The Smichna Adventures

Want to know what a typical day was like for us?   We would wake up anywhere between 4:30 and 6.  Depending when we went to sleep and what was ahead of us that day.  I'd usually be the one to crawl out of the warm tent and get the food bags from the bear hang or bear box and start coffee.  If it's not raining, when I leave the tent I'll bring my sleeping quilt and airpad out with me and hang them on the clothes line to air out a bit. (I sleep hot and sweat a lot)  Once coffee is ready we'll sip and take turns packing up whatever we have in the tent. (It's easier to go one at a time in such a small place.)  Then we change back into our hiking clothes,  which were typically damp and cold, so that's fun!  But it's like jumping into a cool swimming pool.  It's awful for 3 seconds then you're used to it. Once we're done with coffee we pack up the tent.  He carried the tent and poles/stakes, and I carried the rain fly and footprint. Two p...

The final day. Miles hiked today: 4? LT miles: 182 So Brendans foot is swollen up pretty bad this morning.  We made the right call.  Unfortunately it's raining so we're finishing going downhill on slick rocks.   We got to the trailhead parking lot and made arrangements for a room and a rental car so we can go pick up my car from the northern terminus tomorrow.  We spent about 2 hours trying to find a ride to town and a truck happened by us and offered us a ride!  Owner of Black Barn Farms.  Super cool guy and his grandson.  We rented a car so we can go pick up mine tomorrow and a got a room for tonight near Montpelier. The shower was worth it all!   We are both sad and miss the trail already but we absolutely made the right decision.  I know for me post hike depression will hit hard.  And man I will miss just eating whatever all day, lol! I'll update this blog with our other hiking adventures for sure!  Thanks for followin...

Miles hikes today: 6 LT miles: 179 Bamford shelter As if things couldn't have gotten worse yesterday;  a large group of teens showed up and filled the shelter and surrounding area last night.  School group.   We actually slept okay given how loud it was for awhile. Headed up Camel's Hump this morning. Weather once again changed to our favor so no rain until evening!  Camel's Hump was absolutely terrifying.  But amazing too.  You could see forever in all directions.  Once again it took us ALL DAMN DAY to go 6 miles.  But we did have that pesky mountain in the way.  Brutal hike today.  It's our packs honestly.  With day packs we'd have done that a lot quicker and easier.  Having all that weight throwing your balance off really slows you down. And there were places we just could not get through with them on so we'd have to stop, take the packs off, climb up/down/thru, hand off the packs, put them back on....which all takes ti...

Miles hiked today: 5 LT miles: 173 Montclair Glen Cottage. Up at 430 well before the sun.  Oof.  Barely slept anyway.  Wanted to get up, eat and packed so we can start at first light and have plenty of time. Heard the coyotes chattering around to each other. So it took us 7 hours to go 5 miles.  We can't do Camel's Hump today. Got to next shelter at 1 and we're done.  We fell a lot and it took all our mental energy to not fall more. This was the worst and scariest terrain yet.  Mentally we're too beat up for any more. If we were near a road we'd be done today.  I guess that's it.

Miles hiked today: 6 LT miles: 169 Slept in a little.  Breakfast isn't until 8 anyway. Oh it was nice.  The bed was so soft.  My everything hurts.  I am so unbelievably sore all over.  Walking.  Ow.  We spent some time trying to figure out the next few days but weather is not working in our favor. As of now it's supposed to be raining the day we go over Camel's Hump.  Which is a worse climb/descent than we did yesterday.  And that makes things way more dangerous. So we're not entirely sure what to do here.  Either way today will be shorter as we won't hit the trail until late morning, we still need to buy food. Today is the day I'm not feeling this.   Every time we stop in a town I'm less ready to hit the trail again.  And Waitsfield was a cute little town.  I liked it way better than Rutland. And the B&B was so cozy.  Ok, stop being a wimp.   The B&B owner dropped us at the grocery and we got s...

Miles hiked today: 10 LT miles: 163 Up before the sun for the last mile up Mount Abraham.  SO WORTH IT OMG.  Glad we waited for better weather.  Although it's COLD. But omg wow. Such an amazing 360 view.  And more to come! We hit several peaks and now have a very long and steep downhill.  But Brendan booked us a room at an inn nearby so we can shower, do laundry and resupply!  The hike down the mountain was probably the most scared I've been in years.  That was terrifying!  While we were on a peak Brendan called down to town to get a room for us at a super cute B&B.  They were so nice and even offered to come pick us up at the trailhead!  We got a double suite and ordered some burgers.  It's a super cute place out in the country.   Apparently the northern lights might be visible tonight here!  Might miss that.  So sleepy. 

It took most of the night for the pain to subside.  My feet, knees and hips THROBBED. And It got COLD last night.  Coldest yet.  And this morning....it's raining. Normally we just suck it up and hike in the rain but it's raining and cold and that's no Bueno. So we're just sitting in the tent. No cell service here.  Waiting on a weather update on my Garmin.  Looks like rain should stop late morning so we sit tight and have a shorter day. Which, after yesterday, we are SO ok with.  We are getting low on food though but should be able to get to a town by tomorrow maybe. Gotta admit it was nice to sleep in and just kinda hang out here in the shelter watching the rain, drinking coffee. Putting cold damp clothes on sucked though.  But we're getting used to it.  It's amazing the things we're getting used to.  We started getting packed up and got water from the stream and the rain lightened. By about 10 we were ready.  So late!  Glad we wai...