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September 26th, 2022: Stark’s Nest to Montclair Glen Lodge (11.2 miles, 2,992 ft elevation gain)
When I woke up, the fog was thick around the warming hut. I ate a quick breakfast and went to the nearby booth to find that my clothes were completely dry, thanks to the heater inside.
The rain stopped sometime in the night, and while I was grateful for that. The storm had turned the next few miles past Appalachian Gap into a wet, muddy disaster. It was treacherous and included a few different points of rebar ladders. I slipped no less than 3 times, but somehow, I did not fall.
Upon reaching Appalachian Gap, I crossed the road to find the trail going back into the woods. The trail straight north of the road was a steep, rocky climb. I was told that Appalachian Gap was the dividing line between the “easy” and “difficult” sections of the Long Trail. A tough 6 miles later, and I arrived at Cowles Cove Shelter. I stopped for lunch and checked the weather. It called for heavy rain later in the day. I did not want to be out when that happened, so I left, trying to beat the storm. It was another 5 miles to my destination of Montclair Glen Lodge.
Continuing up Burnt Rock Mountain, the sun came out for the first time since being back on the trail. I hiked up the next peak (Mt. Ethan Allen), and it took forever. This part of the hike included a very tall ladder that was quite scary to climb down. Somewhere between Mt. Ethan Allen and Montclair Glen Lodge, it finally started raining…then it started pouring. I picked up my speed with reckless abandon, trying to get to the lodge as quickly as I could.
It still took a long time to make it to Montclair Glen Lodge. Once I was there, I met the caretaker. It was 5 dollars to stay, and she wrote me an IOU since I didn’t have cash. I asked her about the nearby Camel’s Hump, which is tomorrow’s challenge. She said that as long as it doesn’t rain too hard, it would be safe. That was a relief, because I heard it can be a dangerous climb.
After the caretaker went to her own shelter, I made dinner and used the portable grill located at the shelter to dry off my wet clothes. I don’t know if that was technically allowed, but my clothes were soaking wet, it was a cold night, and I had a big climb ahead of me. The caretaker has my email, and when they email me for the 5 dollars, I will send a little extra for using some of the fuel for the grill. After 30 minutes, my clothes were completely dry, and the inside of the lodge was toasty.
Previously: Long Trail: Day 12 (Lincoln Gap Road to Stark’s Nest)
Next: Long Trail: Day 14 (Montclair Glen Lodge to U.S. Route 2)