Tuesday – 18 June

Destination: Pine Swamp Brook Shelter (1,490.4)
Start Location: Breadloaf Mountain (1,484.8)
Today’s Miles: 5.6
Trip Miles: 5.6

The Inn includes a wonderful breakfast with stay. Bob and I had OJ, coffee and an omelet with toast and a meat. After the 7:30 breakfast it was time for a 3+ hour drive to Cornwall Bridge. The formerly hiker friendly market has gone upscale. We picked up sandwiches for dinner and headed over to the parking lot for the Mohawk Trail which was 0.6 miles uphill to the AT. We started hiking a little after noon and it was warm. Temps in the woods today were 85-90. No breeze but at least we didn’t have Washington humidity.

The trail crossed several streams where we always stopped to splash some water on our faces, drink some water and wet a bandana to fold and use to cool our necks.

Today’s section included Rogers Ramp, a squeeze in the rocks where you could barely fit through with your pack on. After our biggest climb of the afternoon, two exhausted hikers arrived at the Point Swamp Brook Shelter. There is a bear box to hold our food overnight, a nearby creek for water and a privy.

After hiking in the heat, neither of us have much of an appetite. Most of the sandwiches went uneaten. There were two hikers at the shelter, one left shortly after we arrived.

Bob and I set up our tents, ate a little and are back in the tents relaxing. Tomorrow is supposed to be just as warm so we are hoping to get an early start so we can get some miles in before the real heat. Plan is to go slow, take breaks and drink lots of water.