Darwin on the Trail
My friend Darwin started thru hking the LT SOBO last weekend. Has anyone seen hide nor hair of him since?
Not since I dropped him at the very end of Journey's End Road. He was on his way on the approach trail to Journey's End at 12:20 on Sunday. He was heading for Laura Woodward and if he arrived by 6:00 PM was going to hike on to the top of Jay peak. The foliage was near perfect, but it was an off-and-on rain day... wouldn't be the LT without the rain.Originally Posted by garbanz
Hey Quoddy
Thanks for helping him out and for the update. Darwin and I are in the same hiking club here in Indiana and after thruhiking the LT NOBO 2006 and SOBO in 2007 I got him interested in doing the LT this year while I was thruhiking the JMT. The trail out west involved less scrambling and the weather was much more pleasant than in Vermont but I do like the Green Mountains.
I am sure Darwin will be gobbling up big mileage---sounds like it Laura Woodward the first day!
Here's a photo of Darwin after he had signed the trail log at the access point and was just heading out.
The photo didnt come thru---I guess I dont have the right software. You did good to get him all the way in Journeys End Road. My shuttle last year dropped me off by those gates to the hunting camps and l had a mile or two walk in to the register. I started late on September 20th and was a week too early for much foilage color but had a good nights stay at Shooting Star Shelter. Saw 2 moose on the trail.
I got a phone call from Darwin who has only reached Roundtop this evening. He will be forced to do a non-scheduled resupply at Johnson. To quote, "This trail is difficult beyond my wildest dreams". It's a certainty that he won't make it all the way. I said, "Try to make it at least to Killington, if not beyond".
AGAIN THANKS FOR THE UPDATE, QUODDY. i'LL RELAY IT TO THE HIKING CLUB ON OUR SATURDAY HIKE. THE LAST THING I TOLD DARWIN IS "WATCH YOUR FOOTING'' KNOWING HE HADNT SCRAMBLED BEFORE LIKE THE LT REQUIRES UP NORTH. I ALSO TOLD HIM WHEN HE GETS TO PUFFER HE WILL KNOW HE HAS COVERED SOME ROUGH TRAIL.
I THINK HE WILL FINISH UNLESS HE HAS A TIME CONSTRAINT ON WHEN HE MUST RETURN. HOPING FOR GOOD WEATHER TO SHOW THE VIBRANT VERMONT SUGAR MAPLES!
He only has until the 12th or early the 13th at the latest which makes it impossible to get even close to the finish. He sounded a bit down and I told him he has some of the very best, although even tougher hiking, sections beginning by tomorrow afternoon. At that time he'll be heading up Whiteface.
The northern half of the LT is difficult: far more difficult than a lot of other trails I've hiked like the AT. My big take away from hiking it is that "you can't control everything."
There were many days when I simply couldn't do the mileage that I wanted to do or hike at my regular AT speed, because the terrain was too tough. This was disappointing at first until I decided it was therapeutic. There are some things in life you can't change and that you need to live with without getting all bummed out about.
I know this is mushy philosophical drivel, but the LT beat the control freak in me to a bloody pulp, and it's carried over into my daily life in a very positive way.
At Journey's end shelter, the upper right bunk has this written on it: It is what it is. No fooling.
From Whiteface he will see Mansfield---if climbing the chin doesnt freak him out them Id say Darwin will have time enough to make it thru the rougher northern sections around Camel's Hump and MT Abraham. And yes the Inn at the Long Trail may very well be where he runs out of time. There is a bus to Rutland stopping there Ive told him about.
I might add that it took me 20 days to complete the LT both times I thru hiked it. Although I know many hardy souls could do it in less time, Darwin would benefit from a similar 20 day time frame---trying to rush the northern sections up has magnified their difficulty.
I'll pick him up at the Inn at the Long Trail, no problem. I just hope that I don't have to go too much further north than that. It woul be a shame for him to miss out on anything north of Killington, and particularly north of Mount Abraham.
Thanks for helping Darwin out Quoddy. Maybe he can finish the southern LT later.
I'm in Maine right now and got a call from Darwin this morning. He was grabbing some supplies in Richmond and was about to head up Camel's Hump. It looks as if he'll be coming off the trail Saturday at Middlebury Gap.
Thanks for the update Quoddy. At least he will have covered the 4 peaks. Hopefully he is taking some extra time up there to enjoy the scenic views and savor the colors of fall.
So Quoddy I was wondering if you picked Darwin up. How's the Vermont weather been the last week?
Darwin got a ride from a hiker he met on the trail from Appalachian Gap to Williamstown where I met him with his car late yesterday afternoon. When I asked about the hike he said, "That trail kicked my a$$". The weather has been near perfect for the past week. Daytime temperatures in the 60's and mostly clear skies. Combined with the leaf change it was spectacular.
Just did the 11/30 to Rt.9 section, absolutely gorgeous this weekend!!
I wish Id been hiking the Lt last week ---put me in the big mileage southern section where I dont have to look down for trip hazards and can view the foliage. God I miss the Greens!
Thank you for the photo
Dear John,
Thank you for the photo. Garbanz (Gary) told me about it yesterday.
I hope that you're doing well.
Darwin
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