Today we started the hike with some more muddy trail under overcast skies. We hiked towards VT route 9 down a sharp descent and then promptly climbed back up from there. The weather stayed nice and clear and we saw it looks nice for the next few days here, so that was an instant morale boost. Then the trail got a bit nicer and less muddy on the north side of VT 9, which also helped boost the enthusiasm. The forests were nice and piney and much less of the swamp-like trails we had yesterday in northern Massachusetts and southern Vermont.

Typical Vermont mud swamp trail

We didn’t have a lot of sights for most of the day, but it was pretty pleasant hiking and it went fast.

We hiked up to Glastenbury Mountain at the end of the day. The climb was easy. We saw a whole bunch of south bound thru-hikers today. Seeing them is a daily occurrence now. There are also a good number of people out here doing sections and weekend backpacking.

Anyway, Glastenbury is a really neat forest that reminds me of the high altitude forests in the Smokies. The air is crisp and invigorating and the trees are almost all pines. At the top of the mountain is a lookout tower with some excellent views. This is what I’ve been missing for a long while. It’s great to be back in this kind of scenery. It really makes for a nice payoff to the hard work.

East views from Glastenbury

West views from Glastenbury Mountain

We found a campsite about 100 yards from the tower. It’s pretty darn cold up here tonight since we are up near 4000 feet.

Vital stats for Saturday, August 2nd :
Miles hiked today – 16.7
Mood – awesome, still missing Musikfest a bit, but the nice hiking, great views, and good weather help immensely
Physical state – good
Smell – the cold, crisp air helps…a little
Song stuck in my head – 2 Chairs & 1 Tree by Brother