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September 5th, 2021: Congon Shelter to Goddard Shelter (13.3 miles, 3,868 ft elevation gain)
It was a chilly morning, with a lot of fog, and the forecast called for rain later in the afternoon. After a quick bite, I said goodbye to Mr. Bobblehead and Hoodwallah (the other hiker who arrived at the shelter after I fell asleep) and set off.
It was about 15 miles to get to Glastenbury Fire Tower, where I was going to try to make camp, and I was racing because the clouds looked ominous.
The first portion of the hike was pretty easy, and it stayed that way until there was a steep descent to Route 9, which contained lots of sharp rocks. Immediately after crossing Route 9, there is a climb up the next mountain. It was steep, but thankfully, the 1.4-mile climb up the mountain was not as difficult as I expected. After the climb, I stopped at the Melville Nauheim shelter for a water break.
That is when the rain started. On an already muddy trail, the rain created a quagmire. The whole time, I was trying (and failing) to avoid the mud that was forming. Unfortunately, with all the hurricanes that have come through, that has created more mud than usual this time of year.
After lightly raining for a few hours, it started to downpour. I knew I would not be able to make it to the Glastenbury fire tower, so I decided to stay at Goddard Shelter to avoid having to set up my tent in the rain. That was the best decision I’ve made so far, because it poured all night. I was later joined by many hikers, and soon the shelter was full.
After talking gear and trading stories through the next few hours, I told everyone that was planning on doing a 19-mile day tomorrow to make it to Stratton Pond Shelter. Based on the lack of enthusiasm, I don’t think they all have the same plan.
Previously: Long Trail: Day 1 (Pine Coble Rd to Congon Shelter)
Next: Long Trail: Day 3 (Goddard Shelter to Stratton Pond Shelter)