descending steeply on the ski slope for about 0.3 miles the trail turns off into the woods and is marked with a sign. I continue down fairly steeply for another 1.3 miles until I come out of the woods at the edge of the Midway Lodge - a ski lodge.

My car is parked on the far side of the building so I get to it after just a few hundred more yards of hiking. It is 5:30 pm so I have covered about 11 miles in 7 1/2 hours - a fair pace given the climbing and descending I have done. As I take my shoes off I get my first and only cramp of the hike, a real doozey in left calf muscle that has me hopping around for a full 30 seconds.

Stage 11 - Bolton notch to Lake Mansfield Trail Day Hike

On Friday, August 7, 2009 I took a day of vacation to complete another section of the Long Trail. My youngest son, Beau, leaves for college on Sunday so I did not want to do an overnighter, but I knew I needed to get another section of the LT done so this will be a long day hike. I arrive at Bolton Notch Road (1,120 ft. above sea level) and set off at 9:34 am. The weather is cool (60s) and it is supposed to stay cool with a chance of occasional showers and thunderstorms. I set off in shorts and a short sleeve shirt and carrying both my water pack and a day pack holding 48 ounces of gatorade (no more dehydration for me).

The climb is steady to the top of Oxbow Ridge (@2,400 ft) and along the way I see several easterly lookouts. From the top of the ridge I descend steadily to the intersection with a spur leading south 0.3 miles and down to Buchanan Shelter (Built 1984, sleeps 16, 2,310 ft)

The total hike to the shelter from the notch is 2.6 miles, most of it a steady ascent and my legs are sore becuase I haven't hiked enough this summer to get them into shape. I also believe my dehydration problem last month has weakened my leg muscles because the hike is wearing them out much more quickly than I would usually expect. From the shelter I ascend steadily to the summitt of Bolton Mountain(3,725 ft) passing several nice views along the way. I have now covered 6.6 miles and have a short, but steep, 0.5 mile descent to Puffer Shelter.

Puffer Shelter (built 1975, sleeps six, 3,200 ft). is a small frame shelter built by over 100 volunteers who hiked all of the materials used in its construction up and over Bolton Mountain on the same path that I have traversed so far today. Any reasons I might think I have to complain about this hike pale in comparison to this feat. Of course, I forget to take a picture of the shelter.

I now take a 20 minute break to eat lunch, a roast beef sub sandwhich, and drink several cups of gatorade. While eating, another north-bound hiker arrives and it is clear he is serious about his trek and making great time. I leave him to enjoy his lunch and head down Bolton Mountain.

The trip down is not as steep as I had thought it would be, but I start to get the nagging feeling that I'm about to start cramping up - not from lack of fluid - but from weak leg muscles. I stop every time I feel a cramp start and, by resting for about 30 seconds each time, am able to ward off any full cramps. The descent is broken up by two short climbs, the first up Mount Mayo (3,160 ft) and the second up Mount Clark (2,800 ft). I follow a ridge around Mt. Clark and continue my descent.

On the trip down I come to the longest ladder I have had to use to date (picture at top of entry). About halfway down it I start to cramp so I pause for about 30 seconds while the cramp releases itself - no true risk of falling. I descend to the largest Beaver Pond I have seen to date and cross the pond on a very narrow system of planks. On the other side I climb gradually out of the pond area and soon come to the intersection of the LT with Taylor Lodge.

Taylor lodge (built 1978, sleeps 15, 1,850 ft)has been pictured in a previous hike I took on the Lake Mansfield Trail so I provide a shot looking out from the porch of the cabin. I have hiked 3.4 miles since leaving Puffer shelter so I stop long enough to drink some gatorade and then head 1.7 miles down the Lake Mansfield Trail to my car.

I arrive at my car (1,140 ft) at 5:45 pm after over 12.5 miles of hiking covering just over 1.5 miles an hour on this trip. My legs are sore but the cramping has not materialized and I have a comfortable drive home.

07-13-2009 Bald Mountain Trail Day Hike

On Monday,July 13, 2009 I took the day off to hike the final side trail hike I have in the southern part of the state. It has been difficult getting away to hike this summer because I am spending lots of time playing golf with my sons that are home from college and because there has been sooo much rain this year and trails are muddy and rocks/roots are really wet.


