Welcome to the AppalachianTrailCafe.net!
Take a moment and register and then join the conversation

1azarus

  • Male
  • 72
  • from Wallingford, CT
  • Member since Dec 2nd 2013
Last Activity

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

  • 1azarus -

    Hello AK. Sorry about that. This is what I posted in response over at whiteblaze, with some corrections now that i have a map with me:

    End to Endish meander Trip report Mid August: Wow, what an amazingly challenging trail... The first day, heading westbound from the Eastern Terminus to mink hollow shelter, was way harder than I expected. I'd like to believe much of that was heat and humidity, but still... I drank three quarters of a liter of water at my car and brought another liter and a half, and was way short of water by the time I got to the spring sign near the shelter. Pretty endless demanding rock scrambles -- way more than the occasional "photo op" boulder problem. I was definitely walking way under two miles an hour, pretty much as I was warned. Probably damn close to heat stroke. With a thunder storm on me, I headed for the spring when I got to the sign showing shelter to the left and spring to the right. It wasn't clear to me if there was a secondary stream supply at the shelter, so I went to the spring. That ended up being a good call -- it does seem that the water supply for the shelter is the spring, which is around a half mile away. So, I got water , got my tarp up just off trail nearby, and the skies opened. I was so fried I skipped dinner and went to sleep. Next morning I knew I needed plan B... No way was I going to walk out and back on the Devil's Path! So I walked out to Rte 214 by Devil's Tombstone campground and hitched back to my car (not super easy...) and then drove to the western terminus where I left my car, then hitched east on Spruceton road to the Spruceton trail head and walked the gravel road that leads up to the John Rabb shelter at the top of hunter... Where I spent the night. The side trail to the Rabb shelter could be the most beautiful shelter approach trail I have ever been on, and the view is wonderful. Then I passed the fire tower in the clouds early the next morning, hit the Devils path again just east of Devil's Acre shelter and walked the two miles east to the campground trailhead... Hung out for a bit, then turned around and headed west. The trail was easy enough on the western end so I just keep walking till I ended up at my car, and on to home for me. A guess a pretty long mileage tally that day. So, three days two nights with that added hunter mountain loop and a double back by the campground. All in all, pretty much a standard stupid hiker trip for me. I definitely had a great time. Only met one other group hiking the trail end to end. There are spectacular views fairly often. The trail is beautiful, and is a stark contrast to the Northville Placid Trail. And pretty much not an annoying bug in sight -- I didn't sleep under a net.

  • AnotherKevin -

    Hey! You still owe me a trip report! I'm intensely curious what you thought of the Devil's Path!

    My memories of New Hampshire are hazy, so perhaps I'm being a sissy saying that the DP is New Hampshire-level tough? Some of the scrambles reminded me of vague memories of the Wildcats....

  • Rasty -

    Happy Birthday

  • Admin -

    The Team at the appalachiantrailcafe.net wish you a Happy Birthday!