AT Day 100 – A wet but not miserable day

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24th July

20.4 miles 

Killington (1704.1) to Hwy 12 Earlybird’s House (1724.5)

I stepped out the front door of the hotel to dark grey clouds and imminent rain. Just after 6am I started hiking and by around 6.30 I had my rain gear on. Not only was it raining but it was cold. It seemed like only a week ago I was suffering in the heat and humidity. The northern states have a reputation for early cold weather, sometimes there isn’t much of a summer.

Rolling hills and slippery trails summed up the days hike. I stopped at the first shelter to grab a quick snack and water. It was around 9am and it had several hikers wrapped in sleeping bags, they weren’t in a hurry to move.

I continued on the sometimes steep trail, including one ladder that I had to use to get down a cliff. I was making good time in the rain. I was hoping to hike the 20 miles from Killington to highway 12 to meet up with Earlybird, a thru hiker I met on the CDT last year. She kindly offered to host me for the night.

I was making good time had time so I made a small detour to a private shelter called The Lookout. It’s more luxurious than normal AT shelters, it has a fireplace and 4 walls instead of 3. That’s luxury. When I arrived there were about 8 hikers laying on their mats and wrapped up in their sleeping bags. They hadn’t moved all day. It was just after midday.

I lingered and chatted to the other hikers, none of which I’d ever met before. It was around 2pm when I took my first steps outside the shelter. My steps were slow and deliberate. I was cold. My whole body started to shiver and I started to feel a little bit uncoordinated as I walked. I tried to walk as fast as I dared and tensed my upper body to try and generate body heat. It worked but it took around 15 minutes to warm up. It was a further hour before my body was comfortably warm.

There had been a cold soaking rain all day. I use a waterproof case to store my phone. To use it I needed a dry bit of tissue to dry the screen and my fingers, the phone wouldn’t work if I didn’t do this. I used lots of toilet tissue today.

Just before 4.30pm I arrived at the trailhead and parking area on highway 12. My body was soaked to the bone. I waited less than a minute until Earlybird arrived and whisked me off to her home in the middle of nowhere only a couple of miles from the trail.


Next : Day 101 – Houston we have a problem

All the best information on the Appalachian Trail:
Complete Guide to the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail Gear List
Appalachian Trail Gear Review

All the best information on the Appalachian Trail:
Complete Guide to the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail Gear List
Appalachian Trail Gear Review

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About the Author:
Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. He has hiked on every continent (except Antarctica) and has cycled from Alaska to Ecuador. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile.

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