North Adams, MA to Hanover, NH

Day 2, Friday, June 24

Seth Warner Shelter to Melville Nauheim Shelter, 13.1 miles

The sun is up and it’s light enough to hike just after 4 AM when I first wake up. My first reaction is that I’ve overslept, but when I look at my watch and see it’s still early I go back to sleep until 6:45 AM. I get up, pack and leave the shelter at 7:30 AM. My two shelter mates are up and packing to leave as well.

Today looks like a beautiful day to hike. It’s cool this morning, but very sunny over the treetops and the temperature is supposed to be in the upper 80’s this afternoon. The first hour of hiking is rather uneventful. I meet “Number 11” at a power line right-of-way clearing at 8:30 AM. He’s hiked back south on the AT for a couple of miles because he is uncertain that he is still on the trail. I convince him that I am on the trail, and we spend the morning hiking together. “Number 11” is a thru-hiker from New Jersey. He started on February 1, and has seen some cold weather so far on this hike.

We meet a high school cross country ski team doing trail maintenance above Bennington after we stop for lunch at Congdon Shelter. “Number 11” is going into Bennington to pick up sandals that he is going to use to replace his boots. One of the kids offers him a ride into town, so we hike with the group for a while down the mountain to the road crossing. The descent is rough, with lots of rock steps. My knees are taking a pounding, but by 1:30 PM we reach Highway 9 crossing.

We say our goodbyes and I cross the road alone to continue on the AT. It’s a tough uphill from the road crossing. My legs were already on fire from the descent. Now there is a symmetrical ascent on the other side. I’m out of water, and it’s very warm this afternoon. It takes me an hour-and-a-half to reach the shelter trail only 1.6 miles up the mountain. Luckily, there is a small stream crossing the trail at the shelter side trail. I stop to splash some water on me to help cool down.

There is one hiker at the shelter, a history teacher from Vermont nicknamed “Boom Boom”. We talk for a while as I’m I recovering from heat stroke. After a half hour I can move again so I first get some water to drink, then clean up and cook chicken and rice for supper. I’m finished by 6 PM.

The bugs are bad late in the afternoon. There is a small breeze, but it doesn’t seem to penetrate the tree canopy very well. Two other hikers (“Backwards Joe” and a friend) come in. “Number 11” comes in later to pitch his tent past the shelter. He is wearing his new sandals, and is hiking a little slower as he gets used to them. He chunked his boots in the trash in Bennington.