Big Bickford yesterday

[SpencerVT]

I bailed from work early and drove up to climb Big Bickford. This had to have been the easiest coniferous bushwhack I have ever encountered. It was almost as if the woods had been deliberately thinned out as if it were to be a gladed ski trail. There were spacious distances between the conifers and I almost never had to push anything out of the way. I've been on official trails way worse than this bushwhack. It made for quick hiking - I was up and down Big Bickford in exactly 2 hours, 5:45-7:45 PM. Made it to my truck without having to turn on even my headlamp. I parked at the Bike Path parking area off Route 3. Took the bike path south and then whacked up to the Skookumchuck trail and once I was up the trail pretty high, whacked up to the summit. Easy Class 1, sometimes 2 bushwhack. From the summit I took a direct line back down to the Bike Path parking area, I stayed off the Skookumchuck trail altogether (except for crossing over it) on the way down since it was such easy whacking, and made it from the summit to my truck in 45 minutes.

Someone had taken the PVC canister up there, and it was replaced by a glass jar.

A nice brisk after-work hike. I was back in Brattleboro by around 10pm.

 

[Mike]

I parked at the Bike Path parking area off Route 3. Took the bike path south and then whacked up to the Skookumchuck trail
Someone had taken the PVC canister up there, and it was replaced by a glass jar. QUOTE]

Isn't the Bike Path parking area also the trailhead of the Skoo ? Did you hike the bike path south and then bushwhack back up to the Skoo, in order to avoid ice?

 

[SpencerVT]

On the map it shows the trailhead being further north than the bike path parking area, but I'm not sure. I felt it was quicker to just hustle down the bike path and then whack up to the Skoo trail. There wasn't any ice until you got up to around 3000'.