Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 40 – 5 hours in Manchester
4th September 2023
Peru Peak Shelter (529.2) - Lye Brook Wilderness (545.1)
Daily miles: 15.9
Total miles: 552
So it turns out we were a shelter full of SOBOs last night because the Long Trailers were also going SOBO. I have never been in a shelter where everyone is up and out of there before it’s properly light.
Lemonhope’s alarm went off a 5am, then again at 5:10am (oh no, an alarm snoozer!) then everyone started stirring anyway and by 5:30am I had released the air from my mat and I was packing up. I was done in about 20 minutes and I went over to see my friends on the tent platform. They too were shocked at how many people were up and leaving. They weren’t ready to go but they were getting there.
I was on trail at 06:00. It was still pretty dark and I could only just see where I was going but the higher I got the lighter it became. It was a big climb up this morning and I wanted to get a head start. Lemonhope caught up to me near the top and we walked to together and chatted for a bit and walked the downhill together. I found out loads more about him.
Peru Peak Shelter
The forest was still dark when I started hiking
Following Lemonhope
He then left me behind as I struggled up the next uphill to Bromley mountain where the ski lifts are. I had to plug in to some music to get up there. It wasn’t particularly steep or long, I was just slow. It was also incredibly humid today so the sweat was pouring out of my face and I was trying not to overheat.
At the top it was beautiful weather, super hot in the direct sun. I considered waiting around for the others at the top but Lemonhope appeared and we hiked down to the road together. Hitching with 5 of us would have been tough anyway and we would have had to spilt into 2 groups. This grouping was the best as the guys were split between the girls and girls always have an easier time hitching.
The top of Bromley Mountain
Ski lift
It was hot hot hot up there
I lead the way this time and I was a little faster than Lemonhope on the downhill and I put that purely down to the fact that he doesn’t use trekking poles. I went over on my ankle once. Thankfully it wasn’t bad but this is what happens when I hike with other people - I become careless!
The trail goes down the ski run
We made it to the road and it took us less that 5 minutes to get a hitch from a lovely lady who showed us around the town (Manchester) and pointed out all the good places. She says she picks up a lot of hikers and sometimes her daughter picks people up and brings them to her house to stay, so she is very familiar with it all.
She dropped us at Price Chopper and I went in to do a resupply recce and got a Mountain Dew. Rather unbelievably, considering last time on trail I would get one at every single opportunity, this was only the third Mountain Dew I’ve had in 40 days. I’ve not been super into soda this time which is baffling to me because in the past it has been my number one priority.
Lemonhope resupplied and I waited outside for the others. They arrived about half an hour later and we hung around outside while Lemonhope organised his resupply. We had to stand in the shade because being in the direct sun was unbearable. They are having a mini heatwave and it was about 30°C in town.
We walked over to the Thai restaurant and all ate together. I had a Pad Thai and asked for no nuts but there were definitely nuts in it. Good job I’m not allergic! It was nice but there wasn’t enough of it, I could have eaten double.
Pad Thai
We then went to the outfitters where I picked up a new water filter. I had been using a Sawyer Micro Squeeze. Do not bother with this version! The weight saving is not worth it. I have been becoming increasingly frustrated with it as the days have gone on (and yes I have back flushed it) as the flow rate is so so slow. It would take me about 6 squeezes of the bottle and would take about 2 minutes to fill up 700ml. This may not sound a lot but 2 minutes is a long time to squeeze a bottle and it made my hands hurt!
So I got the trusty Sawyer Squeeze which I have always used before and I threw the old one in the bin. Lemonhope got new shoes. Toe replaced all the things she had lost along the way… recently she has been eating with her trowel because she lost her spork!
Always leave your pack and poles outside
We then went to Starbucks where there is air conditioning, sockets and toilets, and coffee for those who drink coffee which is everyone but me. They also don’t care what you do in there. We took up so much space, exploded our packs and plugged everything in to charge.
