Killington

As I came out of the Green Mountain N.F. toward Rutland there were definitely more signs of civilization: farms, road crossings, power lines. But, almost ominously to the north, looms Killington Peak.

Although at just under 4000' Killington is not Vermont's highest peak, it towers over the surrounding area, sitting alone among a bunch of 2000-footers. Fortunately the trail leading up to Killington is pretty gradual and graded for the most part even though there is a net elevation gain of 2800'.

I was happy to pass one milestone in this section: the countdown to being less than 500mi from Mt Katahdin. Seems like a long way yet but I've already gone 1700mi so it actually seems attainable now.

I had planned my arrival at the top of Killington so that I could watch the sunset from its 360º view but Mother Nature had other plans, giving me another grey, cloudy day. Killington is also famous for being a highly developed ski resort but fortunately, the AT crews have routed the trail along the opposite edge of the peak and down several hundred feet. Even though there's a gondola that transports more sedentary travelers to the top, I had Killington all to myself on that gloomy Friday evening.

I was due for a trail stop to rest and resupply so I decided to treat myself to a night at The Inn at Long Trail. It's a little off the AT but right on what used to be the Long Trail, run by the McGrath family since the 30s. Although they've maintained the rustic feel of a mountain lodge, there's an understated luxury with great food, a lounge, and even a hot tub! They are super hiker-friendly folks too. Another bonus is that there's a bus line that runs into Rutland every hour (about 10mi) so it was pretty easy to find supplies and a few treats as well.

I was pleasantly surprised at the resources Rutland offered. It was obviously a sizable, vital hub in the past of timber and industry but has reinvented itself through some tourism. I was happy to find a really nice food co-op and a local coffee roaster. Civilization ain't all bad :)