If my dedication to this whole list thing was ever in question, let this be the day to debunk any doubts. Today, I turned 24. I also woke up at 3:50 am, loaded up my daypack, threw on my brandy-new trail runners (had to see what the Altra hype was about - happy birthday to me!), and jumped in the truck for 2 and 1/2 hours to Huntington for my 5th and final Vermont four thousand footer. I arrived at a misty 6:45 am after getting a bit turned around from spotty service and got right to work. There was only one other car in the lot of the Burrows trailhead, I figured must be a Long Trail section hiker as not many people would be hiking at this hour on a Monday morning.
The trail seemed to split into two sides for the majority of the way; do you prefer slick rocks or twisted roots? Take your pick! I have to say, these shoes are amazing. Recently, I’d been having a hard time retiring 3 pairs of trail runners in lieu of trying out the new, trendy zero-drop shoes. The Salomon X-Mission 3s were my go-to hiker for the last 6 years and I’d busted through my last pair on my way down from Pico two days before. I’d also been noticing some radiating knee and back pain, especially coming down steep sections, so I did my research and opted to try the Altra Lone Peak 5 - arguably their most popular model. Science dictates that humans aren’t meant to be walking with a heel drop - it’s just not natural - and with most shoes featuring an average 12mm drop, it doesn’t seem like much, but that drop rocks you onto the ball of your feet and places unnecessary stress on your knees (putting my EMS Footwear Guru training to use here!) The wide toe box and super grippy soles made them infinitely more comfortable than a standard, cramped trail runner. I moving faster and more securely, especially because of how damp the air was, making everything slippery.
Not a soul on trail today which meant an eerie dichotomy of my nerves - so many things can go wrong when out in the wilderness - and enjoying the comfort of my own company. I set my start time, my pace, everything was up to me and I thrive given that independence. Burrows trail was incredibly straightforward; you are going straight up a mountain, it will be steep but manageable. At just over 2 miles, I joined up with the Long Trail south to reach the summit at around 8:20 am. There are supposed to be stunning views of the area and that iconic rock formation that makes The Hump, The Hump, but due to wind currents blowing wildfire smoke down through Canada from the western U.S. and seemingly imminent rain, I could hardly see 10 ft in front of me. Though disappointed, I couldn’t help but think how cool it was to be up there all alone in the mist, surrounded by salamanders just doing their thing. I put on the album I’d downloaded, Cornell 5/8/77, and stayed up there waiting out to see if the clouds would give for about an hour. It just wasn’t meant to be that day, so I somehow found those white blazes and started my climb down.
I began to see other hikers about two thirds of the way down, all of them so kind and pleasant, even for an “I hate Mondays” type of morning. The trail community in the Northeast is simply unrivaled and I’m so glad to be a part of it. I made it back to the truck around 11 and started my drive back to Clarendon, that other-worldly landscape still buzzing around in my head. The sun started to peer out as I was leaving Camel’s Hump State Park; I glanced up at where I’d just been sitting about an hour and a half prior and thought - what if I’d just started a little later, waited a little longer? No. If we’re constantly bothered with all the “what if’s”, we can never appreciate the “be here, now’s.”
Anyway, I’m off to Gringo Jack’s for some tacos and margaritas.
NH 0/48
New England 5/67
New England 6/100 Highest
Northeast 6/115
