June 24, 2008 Mount Mansfield West Hike

Hikers:
Gerard Canavan
Thomasina Canavan
Andy Coggins
Cindy Eichbauer
James Hurwitz
Jennifer Karlovits
Robert Karlovits
Brendon Kelly
Nicole Kelly
Patrick Kelly
Sean Kelly
Ann Kolek
Brian Kolek
Hazel Ocampo
Nelson Ocampo
Evan Robinson
Sarah Schaefer
Wendy Vischer
Kevin Walsh

Lunches:
Sorry, My paper was too wet to write on.

Route:
We started at Underhill State Park. Ed and I split at the junction of Laura Co and Sunset Ridge. Ed went with 3 people up Sunset Ridge and I went up Laura Co with 16 others. There was only one working radio and no cell phone. I took my own cell phone and exchanged numbers with one of the people with Ed. Just before my group got to the place where Laura Co rejoins Sunset Ridge the phone rang. We all had heard thunder and Ed was a long way below us. His group decided to go back. From where we were, it was a lot shorter to go onto Taft Lodge for shelter than to go back to Underhill. So on we went and then the rain started, no more Thunder. We went down Profanity Trail to the lodge, the rain stopped. I called Smuggs for a ride for Ed and asked Jay to try to get us at 3:00 instead of 3:30. After eating we headed down. About half way down it started raining cats and dogs. My boots and everything else was wet. The last of the group reached the road at 2:58. Jay got there at about 2:56.