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Aug
18 , 1983 Thursday (434.4 mtg) From
Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal
The
new relocation up Moose Mountain was not open yet, so there was
not a lot of climbing today other than the climb up Holt's Ledges
and the climb up Smarts Mountain. Holt's Ledges was the shorter
climb of the two. From Lyme-Dorchester Road, after the descent from
Holt's Ledges, the trail ascended five and three quarters miles
with an elevation gain of almost 2500 feet to the summit of Smarts
Mountain. Once near the summit I took the short side trail to Smarts
Mountain Shelter to check the place out and read the register. I
noticed in the register that John Smart had made an entry, and was
only a few days ahead. I had met him, I believe, at Plumb Orchard
Shelter way back when in 1981.
I decided to eat lunch at the firewardens cabin at the summit only
because there were no views from the nearby firetower. The descent
off of the mountain was much steeper than the climb to get there.
It dropped steeply for about a mile and a half and then became more
gradual as I approached the Quintown Road. The trail followed the
road for a while until just before the point where the trail left
the road near Mt. Cube Shelter. At that junction I met a nice family
with a young boy who were just on their way to the beach on Lower
Baker Pond. I had no idea where this was, but they were going swimming
and invited me to go along. Sounded like a good idea, so I hopped
into their vehicle. We drove down route 25a for what seemed like
a long ride, and then pulled off at the lake near the road. The
beach was small, but the water was refreshing, and allowed for a
bath as well. Later that afternoon we returned to the spot I had
met them and was invited to have supper at their small cabin right
next to the trail along the roadwalk. That evening, I proceeded
up the side of Mount Cube, and made my camp among the rocks on the
south summit as far as I could tell. While there, I met a couple
of guys who had jogged up Mount Cube along the new relocation that
I would not have to take since it was not open yet. A hazy sunset
ended the day, and once again I was lucky that the rain did not
fall during the evening.
Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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