Explosion in Starbucks
We took it in turns to go over to Price Chopper to resupply. I bought basically the same as last time, just more over it. Two packets of brownies - I am obsessed with these brownies, they are so moist and they stay moist for days! Twix, Luna bars - the nice lemon and raspberry ones – Starburst, Welches fruit snacks, Swiss cheese, a tube of Pringles, and 2 bags of crisps instead of one. A lot of stuff is on offer and I always tell the cashier that I’m travelling and ask them to scan a card for me so I get the discounts. I saved $8!
I organised my whole resupply in Starbucks, and rather worryingly it was now about 2:30pm and I still didn’t need to pee. I pee’d this morning before I left the shelter but no need since. I did go to the toilet and forced out a very small dark trickle - I must have sweated out all my water - and liberated some toilet paper.
A full food bag
I made a last minutes decision to pack out a Subway sandwich so I went over and got a footlong rotisserie chicken with the chipotle sauce which is the best thing about Subway. I have definitely got more food this time around and I can definitely feel that with how heavy my pack is.
Packed out a footlong Subway for dinner
We split up to hitch back to trail. May Queen and Cal together because they are fast and I went with Toe and Lemonhope. We got a ride really quickly, less than 5 minutes, which was great because it was so hot stood on the side of the road. A guy who had just got off the golf course picked us up and he was another person who picks up hikers all the time and also does trail angeling as well.
Hitching back to the trail
We got back on the trail, Toe leading the way, Lemonhope in the middle and me bringing up the rear in case I couldn’t keep up and needed to drop back. It was nice to be back in the trees because it was marginally cooler but it wasn’t any less humid and I was sweating profusely.
We hiked in a hiker train, chatting as we went. I was keeping up ok. Although I was getting a lot of pain in my right foot, in the usual place on the outside of my little toe, and on the inside of my foot on the ball of my big toe I could feel a hot spot of a blister.
I kept up for 3 miles, mostly listening to the other 2 chat because I was breathing too hard to talk! On the second half they lost me a little on the uphills as I slowed and I was having real problems with my foot, but as soon as the trail flattened or went down I was able to catch back up to them quickly.
Hiking in a hiker train
Some nice views with heat haze
The last push uphill to the camp site
The sun was very warm on my bottom
The last mile of the day was a wonderful walk along a dirt road which meant we could all spread out in a line and as we had gained a little elevation it was slightly cooler, but I was still sweating. The 6 miles took us about 2.5 hours so Toe set a really good pace. I could just about keep up but I was being pushed, and I don’t push myself that hard when I’m hiking alone.
Washed out bridge
We found the camp area, not the greatest but it was better that walking an extra half mile to the shelter. There were 3 long-trailers camped up already and we just pitched up right next to them because there wasn’t really any other choice. I pitched just the inner of my tent and hoped there wouldn’t be too much condensation.
Cal and May Queen arrived about 20 minutes after us and we all sat around together and ate dinner. I had my Subway which was a great decision even if it was a little soggy!
My brownie bites had turned into a solid lump in the heat but they still tasted good
I got some water from the river and filtering it was an absolute dream. 2 squeezes. Less than 10 seconds to filter 700ml - compared to 2 minutes! Maybe now I’ll drink more because it won’t be such a chore to filter water!
Dinner time at the “campsite”
Lemonhope set up his tarp. May Queen set up her tarp. Cal and Toe are cowboy camping in the dirt and I am zipped up in my tent inner away from the bugs and slugs. I’ve also changed into my sleep top tonight for probably only about the 3rd time this whole trail. It’s another piece of kit which has just been along for the ride in my backpack, but tonight my hiking top just felt too sticky and gross to leave on. I am laying on it though so hopefully it will be dry in the morning.
Toe went into the forest to pee and she stepped in some human shit… she wasn’t happy! She did have her shoes on. But it’s still gross. She tossed her shoes into the forest and declared it a tomorrow problem.
16 miles and 5 hours in town is a pretty good day!
A really terrible quality picture of the view from my tent without the fly on
