A thru-hiker's trail journal rarely makes the headlines, but Day 20 of this Long Trail trek is a good window into what backpacking in Vermont's Green Mountains actually feels like — and why hikers keep coming back despite the weather.
The day's route ran 8 miles from Sunrise Shelter to Sucker Brook Shelter, with a 1,834-foot climb and a 2,510-foot descent. That's meant to be a short, relaxed day. Instead, it turned into a lesson in group logistics: a crowd of hikers milling around in the morning, nobody quite sure when to leave, and curveballs flying before the boots were even laced up.
First challenge of the day: a mountain literally named Mount Horrid. The approach drops nearly 1,000 feet to a road gap before climbing right back up to the summit. The payoff is worth the name, though. The cliffs on Mount Horrid are one of only two natural peregrine falcon mating sites in the US, and access is now restricted for part of the year to protect the birds. Peregrines are fascinating hunters — because their eyes sit on the sides of their heads, they can't keep prey in view while plunging, so they fold their wings and stoop in a curved, parabolic dive. Happily, the hikers were not on the menu and made the climb without incident.
Then the weather turned. By early afternoon rain was a certainty, and one hiker — Rock Rabbit — cheerfully announced "Soggy Mode Engaged" while pulling on rain gear. Not everyone shared the enthusiasm; the mood at Sucker Brook Shelter was soggy in spirit as well as body. Arriving to find people standing around indecisively, the group waited nearly an hour in the rain before everyone sorted themselves out: some pushed on, some squeezed into the shelter, and Rock Rabbit pitched his tent and nearly froze in the process.
Dinner saved the day. Skipping a hot meal when cold and wet is a classic rookie mistake, so the trio shared a simple stew under the shelter roof, hung their bear bags, and split between the shelter and the tent — with a hope and a prayer that the storm wouldn't wash Rock Rabbit away overnight.
Why care? Because the Long Trail is one of America's oldest long-distance footpaths, running the length of Vermont, and shelter-to-shelter hiking like this is exactly what it's known for. Stories like this one are useful reality checks for anyone planning a New England hiking trip: short days can feel long, rain is a when-not-if, shelters fill with indecision as fast as people, and a warm dinner is non-negotiable. If you're eyeing Vermont's trails, pack good rain gear, bring a stove you can count on, and maybe keep a bit of Rock Rabbit's cheer in your back pocket.
The Trek
