hikersinger
Member
Took a scheduled day off from work to check two more peaks off the Vermont 4000-footer list. Having done Killington last November, this would bring me past the half-way point, leaving Camel's Hump and Mansfield.
I fell in love with the drive down Route 100 on my way back to NH from the Adirondacks in mid-April, so when I realized I'd be heading up the same road, I was excited. It's such an idyllic ride, couched by rolling, scenic hills on either side, winding its way alongside the River, through small towns such as Stockbridge, Rochester, Hancock, and Granville. Healthy-looking fields and farms, plus some livestock, make this a drive through "yesteryear" in my mind.
I reached Lincoln Gap Road and soon found probably the steepest roads I've ever driven on, even counting the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The last mile of this road presented a real challenge to my aging car, with its 230,000+ miles on it. The car would nearly stall, then somehow find a small burst of energy to continue. Mohamed Ellozy was right in "suggest[ing] starting at one of the gaps, this saves about 1,000 feet of elevation gain!"
10:45am Once parked, I started right up the Long Trail North toward Abraham. I had only a map, but no trail descriptions; the route seemed clear enough, and I didn't expect any trouble on such a clear, cool day. Trails were in excellent shape throughout, well-marked, though quite rough with many roots and a good sampling of boulders. At 1.7 miles (11:22am) I passed the Battell Shelter, a simple, Adirondack shelter with privy, water source, and caretaker.
11:46am Another 0.9 miles and I reached the summit of Abraham (4006'), largely open with very fine 360-degree views. A couple and another group of four were there, one flying a kite (great idea!). Each had a dog but I couldn't tell until one left, which dog belonged to which group. The weather was cool enough that there was a chill in the air - perhaps mid 50's with a mild wind - so I didn't stay too long. There's a small "cellar" area built up perhaps 2-3 feet which provided a bit of relief. I found two summit markers on the summit - one within this cellar area that was real tough to make out; the other clearly marking this place as "Potato Hill", the common name for this mountain back in the 1800's.
12:00pm Continuing on, much of the trail all the way to Ellen was really quite straightforward, nothing ever that steep. I've dubbed the stretch between Abraham and Little Abe, "Skat Alley", with its numerous piles of moose scat.
12:16pm 0.8 miles from Abraham, I reached Lincoln Peak, what seems like the main peak of the Sugarbush ski area. This was a surprise as well, since I guess I hadn't read far enough about the route to learn that it traverse no less than three peaks of the ski area. Having done Killington already in the "off-season", it was pretty surreal to be up there alone in such conditions, with the network of wires and small buildings lying dormant.
I continued along the ridge, still very easy as these things go. Very comfortable hiking, not overly rough in any spots -- at least not anything like the climb up from Lincoln Gap. I passed an area seemingly dedicated to a fallen hiker, with a sign saying "Merritt's Way". A quick search led me to a website named for Merritt Levitan, a young woman killed in 2013 while riding in the American Challenge, a cross-country biking trek; the driver who hit Merritt and several in her group was texting while driving. Merritt grew up with Juvenile Diabetes and was a well-known instructor-in-training at Sugarbush. Her "way" inspired her family and friends to create a foundation in her name.
1:00pm I soon reached an area just below Nancy Hanks peak, 1.3 miles from Lincoln Peak. From here the trail descended slightly along a ski trail, then headed back into the woods. Crossing over Cutts Peak (unmarked, but somewhat "summit-like"), I soon reached the Ellen summit at 1:50pm. It was marked by a tiny cairn and a tree with a small Himalyan prayer flag on it. To be sure, I checked the GPS and offline map on my phone and saw I was indeed on the summit. Just a quick 40-50 feet descent dropped me onto the third Sugarbush peak of the day.
Had a nice conversation with two young women who were hiking the Long Trail, and headed toward the Appalachian Gap. I didn't know how far at the time, but it was a good distance away; they had plans B, C, etc. should they not make it that far, but I had no doubt they'd do well.
This being a solo day, I took the "out-and-back" route and decided against hiking down the Jerusalem trail. I didn't mind one bit - the fine weather and friendly trail made it easy to glide along. I started back and returned to Lincoln Gap by 5:12pm.
Can't wait to head back into Vermont for the final two - and the many smaller peaks after that!
