September 29th, 2022: U.S. Route 2 to Taylor Lodge (11.7 miles, 4,393 ft elevation gain)
I checked out of the inn and met my taxi in the parking lot around 08:30.
A quick ride back to Notch Road, and I was back on the trail. This section went through the woods, and the first few miles were the nicest I have walked on in days. It felt good to have some dirt under my feet, vs. the constant rock scrambling of the past few days.
Bolton Mountain was said to be a slog; the summit is mostly wooded, there aren’t many views, and it is a rugged climb. Maybe I was rested, but it didn’t seem worse than any other so far. The weather was noticeably cooler than it had been; fall was creeping in.
My original goal for the day was the Puffer shelter. Upon arrival, I saw it had an eastward-facing view with a fantastic vista of the Green Mountains; it would have made a great shelter for the night. Unfortunately, it was too early for me to stay there, and Taylor Lodge was just a few miles ahead.
Descending Bolton Mountain, I passed a mostly dried-up beaver dam. I had heard it was a dry summer and fall, and the rains from the past 3 days hadn’t done much to increase the water supply.
I made it to Taylor Lodge, a 2-level enclosed shelter with two makeshift windows and a porch. It also had a good view and was one of the nicer ones I had seen on the trail.
Two other hikers, Shane and Brian, ended up also coming to the shelter to stay. They were friends who had grown up in Vermont. Every year, they complete a section of the Long Trail. They started at the southern terminus a few years ago and were now doing another section up to Johnson.
The water source for the shelter was over a quarter mile away, but it was a great piped spring, and it had some great views of the cliffs above.
The rest of the night was spent chatting with Shane and Brian. The temperature dropped below 30 degrees that night. I said goodnight and climbed into my sleeping bag.
Previously: Long Trail: Day 15 (Zero Day in Waterbury)
Next: Long Trail: Day 17 (Taylor Lodge to Sterling Pond)