I arrive at the trailhead (700 ft above sea level) about 11:00 am. After about a 200yard walk the trail ends at the point where major road construction intersects the old trail. I work my way around the perimiter of the construction following a series of blue blazed asteriks (*) figuring these are meant to mark the re-routed trail (the trail is a blue-blazed trail). Turns out I am wrong. After about 1/4 of a mile I cross the road construction and begin to work my way up a telephone line gap that I hope the trail will intersect with. after a total of about 30 minutes I am ready to give up looking when a rider on an ATV comes roaring up. I flag him down and tell him my delimna. He says he thinks there are blue blazes up a side road just a few hundred yards from where I am at. I follow his advice and, sure enough, find my way back to the intended route. Who says ATVs shouldn't be allowed in Vermont?

I follow a couple of unnamed brooks for a while and then begin a steady climb up Bald Mountain. I cross a few wet rock slides but do not lose my balance. It is sunny today but it rained the last few days. At 2.6 miles on the trail (more like 3.6 given my bad start) I reach White Rocks. This is a series of broken rocks that I must carefully pick my way over to avoid twisting an ankle. It looks like someone came up here and mined white rocks and left many 3-15 pounders lying about. I work my way through 3-4 fields of these stones.

I re-enter the woods and continue another mile to the junction with the Long Trail (2,750 ft) having climbed a full 2000 feet on this hike. On the way back down I take a short side trail just below the white rocks to a view of the Bennington Valley. Also on the way down I am able to follow the correct trail and come out where I should have gone in at. The trick is to walk through a tunnel placed by the road construction crews instead of trying to work around the construction. Future hikers take note. I am back to the care by 3:00 pm having taken four hours to cover about 8 miles.

Stage 10 - Duxbury Road to Bolton notch Road Day Hike plus several side trails

On Tuesday, June 23, 2009 I took two days of vacation to go on a couple of long day hikes. This morning I decided to hike a short section of the Long Trail rather than do a side trail. I started on Duxbury Road near Jonesville VT (326 feet above sea level). From the Honey Hollow parking lot I hike a flat, paved road for 2.1 miles until I cross under Interstate 89 and proceed a few tenths up a gravel road (Stage Road). There the LT takes a right turn (southward) and head up a steep ascent through a power line field. The sun is up and I sweat profusely on the climb. I reenter the woods after another few tenths and continue to climb over exposed rocks to an unnamed summit. From there it is a short downhill to a spur leading south to Duck Brook Shelter (built 1966, sleeps 12, 670 ft.). At this shelter I meet a group of four teenage men and one teenage woman who spent the night at the shelter. The men are standing around while the young lady cooks breakfast for the group. It is at this point that I realize that, for the first time, I have forgotten to bring my camera on a hike - oh well!

From the shelter I begin a series of short ascents and descents for another 3.3 miles. Along the way I pass several rocky ledges offering nice southern views. I end this portion of the Long Trail with a steady descent that winds around a long beaver pond and emerges on Bolton Notch Road. I have covered five miles of trails plus 2.1 miles of asphalt road.

It is my intent to catch a ride down the 5.8 mile hike back to the car. If I can do that, I will have the time to go hike another trail somewhere before calling it a day. After about 2.5 miles of hiking down the road an old farm truck rumbles up and I'm offered a ride. Since it is only a couple miles out of his way, he takes me all the way to my car. I offer him gas money but, like a good Vermonter, he's having none of that. I've gone a total of about 9.5 miles and feel great. It's only 1:00 in the afternoon so I treat myself to a pizza at a joint in Richmond, VT and then drive north a bit more than an hour away to Belvidere Corners and the Babcock Trail.

The Babcock Trail, and Babcock Trail Extension, is a 1.8 mile side trail. By hiking South on the Trail I can circle back to the LT and then hike 1.7 miles north along the LT and back to my car for a total of 3.5 miles. The trail is pleasant and skirts two ponds. The first, Big Muddy Pond, is not at all muddy and I enjoy the views as I hike to the west side of the pond. The last 1/2 mile is a descent into Devils Gulch, a ravine. At the bottom of the gulch I intersect with th LT and begin the climb back to my car. It is here I pass by the second pond, Ritterbush Pond. Soon after the pass I find myself climbing a rock staircase steeply out of the gulch. By the time I reach the top I am very winded but the trail flattens out and the rocks disappear so the remainder of the hike is pleasant. At the car I find three young through hikers, all college students, who are looking for a ride into Belvidere to buy supplies. I give them a lift, returning the favor given me earlier today.

I arrive home about 6:00 pm having hiked about 13 miles and feeling very good. At night I sleep well and never have a hint of cramps so, on Wednesday, I decide to go hiking again. When I wake up in the morning I step on the scale and am pleased to see that I am about 5 pounds lighter than usual. I feel good and never connect the weight loss to dehydration, a big mistake.

