Mile 1,641.2
Elevation 2,680.0 feet
Hiked 15.1
I was up and about at the Kid Gore Shelter early and after breakfast, I was on the trail by 7:30 AM. Today was going to be a rough climb of about 1,800 feet up to the top of Stratton Mountain.
The trail started out easy until it started a steep climb. The weather was cool, so that helped. After several boulder scrambles, I reached the top. There is a caretaker at the summit of Stratton Mountain who was sitting outside in a shaded area. I joined him for awhile, and we talked about his job. He’s up on the mountain five days each week from late spring to early fall. His wife and he live in a small cabin with no electricity or running water, and he’s been doing it for 50 years. I can’t even imagine doing that.
After about a half hour, I got under way. The descent from the mountain was easy, and I covered three miles in one hour and fifteen minutes. I arrived at the shelter at 5:15 PM.
