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September 12th, 2021: U.S. Route 4 to David Logan Shelter (12.8 miles, 2,477 ft elevation gain)
It is hard to describe how demoralizing it is when you go in to resupply and leave with a much heavier pack.
That is the exact situation I found myself in, checking out of the Killington motel in the early morning. I walked the mile down the road and took the Sherbourne Pass Trail to the AT. It was a nice day, and as heavy as the pack was, I was glad to be back on the trail.
Within the first few miles after leaving Route 4 was Maine Junction. This is where the AT and Long Trail part ways. Going north on the AT would lead you to Katahdin, and going north on the LT would take you to Canada.
The most memorable thing I could say about this next 14-mile section of the trail was the fact that there were a lot of downed trees, and the trail was very twisty. By the time I got to my destination (David Logan Shelter), it felt like I had gone backwards. It was a weird phenomenon.
I arrived at the shelter fairly early, which was lucky since it ended up being full. After hanging out for a few hours, Ryan ended up making it into camp. I helped him set up his shelter since his parents were very generous to me yesterday.
I awoke in the middle of the night to use the privy, and it was extremely foggy outside. Even with my headlamp, it was tough to navigate. I was able to find my way to the privy, but on my way back, I got turned around, and for a brief moment, it felt like I might be lost. After heading back in the direction of the shelter, I used my headlamp to find the reflective tape on my bear canister. From there, I was able to get back to my bed.
Previously: Long Trail: Day 8 (Zero Day #1)
Next: Long Trail: Day 10 (David Logan Shelter to Middlebury Snow Bowl)