Photo gallery: https://www.facebook.com/erikbertrand/media_set?set=a.10151841702159567.1073741837.570654566&type=3
I fell in love with the drive down Route 100 on my way back to NH from the Adirondacks in mid-April, so when I realized I'd be heading up the same road, I was excited. It's such an idyllic ride, couched by rolling, scenic hills on either side, winding its way alongside the River, through small towns such as Stockbridge, Rochester, Hancock, and Granville. Healthy-looking fields and farms, plus some livestock, make this a drive through "yesteryear" in my mind.
I reached Lincoln Gap Road and soon found probably the steepest roads I've ever driven on, even counting the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The last mile of this road presented a real challenge to my aging car, with its 230,000+ miles on it. The car would nearly stall, then somehow find a small burst of energy to continue. Mohamed Ellozy was right in "suggest[ing] starting at one of the gaps, this saves about 1,000 feet of elevation gain!"
10:45am Once parked, I started right up the Long Trail North toward Abraham. I had only a map, but no trail descriptions; the route seemed clear enough, and I didn't expect any trouble on such a clear, cool day. Trails were in excellent shape throughout, well-marked, though quite rough with many roots and a good sampling of boulders. At 1.7 miles (11:22am) I passed the Battell Shelter, a simple, Adirondack shelter with privy, water source, and caretaker.
11:46am Another 0.9 miles and I reached the summit of Abraham (4006'), largely open with very fine 360-degree views. A couple and another group of four were there, one flying a kite (great idea!). Each had a dog but I couldn't tell until one left, which dog belonged to which group. The weather was cool enough that there was a chill in the air - perhaps mid 50's with a mild wind - so I didn't stay too long. There's a small "cellar" area built up perhaps 2-3 feet which provided a bit of relief. I found two summit markers on the summit - one within this cellar area that was real tough to make out; the other clearly marking this place as "Potato Hill", the common name for this mountain back in the 1800's.
12:00pm Continuing on, much of the trail all the way to Ellen was really quite straightforward, nothing ever that steep. I've dubbed the stretch between Abraham and Little Abe, "Skat Alley", with its numerous piles of moose scat.
12:16pm 0.8 miles from Abraham, I reached Lincoln Peak, what seems like the main peak of the Sugarbush ski area. This was a surprise as well, since I guess I hadn't read far enough about the route to learn that it traverse no less than three peaks of the ski area. Having done Killington already in the "off-season", it was pretty surreal to be up there alone in such conditions, with the network of wires and small buildings lying dormant.
I continued along the ridge, still very easy as these things go. Very comfortable hiking, not overly rough in any spots -- at least not anything like the climb up from Lincoln Gap. I passed an area seemingly dedicated to a fallen hiker, with a sign saying "Merritt's Way". A quick search led me to a website named for Merritt Levitan, a young woman killed in 2013 while riding in the American Challenge, a cross-country biking trek; the driver who hit Merritt and several in her group was texting while driving. Merritt grew up with Juvenile Diabetes and was a well-known instructor-in-training at Sugarbush. Her "way" inspired her family and friends to create a foundation in her name.
1:00pm I soon reached an area just below Nancy Hanks peak, 1.3 miles from Lincoln Peak. From here the trail descended slightly along a ski trail, then headed back into the woods. Crossing over Cutts Peak (unmarked, but somewhat "summit-like"), I soon reached the Ellen summit at 1:50pm. It was marked by a tiny cairn and a tree with a small Himalyan prayer flag on it. To be sure, I checked the GPS and offline map on my phone and saw I was indeed on the summit. Just a quick 40-50 feet descent dropped me onto the third Sugarbush peak of the day.
Had a nice conversation with two young women who were hiking the Long Trail, and headed toward the Appalachian Gap. I didn't know how far at the time, but it was a good distance away; they had plans B, C, etc. should they not make it that far, but I had no doubt they'd do well.
This being a solo day, I took the "out-and-back" route and decided against hiking down the Jerusalem trail. I didn't mind one bit - the fine weather and friendly trail made it easy to glide along. I started back and returned to Lincoln Gap by 5:12pm.
Can't wait to head back into Vermont for the final two - and the many smaller peaks after that!
Photo gallery: https://www.facebook.com/erikbertrand/media_set?set=a.10151841702159567.1073741837.570654566&type=3
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