7/23/01
My watch alarm abruptly sounded at 6:15 a.m.and I fought it to reset for another 15 minutes slumber. Another night with an hour long coughing session made me weary and I really didn't want to get up. However, Phantom was scheduled to meet his mother, stepfather and girlfriend Carisa at the bottom of the gondola ride at Stratton Mountain around 3:30. We had 16 miles of ups and downs between us and the summit of Stratton where we planned to catch the gondola down to the Stratton village below. Just before 7:00 a.m. we began the day hike in cool, crisp weather. We covered the first four miles in an hour and ten minutes, stopping at the Caughnawaga shelter for a water break and a visit to the privy. Another five miles through heavy undergrowth and past two beaver ponds brought us to the Story Spring shelter where we met Pandora. Pandora has been behind and in front of us at various times, but we've never actually met so it was fun talking trail talk with him and catching up on our trail experiences for the last 1600 miles. As the three of us ate lunch at the shelter, another northbound thru-hiker arrived. Swift started his northward journey at Springer on May 20th, a full two months after I started. He has been hiking 25 to 30 miles per day with only two zero mile days since starting. He didn't stay long to talk as he had yet another full day ahead of him. I know everyone hikes his own hike, but I can't imagine hiking 15 hours a day every single day with no time to stop and enjoy the views or to participate in the great social and cultural part of the trail experience.
After reloading on some crystal clear spring water (approximately 38 degrees), we began the ascent of Stratton Mountain. The trail was nicely graded to the top with only a few steep sections along the 1,500' climb. On the way up Phantom and I heard a nasty rumor from Pandora that the gondola at the summit was only running on weekends. When we popped up to the firetower and caretaker's cabin up top, we learned that the rumor was true. Disaster ! ! ! I could barely control my anger as I realized that I would have to face descending all the way back down the mountain, only to climb all the way back up, just to retrieve my food drop. I got madder by the minute as I thought through the facts. Both the ATC trail companion book and Wingfoot's AT Hiker guide specifically stated that the gondolas hours of operation were from 9:00 to 5:00 daily, weather permitting. I had made a decision to have a food drop sent there on that basis. The ATC book had specified that mail drops could be picked up at the ski patrol building at the base of the gondola. As I was feeling lethargic and tired from the long climb 14 miles into the day, I was in no mood to have to do six additional non-trail miles straight down and up. Phantom faced a similar crisis since his family was waiting for him at Stratton Village down below. My mind raced through all of the options as I angrily began the .7 mile blue blaze side trail to the gondola with Phantom. In a matter of seconds I decided that I could make it to Manchester Center tomorrow with my leftover food and eliminate the need to hike to the bottom and back. Phantom agreed to retrieve my box for me. Since he would have access to a car, he said he and his family would drive from Stratton Mtn. to Manchester Center where he would leave my package at the outfitter there. Hastily, Phantom continued down the side trail while I made a U-turn to return to the AT to continue north. We really didn't even have a chance to say goodbye or formulate a plan to see each other down the trail after his two-day sabbatical with his family ends Thursday morning.
Relieved that I didn't have to make the ridiculous side trip, I thought about the fact that none of the hiker shelter registers nor none of the hiker information boards said anything about the gondola hours and days changing. The next 3.2 miles down to Stratton Pond went quickly and it was only 5:00 p.m. when I reached the pond. I decided to tent camp at the North Shore tenting area on the pond, another half mile around the pond. When I arrived at the tenting area I was surprised to find only Ryan from Raleigh with his girlfriend Beth, who had just flown from NC to join him on the trail. The Stratton Pond area is known as the most popular camping spot along the entire AT in Vermont. I thought that it was ironic that the only campers there were from NC and that there were only three of us in the entire site. With a warm breezy evening and a warm night ahead of me, I set up the free standing tent on the platform without tying it down and without the rainfly over the tent. After dinner I visited the gorgeous pond to wash off and soak my feet. Two years ago the troop camped in the same spot and we soaked our feet and watched the newts eat the dead skin off our feet. I know it sounds painful, but it actually feels great with a little tickle feeling as the newts clean off all the dead skin. After enjoying the pond for awhile I went back to the safety of the bug free tent as the sun set and dusk approached. From inside the nearly 100% mesh walls of the tent, I watched chipmunks and red squirrels quarrel over territory for food as they chased each other all around the tent. Soon darkness enveloped the tent as I quietly read and attempted journaling. Soon I was fighting sleep and succumbed to the comfortable bed for the night. Despite the near disaster at Stratton Mtn. it was a great hiking day on the trail and I enjoyed the peaceful evening by the pond without any human contact for hours. Today's stats: low 52, high 87. Sunny and breezy. Today's mileage: 19.3; cumulative mileage; 1,621.7.