I head north to hike a few side trails on Mount Mansfield the highest mountain in Vermont. At 9:45 am I begin at the trail head of Sunset Ridge Trail(2,340 ft). This 3.3 mile long trail is considered the most popular hike to the Summit of the mountain as it climbs up onto a rocky ridge above the tree line and gives a great view of the valley below.

After a short but intense climb I come to the Cantilever trail. This is a 0.4 mile round trip spur to a unique rock feature not done justice by my photo. Discovered in 1960, Cantilever Rock is a horizontal blade of rock 40 feet long and wedged into a 100 foot rock face about 60 feet above the trail. It is quite an impressive sight.

I work my way back to the Sunset Ridge Trail and continue my enjoyable climb arriving at the LT near the summit of Mount Mansfield at about 11:45 am (4,000 ft). I decide to walk along the LT on top of the mountain and then work my way back using alternative side trails. I pass many people on the summit as I hike 1.9 miles south - all on top of Mt. Mansfield. Eventually, I work my way to the Visiters Center up on the Mountain. There is a Toll Road that, for $24, you can take to the top and park at the Visitor's Center.

It is here that I get the first cramp of the hike. In less than two minutes I'm getting a second cramp and realize that I have a tough hike ahead of me. A family from New Jersey is out having a picnic and I ask them if I can buy a drink from them. They give me a 20 ounce bottle of Gatorade - a potential life saver. I drink up the Gatorade and figure that will do the trick so I return to the trail. I am so confident that I decide to take an alternate route back. I head down the Halfway House Trail for about 0.2 miles until it intersects with the Canyon North Trail Extension. I turn south and figure I'll hike the 0.6 mile trail. After a short 0.2 miles I come to a crevice that I'm supposed to crawl through. I realize the cramping I'm in for if I try to crawl through this space and decide to turn back.

Back at the Halfway House Trail I have a decision to make. I can go down the Halfway House Trail and, in 2.5 miles be at my car (in hindsight the smart thing to do) or I can continue to work my way back to the Sunset Ridge Trail. Not realizing
how dehydrated I am, I really do not give the smart choice much of a thought and choose to continue 0.6 miles north on the Canyon North Trail. It is along this rugged route that the cramps really begin to set in. I climb my way back up to the Long Trail and make the 1+ mile hike back to the Sunset Ridge Trail. A couple of hundered yards later and I'm at my next decision point, continue 3.3 miles back down a trail I've already hiked or turn down the steeper, but shorter (2.7 miles) Laura Cowles Trail.

I choose the latter at about 1:30 pm. It is supposed to take 90 minutes to make the descent according to the guide book. No way that is going to happen. Instead it takes 3 hours. The descent is very steep and rocky. A stream runs most of the way down the trail making the rocks wet. Every time I slip, about every dozen steps or so, my body tenses and I get cramps. Some are so bad I practically scream. Every 25yards or so I'm forced to stop for a minute or two to recover from cramping. Bear in mind that so far today I've had 70 ounces of water, 20 ounces of Gatorade, and 20 ounces of mountain Dew (not a good choice I know).

About halfway down I come across another hiker stoping to rest on the way up. He looks at me and says "you don't look too good". I tell him I don't feel too good. He offers me some bread to boost my blood sugar and I take him up on it. He then tells me the only drink he can give is an Apache energy drink - his skin tone tells me he is an Indian - but he doesn't think I should have that. I look at him quizically so he reaches into his bag a pulls out a 12 ounce can of Budweiser. I do decide to pass, even though I was a bit tempted. We part ways after about five minutes and he cautions me that this is the toughest climb he's ever made on a trail.

I continue down steeply with the cramps altering their locations. By the time I reach the car I've had cramps in both feet, both calves, both quads, both hamstrings, multiple side stitches, my right tricep, my left forearm, both hands, my upper back, my neck, and my chin. It takes a solid 10 minutes to be able to get into the car behind the steering wheel and then I sit there for another 10 minutes wondering if I can drive without getting another series of cramps. I have some extra water and a soda in the car so I drink that while I wait.

After a few minutes I decide I feel better and begin a slow drive home. I never cramp on the way and only stop once, at a drive-through McDonald's to get a burger and a 32 ounce Powerade. Once I arrive home my wife insists that I go to the hospital. I was thinking that would be smart by this time anyway. At the hospital, they start me on an IV quickly and run some blood tests. The first tests result in the blood clotting before it could be analyzed so they have to pull blood again. Long story made short, I was dehydrated enough that they kept me overnight for observation to make sure my kidneys and heart were not injured. I had six bags of fluid pumped into me. My upper body recovered quickly, but my legs were sore for four days after I got out of the hospital.