Word Ladder - Part Two

Since the original word ladder has some technical difficulties, Sharon50 has asked that I start it up again. (Could it be a ploy to get around a six-letter word from scarabs?)

Here's a new old game, ladies

I will try to guide you if it gets off track

1. Start with a 3 letter word.
2. The next person adds a letter to make a new word - example "rot" to "tour". The next person adds a letter to that 4 letter word - "route" , and so on until it gets to a 7 letter word - example "troupes".
3. Once someone gets to a 7 letter word, the next person takes away a letter to make a new 6 letter word - "sprout". This continues until we get back to 3 letters, then it starts over.
4. Each word must have added (going up) or taken away (coming down) no more than one new letter to the previous word.
5. No hyphenations, abbreviations, contractions, proper names, prefixes, or suffixes.
6. Try not to repeat words in the same ladder.
**Remember - Going up the ladder - add one new letter to make a new word. Going down - take away one letter to make a new word.**