Appalachian Trail: Descending Mount Everett

Day 2: The Hemlocks Shelter to Tom Leonard Shelter (Approx. 15 miles)

Spending the night at The Hemlocks Shelter turned out to be pretty awesome.

This morning was a breeze—no tent to pack up, no waiting for it to dry off from the morning dew, and no cramming it into my backpack slightly damp. All I had to do was roll up my sleeping bag, gather my food, and I was good to go. Well, after my coffee, of course. Skipping the usual tent routine definitely saved us some time and made for a much more relaxed morning.

And with that extra time, we managed to hit the trail a little earlier than usual.

Today’s hike was a long one, filled with its fair share of grumpy moments (mostly me), but also plenty of highlights.

For starters, The Hemlocks Shelter sits just beyond the peak of Mount Everett, heading northbound—so we basically slept at the top of the mountain. Waking up that high up meant our morning started with an easy descent rather than an immediate uphill climb, which was a huge win. Even better? The views. Watching clouds rise through the valley while breathing in the crisp scent of pine trees (my favorite!) made for an unforgettable start to the day.

The descent down Mount Everett? Let’s just say it was steep. There were a few moments when I found myself staring at the trail markings thinking, Wait, we’re going WHERE? The white blazes literally led straight down the side of a cliff. And just to confirm how wild it was, I later checked the route on AllTrails and saw this little gem:

“This trail is only recommended for very experienced adventurers.”

Oh really? I’ll take that and raise you a 40-pound backpack.

Of course, just when I was feeling all proud of myself, we ran into a few seasoned hikers who asked the classic trail question:

“How many miles did you do today?”

Feeling pretty accomplished, my dad and I answered, “Oh, you know… around 15.”

Their response?

“Nice! I did 32… but I got a late start.”

Humbling, to say the least.

On the way down, we passed some pretty unique lichen gardens covering the rocks, trees, and ground—adding an almost otherworldly vibe to the landscape. Once we reached the bottom of the mountain, the scenery shifted dramatically from the steep, shaded forest to miles of beautiful farm and marshland. Surprisingly, the marshes were pretty dry, which made for easy hiking.

After the descent, we crossed a small back road and followed a sign leading to a spring to refill our water supply. Unfortunately, it was bone dry. I still had about two liters left, but my dad was running on empty, and we still needed water for the rest of the day—plus enough to cook our dehydrated meals at camp later. Not exactly an ideal situation.

Despite the setback, we pressed on, re-entering the woods and getting back on the trail, hopeful we’d find a water source soon. Luckily, after a few more miles, we finally came across a flowing stream—crisis averted!