Got an early start this morning, excited to be in striking distance of finishing my last few AT miles in Vermont! On the way out of town, I stopped for breakfast at McDonalds in West Lebanon (0700) and then used US-4 to get to Woodstock. I arrived at the AT Trailhead (empty lot) on VT-12 (north of Woodstock) by 0745. I headed west (AT SOBO) immediately The temps were in the low 60s already but it was overcast, fortunately - I was able to start with a short sleeved shirt again. The first part of this section took me across active cattle pasture (didn’t see any) before I got into the trees. From there, it was a gradual, almost continuous, climb along a long ridge. Leaves were falling everywhere and the white blazes were scarce - this made it hard to see where I was supposed to go. Got turned around a few times but generally made progress as I ascended. Through the trees, I occasionally saw buildings, which I presume were the kind of vacation homes I’ve often seen nearby - really didn’t feel very isolated until I reached the Wintturi/Winturri Shelter at mile four. By then, my elevation was high enough that I could see the ridges to the southwest and noticed that they were covered in dark clouds. It also got windier on that side of the ridge... This motivated me to press onward through the toughest part of the climb: to the top of The Pinnacle. After reaching the summit, I was pleasantly surprised at the leisurely descent on the western slope (very un-AT-like). For the first time all season, I noticed ticks had fallen on my arm - fortunately, they hadn't bit me yet and I was able to brush them off. About half way down, I found myself on an old track which I soon discovered was the unimproved part of Green Gate Road. Since my turnaround point was right where that road and the AT diverged, I started thinking about how it might be easier to backtrack to the car via a different route. A bit later, it started to rain - that made the decision easier! Donning my poncho, I took the blue blazed trail/track to the gravel part of the road and found the parking lot I’d used a few weeks before (empty). From there, I followed country roads all the way back to VT-12, passing pretty farms (including one founded in 1757!) and enjoying the steady downhill grade. Through all of the walking, I didn’t see any other hikers - I only encountered three vehicles and one guard dog (he never left his porch). I reached my car again (the AT lot was full by then) at 1145, having covered nearly 11 miles! Even better than the great pace, though, was the fact that I’d finished every AT mile in Vermont. Figured out I’ve hiked almost exactly 200 new miles of AT in only seven months of 2020. Still hoping for more, of course, but I know I was very lucky that Winter held off for another Saturday... AT Today = 5.2 miles / G.T. AT = 1726.2 miles
