The cloudy morning delayed my usual wake-up such that I didn't get going until 6:30am. Downward for a mile to VT Hwy 4. The Appalachian Trail then began a series of ups and downs. The Long Trail separated from the AT a mile after I passed the highway. I thought about taking a side trail from Kent Pond to Killington but forgot about it until I passed the turnoff. The steep climb to Quimby Mountain wore me out. On the way down, I got the view of the day - from a powerline toward the Pico ski area. I ate lunch at the bottom of the descent at the Stony Brook shelter at mile 11.9 on the day. After lunch, I had four climbs and descents, which progressively sapped my energy. But at least I saw a delightful, convoluted white fungus growing on a dead tree (see photo). Fortunately, the day wasn't that hot, but I sweated a lot anyway and drank a lot of water. About 2.5 miles from the Winturri shelter, I passed the turnoff to a lookout but skipped it because I was too tired to walk the 0.1 mile uphill. The last few miles of the day dragged on. A brief shower passed overhead. When I arrived at the shelter, to my surprise six people were already there. More arrived later. I attended to my usual chores, with the high point being a rinse in the creek. Today's miles - 21.8. Total miles - 1720.7.
