Today's miles 18. AT miles 1716.9
The Inn at Long Trail served just as good a breakfast as their bar meals, Nigel had Buttermilk pancakes and I had French toast. We left the inn at 8:20 and walked the 0.5 mile side trail back uphill to rejoin the AT which went immediately back downhill again to Gifford Woods State Park where we passed the 1700 mile mark. There was a really nice campsite in the park. I actually managed, at last, to get a photo of some chipmunks at the park, I guess they're more used to humans being around. Just after the camp site we passed Kent Pond, a very pretty lake, there were people out canoeing on it in the sunshine. It was a lovely warm sunny day again today, the trees are in full leaf now so it's nice and cool and shady in the forest, a good walking temperature.
A bit further downhill and we encountered another lovely boardwalk past Thundering Brook and Falls. Then the trail headed on a steepish uphill to Quimby Mountain, the theme for the rest of the day was up down, up down, a bit of a rollercoaster. The trail doesn't get any easier, this last quarter is the hardest section of trail. The trail paths were much nicer today though, much drier and less obstacles, the best section of the Green Mountains for us so far. We did have a step ladder to climb down at one point though. I saw a large owl fly by chasing another bird through the forest then perch shortly on a branch before flying off. The first owl we've seen.
We arrived at our shelter, Winturri Shelter at 6pm. As we were walking into the shelter area Nigel saw a young juvenile bear run away from the shelter. He was shouting 'Bear Bear'. It didn't seem too scared or run very far, I just managed to get a photo, albeit slightly blurred. It ran away though once Nigel started blowing his whistle. Hopefully it won't return over night. After all this time on the trail that was our first real bear encounter. We normally cook in our tent which is advised not to do because food smells can stay on your tent. We cooked near the shelter this time and will definitely be hanging our food in a bear bag. We're sleeping in our tent but also staying in the shelter are No Big Deal and Gizmo.
We were safe, we didn't have a return visit by the bear in the night!
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