Day 10 – Camel’s Hump
The majority of the day’s hike takes places along the spine of the Bamforth Ridge, a rocky path with open views for much of the way.
I meet a norhtbound hiker on a steep section near treeline, and describe what’s ahead of him along Bamforth Ridge. Nearby is a great tasting spring where I camel up and fill my bottles, so I can cook dinner on the summit. A number of day hikers are in the area – the first people I’ve seen all day.
Camel’s Hump is the finest mountain in Vermont.
Unlike Mansfield, there’s no auto road to the top, no television transmission towers, and no ski development. It’s simply hiking trails and wilderness. There’s a handful of hikers on the summit, as well as the GMC caretaker, “I basically live on this mountan,” she says, “You’re only the second person I’ve ever seen cook a meal up here!” This evening on Camel’s Hump is likely my single most memorable experience on The Long Trail.
I continue for a mile in the dark under clear skies. The boulder’s surface is cool to the touch as I scramble down rocks on the south side of the mountain. Lights begin to twinkle in the valley below – the conditions provide for excellent night-hiking.
I walk up on Montclair Glen Shelter and meet a man lying out on the rocks, looking at the stars. Inside there are three 15 year old boys burning candles and joking about obscene things, as teenage boys do. The interior of the shelter is smoky, so I set up my bed in the open underneath the stars. Those who live in the city never see a sky like this. Before dozing off, I count three shooting stars, two satellites, and one Milky Way.
Hike North______________The Long Trail______________Hike South
