Kid Gore is one of those rare shelters with a decent view right from the front step. This one wasn’t too spectacular but we got to see another sunrise. I was actually awake about 40 minutes before the actual sunrise, took some pictures, laid down again, then got up to take more pictures when the sun was actually out. I’d actually rather have slept through this one, but I can’t really go back to sleep once I’ve been up.
The actual hike today was fun, we covered about 15 miles, most of it gently sloping with the exception of the historic Stratton Mountain at the end of the day. Right now the AT actually overlaps with the Long Trail which runs the entire length of Vermont. The original ideas for both the Long Trail and the AT were conceived on the summit of Stratton – first the Long Trail, then about 15 years later the AT. The climb up was beautiful, there is a different feeling walking through the forest up here in New England, especially now as we see some higher elevation again. Everything feels older, more mysterious, and more elegant. The sky is always a magnificent blue and the air is totally clean and crisp. The summit of Stratton had another firetower lookout with excellent views. There was quite a bit of water visible this time and trees as far as the eye could see. It was pretty windy up there today and with sweat covered clothes and 60 something degree air it was rather chilly.
The descent was about three miles to our final destination today – Stratton Pond Shelter. The trail continued the Vermont trend of lots of roots and mud with a few rocks mixed in. There’s plenty of places where the trail has been built with board walks or long series of boulders as stepping stones to allow for passage over the wettest, muddiest parts. Still going strong without rain right now though so most of it is passable without any trouble at the moment. We actually had to pay $5 each to stay at this shelter tonight, one of only two shelters on the AT where there’s a fee. I guess it actually goes toward maintaining the Long Trail and its’ shelters. The place is nice and clean though since there’s a caretaker up daily to collect the fee and clean.