Started the morning with a nice overlook of the landscape below at the aptly named,  Airport Lookout.

From there, the trail descended to Clarendon Gorge,  a river that cuts through the rock formations in between two mountains. The trail crossed it via suspension bridge.

After the gorge, the trail turned up through great stands of pine trees on the way up to Killington Mountain,  the second highest peak in Vermont.

The trail turns away and heads downhill just before the summit.  The guide said there was a two tenths of a mile side trail to the top though. After reading about a ski lodge with a snack bar on top, I was sold!

That short side trail may have been the steepest I have encountered so far. Climbing 350ft in less then a quarter mile. The biting flies also got worse, forcing me to don my bug net for the climb

The views at the top were fantastic though.

But there was no ski lodge!

I heard the noise of a Gondola lift and had to follow the sound for about a quarter mile only to find that they were only testing the lift and the lodge doesn’t open for 3 more days!

So now hungry and thirsty  (I ran dry on the climb up) I trekked back up to the summit, then down the side trail to rejoin the AT.

It was another couple hours before I reached the Churchill Scott shelter, my stopping point for the night. I was a little surprised to find it empty (aside from the porcupine gnawing on the frame outside.