Day 18 - Killington Peak |

Day 18 - Killington Peak

Hike North______________The Long Trail______________Hike South

The Long Trail, End-to-End Journal (Southbound)
October 13, 2007
The Inn at the Long Trail to Cooper Lodge
LT Miles - 5.9
Total LT Miles - 174.8
Extra Miles - 7

I wake to the unfamiliar sound of an alarm clock in time for breakfast at the inn. I sit alone and only briefly reflect on my last breakfast here, at a large table with at least five other backpackers. I’m the only hiker here today, and other guests discuss local leaf-peeping opportunities. I fondly remembered the dining room, with its boulder built into the wall. The pancakes, sausage, and coffee do not disappoint.

I take some pictures in the lobby area before hiking out.
“They’re calling for a chance of snow in the mountains tonight,” somebody says.

Tonight I wish to stay on top of Killington Peak, which is the second highest point in Vermont. The summit is a relatively short hike away, so this day is punctuated by plenty of side trail exploration, beginning with a one mile hike back north up to Deer Leap - the rocky overlook visible directly above the inn.

The day is clear, cold, and windy as I observe the traffic on route 4 below. There are several day hikers out on this Saturday morning. One remarks about how I’m wearing shorts in this cold weather - I’m used to it and hadn’t even noticed.

Pico Peak stands to the south, omnipotent over Sherburne Pass.

Deer Leap

I backtrack to the inn and look up at Deer Leap. As I’m taking these pictures I see a backpacker come out of the woods to the south, so I scurry back across the street to say hello. This is how I meet Frog, a southbound AT section hiker. He’s from Santa Cruz, California. We talk for a short time - I recommend the bar at the inn, and say that I intend to stay at Cooper Lodge tonight. He has to do laundry and town chores, and I continue on my side trails.

Across the street from the inn is the site of original Long Trail Lodge (From above), the early GMC headquarters that burned down in 1968. It was a marvel of natural architecture, built of logs and adorned with birch bark and other features.