The hike from Logan had been long and hot. It was the type of day where I would ask the “why am I doing this again?” question at every steep gain in elevation. Now I was sitting at the Sucker Brook shelter. The shelter is an older construction. It is a three sided wooden structure with a sloped metal roof, similar to Rolston. In front of the entrance is a large fire pit of made of stones, with a few worn boards of lumber balanced on the stones as crude benches.
A man sat next to me, less than 10 feet away.
”Hello” he said.
“Good Afternoon” I replied. “I’m Jack”.
My trail name is “Guam Guy” he replied.
”Where’s the best water source?” I asked.
He indicated the stream a few hundred feet away. I nodded, grabbed my dirty bottle and set out.
The flies and mosquitos here were ferocious, certainly the worst I had encountered all week. The black flies spawn in the water, and the air was thick with them. I found the best place to catch a flow of clear running water to fill my bottle. A folded leaf on one of the rocks made a perfect natural spout, and I tipped the bottle underneath. The stream ran weakly, but the leaf spout was an ideal collection point.
I immediately filtered it into my clean bottle with care not to contaminate it. I refilled the dirty container a second time.
Back at the shelter, I reapplied some repellent and then simply sat drinking water. I needed to replenish my body. I knew I was dehydrated and had not felt the need to use a privy for some time. I was finishing off the first liter when the lady hikers from Logan arrived. We all had seen a rough day. One of them asked for the water source location and we pointed out the stream. As she walked away, I called out, “look for the leaf!” Guam Guy nodded in agreement.
I soon joined her down at the stream. I needed another full bottle for cooking. I pointed out the leaf spout, and water in hand, returned to set up my hammock and eat.
Heat and exhaustion left me with little appetite.
We all were dispersed around the shelter. My fellow hikers carried tents, and I had chosen a spot a hundred feet from the shelter for the hammock. I had preferred a different site, but the position of the trees offered a clear canopy of branches overhead that was free of potential widow makers.
We chatted during dinner at the shelter. I’ve learned that even though I prefer to be a solo hiker, interaction and meeting people that share a common interest is one of the best benefits of backpacking. Sometimes you meet a person just for one evening, or cross paths multiple times through your hike. Both had occurred this week. The stories that are shared are unique and relatable at the same time. Soon it was time to retire to the bug free sanctuary, my hammock. It was still daylight, but we were all tired of batting away the flies, and one by one made our way to our sleeping quarters.
There is a modern moldering privy several hundred yards away from the shelter that is in good condition. After cleaning up for the night and positioning my bear can well away from our sleeping area, I swung myself into the hammock and zipped it shut to keep out the pests.
I positioned a bottle outside the hammock, and for the next hour until dusk, continued to sip and take in more water. The night was warm. It wasn’t until 22:00 that I even needed to slip into the light sleeping bag I had packed.
My sleep was fitful, but that’s not uncommon. Sleeping outdoors can lead to some vivid dreams. I awoke just before dawn. In the predawn darkness the several Barred Owls in the trees called to each other, “who cooks for you?” Quietly, I rose and began to break camp. When the others had joined me at the shelter, I was already finishing breakfast. The air was warm, and the bugs were awake as well. This would be my last day in the forest. I would end my hike at Middlebury Gap. Guam Guy and the ladies were continuing on, headed north.
“I am bugging out of this buggy campsite” I said with a smile and bid them a safe trip. Shouldering my pack, I climbed the spur trail back to the Long Trail.
I estimated I would have to log 4 miles to the parking lot to get out.
I had planned to meet up with John at the parking lot, and we would have to head south and resupply from my car, before continuing north. I was well ahead of schedule. It was 7:00 when I left Sucker. I guessed I would be out by 10:00. I was allowing for a slow pace due to hot weather, and the hike over Worth Mountain. John was not due to arrive until 7pm! I didn’t want to sit idle at the Gap for that long.
The trail was muddy in areas, but there were no streams of value if I decided I needed water.
My final miles out were easier after sweating my way over the mountain. The chairlifts were idle on the north side of Worth, as I made my way out of the darkness of the trees. It was like being dug out of the ground, and I blinked in the bright sun.
Clear signage and blazes kept me on the right path, and I wove my way towards the road, crossing the slopes.
At 9:30, I finally walked out into the parking area at Middlebury Gap, as planned. Before leaving, I signed out of the register at the trailhead.
I stood alone on the side of the highway on the saddle of the mountains. Now, how to get back to the car?
An Unmapped Route: A Hiker's Blog 