Family Adventures: Butler Lodge Trail/Wallace Cutoff

I encountered this slug on the return leg of our latest family hike, a harder than expected trek recounted by My Wife on her blog:

Hike #10 - Butler Lodge Trail/Wallace Cutoff

I thought I'd wait with the slug until the ladies caught up with me so I could point it out to them and perhaps they could avoid stepping on it. My Wife was not impressed. She was less impressed that I was taking photos of the little critter. So, just for the record, that's slug = gross but butterflies clustering on a dead beaver = good wholesome family fun.

I do have a few notes to add to her writeup. Walking away from the parking lot and towards the hiking paths, we made the initial mistake of turning left at this gate:


The gate is there to stop cars, not hikers. There is a small path going around the lefthand post. Notice, too, the sign at top left:


It was definitely a challenging hike but now it's done. This is one of many hikes which counts towards the Green Mountain Club's new Side-to-Side certification which one can earn by completing 84 of the The Long Trail's side trails. We'll find something easier for next time so we're not all zonked by the end.

To remember for next time:

- More water for the trail. We generally keep a supply in the car for the trip home but it would be good to have at least one extra bottle in my pack, especially on a hot day.
- Hand sanitizer.
- Wet wipes.

Wish list:

- Water purification kit.

I think I'm going to keep this running list on the side bar so it's all in one place. It's a handy thing. It seems silly to have it scattered in various posts.