{"id":3297,"date":"2017-07-05T20:20:24","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T20:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=3297"},"modified":"2017-07-10T20:33:46","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T20:33:46","slug":"long-trail-day-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=3297","title":{"rendered":"Long Trail Day 19"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>10 Miles (222 Total)\n

Smugglers Notch to Bear Hallow Shelter<\/p>\n

We had a lazy morning drinking coffee and cooking breakfast. It\u2019s great to have your own kitchen when on trail. You can buy lots of food at the store and have yourself a grand feast. This morning it was scrambled eggs with tomato and avocado, and toast with cream cheese. Our stomachs were very happy before setting off back to the trail.<\/p>\n

After a quick hitch we were back at Smugglers Notch hiking north again, up another large mountain. It was steep going, but only a few times did we need to scramble up rocks. At the top was Sterling Pond, a popular pond that can be accessed via a shorter side trail. There were about a few dozen people up there swimming and taking pictures. Dogs paddled in the pond too and shook off the water on the beach, inadvertently spraying a bunch of people. The pond goers weren\u2019t thrilled.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
A birch tree shedding its skin<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
An old and rare staircase up a rocky slope<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
Stowe ski runs<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
Sterling Pond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe trail rose again to Madonna Peak, where Smugglers Notch ski resort has a lift. There was a warming hut there and we had lunch inside, trying to get away from the bugs.\n
\"\"<\/a>
A lone pair of Victoria\u2019s Secret underwear hanging from a tree<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
The warming hut on top of Madonna Mountain at Smugglers Notch Ski resort<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
Used fireworks<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
Inside the warming hut<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe next three miles took us three hours. It was pretty horrible. Very steep terrain, both up and down, to eventually get to and over viewless Whiteface Mountain. There is a lot to like about the Long Trail, but the trail tread (or lack thereof) is not one of them.\n
\"\"<\/a>
We will go the left way<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a>
A pleasant view northward<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI wonder sometimes the thought process that went into building this trail. I know it was from a different time, early 1910s, where the word switchback wasn\u2019t even invented yet. But it doesn\u2019t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the best way to the top of a mountain is typically not the most direct. It seems these people thought otherwise, though. And over the years, that\u2019s just the way it was, without any plans to improve upon it.\n

Oh, there\u2019s a summit up there? Let\u2019s just cut the trail the shortest and most direct way possible. It doesn\u2019t matter that you need to crawl on all fours to get there. The people will figure out a way or die trying.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s starting to really get to me. It\u2019s very frustrating. I can\u2019t even remember the AT in New Hampshire or Maine being this bad.<\/p>\n

Luckily it\u2019s almost over- I\u2019m not sure how much more of this I would really want to hike. It\u2019s mind numbingly infuriating not being able to jut walk without thinking about roots, rocks and mud.<\/p>\n

Not much more left. Looking forward to reaching the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

10 Miles (222 Total) Smugglers Notch to Bear Hallow Shelter We had a lazy morning drinking coffee and cooking breakfast. It\u2019s great to have your own kitchen when on trail. You can buy lots of food at the store and have yourself a grand feast. This morning it was scrambled eggs with tomato and avocado, 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