The Long Trail's Lodge in the Sky

When Sarah and I daydream back in time to our 2001 Long Trail hike, many wonderful memories come to the surface.  The mountains, beautiful vistas, the valleys, trail magic, wild flowers and the freedom of the trail.  But one thing that can stick out when you think about all those nights on the trail, where everyday your home was somewhere new, are certain shelters along the trail. Skyline Lodge, in the Breadloaf Wilderness on the Long Trail, is one of those such places for us. We try to frequent Skyline as much as we can, both because its beautiful and because we have adopted the Green Mountain Club shelter and check in on it from time to time. The Lodge is a four-walled shelter with a big front door and two paneled windows overlooking a front porch and serene Skylight Pond; the backdrop is a long-range mountain view. Its such a special place. The Lodge can be accessed  either from the Long Trail, hiking North or South, depending on where you get on to the trail. Accessing the lodge from the south is the shorter of the two options and the better option for a day hike. A good access point is Route 125 (Middlebury Gap), where the trail crosses at the height of land. This hike is a beautiful 5-mile stretch of rolling terrain. Alternatively, there is a blue-blazed side trail, the Skylight Pond trail which can be accessed by turning off the Middlebury Gap Road onto a dirt road (clear instructions are given in the Long Trail Guidebook). This hike is one of our favorites: 2.5 miles of beautiful switchback climbs alternated with long slabs across the hillside make this a mellow approach through beautiful hard- and softwood forests. We highly recommend hiking to this Lodge, using either route. If you're short on time or are concerned about distance, take the Skylight Pond Trail - you won't regret it

Here are some pictures from our recent hike out there:

Have fun out there!

T&S

Walking In

This video is exactly what I needed right now.

After working on a writing assignment last night, in which Tristan and I articulated what outdoor adventure means to us, I was left remembering those times on mountain tops, or in deep wooded hollows, waking up to the sun filtering through trees onto the fabric of our tent, or crossing the most beautiful stream you had seen yet. I had nowhere to be but there, nothing to do but walk, or sit and take in the view if I preferred. The colors, sounds, smells, all of it. But mostly the feeling is what I remember: truth, pureness, vitality, health. And don't get me wrong, there were hard times and low times, but they were real too, and part of the experience.

I am so grateful to have had these experiences, like backpacking the Long Trail, spending three weeks deep in the central California wilderness, and living for four continuous months on the Appalachian Trail. I can't believe I have been so lucky. To know these places and these people. They will forever be in my heart, moving from there to my extremities, where these past experiences become just as my flesh. And they are in Tristan's heart and being too; we will forever be connected by these shared times, having been nourished and grown from the same vital tonic.

Last night, as we finished our writing assignment, it was late and I was tired, with a cold setting in. I thought as I shut down the computer about the visions in my head conjured from the sharing of our experiences: I have to get back there.

Finding this video today brought it all back.

"Walking In", courtesy of A Secret Burger Media production.2011.