We missed sunrise but the early sun (at 7.00) was nonetheless striking as it rose above a fog-filled Mad River Valley looking up toward Waitsfield.
A cup of java, looking out at the valley from the Stark's Nest... life is good.
Then things got a bit challenging. This portion of the LT had two ladders but it could have stood several more...
as in, you go first and figure out how the dickens how to get down this ten-fifteen foot drop.
Another night, another shelter. Entries in the journal in the shelter indicated the strong presence of mice, ants and porcupines so we hung everything — boots, packs, pants, food — from the rafters.
Last day, after breakfast and a short walk, we faced this slope going up (this portion of the trail gets gnarly).
Here's the view from up top with Compa working her way up.
Looking up [Burnt Rock Mountain]: Are we really supposed to go up THIS? (No, not quite.)
Instead, we come up this, which still leaves you pretty exposed and it's not somewhere you want to lose your balance.
'I can see for miles and miles….' In the background is the ridge we hiked the day before.
this photo makes Ladder Ravine look fairly benign, but it's not a place you want to fall... and getting to the ladder when the rocks are wet looks awfully treacherous.
We've got a lot more sketchy parts of the LT yet to do... just wait for Mount Mansfield and the Nose which has several ladders and drop offs into nothing.
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