hikersinger
Member
Route - Tuesday, August 23, 2016
8:45am Skylight Pond Trail, 2.5 miles to Long Trail
9:50am reached junction with Long Trail, visited Skyline Lodge 0.1 mile away
10:30am reached Breadloaf Mountain summit, 1.2 miles
10:50am arrived at Emily Proctor shelter, 0.6 miles
11:10am reached Mt. Wilson summit, ~0.8 miles
1:20pm returned to trailhead via Long Trail South and Skylight Pond Trail
Photo Library: https://www.facebook.com/erikbertrand/media_set?set=a.10153246463139567.1073741866.570654566&type=3
Spent the second of two days in Vermont peak-bagging two more of the New England 100 Highest, this time Breadloaf and Wilson. Both lie within the US Forest Service's Breadloaf Wilderness, a 24,986-acre tract designated as nationally-protected wilderness in 1984. It is the largest of the wildernesses in the Green Mountain National Forest.
On day 1, I hiked Jay Peak and Big Jay. I wanted to get an early-enough start on Day 2, so I drove to the trailhead the night before and car-camped there. It was easy enough to find; thankfully Google Maps brought me right to it.
I ended up sleeping in a bit since I got in late the night before. I was underway along the Skylight Pond Trail, which leaves the closer end of the parking lot, by 8:45. The trail climbs pretty gradually for a while and features a number of switchbacks along the way.
At 2.5 miles, the trail meets the Long Trail (north to the left, south to the right), and also continues straight about 0.1 mile to Skyline Lodge, a good-size cabin often used by LT thru hikers. The cabin sits on the shore of Skylight Pond, and is quite a peaceful setting. There are two platforms inside along the back, and a small table inside, and a real porch with railing, all constructed like a log cabin. No caretaker here that I could see; just a couple on the porch who looked like thru-hikers that stayed the previous night. One was smoking -- a real turn-off for me -- so I didn't stay.
I returned to the Long Trail and headed north, a straightforward section trail along a ridge of sorts. I came to a sharp right turn in the trail, where a spur path continued straight ahead to the summit of Breadloaf: an unassuming, broad, viewless peak with a simple, small cairn to mark the summit.
Back on the Long Trail North, I soon reached the Emily Proctor shelter, constructed in 1960 and refurbished in 1983. A three-sided Mahoosuc-style shelter, this was the point at which the Emily Proctor Trail intersected the Long Trail as well. A stream nearby provides a good water source for hikers.
I continued along the Long Trail and reached the also-unassuming summit of Mt. Wilson, with its very small cairn. Here, I had some lunch and enjoyed the quiet. I had crossed paths with several people at this point, all of whom looked like thru hikers to me. There was no one else parked at the trailhead when I left that morning.
On my way back, I crossed a couple heading up the Skylight Pond Trail. It looked like they might be staying the night at the cabin. What a great idea, and just 2.6 easy miles from the trailhead (not a difficult stretch to carry a heavier pack). I just might be back for a stay there some day!
8:45am Skylight Pond Trail, 2.5 miles to Long Trail
9:50am reached junction with Long Trail, visited Skyline Lodge 0.1 mile away
10:30am reached Breadloaf Mountain summit, 1.2 miles
10:50am arrived at Emily Proctor shelter, 0.6 miles
11:10am reached Mt. Wilson summit, ~0.8 miles
1:20pm returned to trailhead via Long Trail South and Skylight Pond Trail
Photo Library: https://www.facebook.com/erikbertrand/media_set?set=a.10153246463139567.1073741866.570654566&type=3
Spent the second of two days in Vermont peak-bagging two more of the New England 100 Highest, this time Breadloaf and Wilson. Both lie within the US Forest Service's Breadloaf Wilderness, a 24,986-acre tract designated as nationally-protected wilderness in 1984. It is the largest of the wildernesses in the Green Mountain National Forest.
On day 1, I hiked Jay Peak and Big Jay. I wanted to get an early-enough start on Day 2, so I drove to the trailhead the night before and car-camped there. It was easy enough to find; thankfully Google Maps brought me right to it.
I ended up sleeping in a bit since I got in late the night before. I was underway along the Skylight Pond Trail, which leaves the closer end of the parking lot, by 8:45. The trail climbs pretty gradually for a while and features a number of switchbacks along the way.
At 2.5 miles, the trail meets the Long Trail (north to the left, south to the right), and also continues straight about 0.1 mile to Skyline Lodge, a good-size cabin often used by LT thru hikers. The cabin sits on the shore of Skylight Pond, and is quite a peaceful setting. There are two platforms inside along the back, and a small table inside, and a real porch with railing, all constructed like a log cabin. No caretaker here that I could see; just a couple on the porch who looked like thru-hikers that stayed the previous night. One was smoking -- a real turn-off for me -- so I didn't stay.
I returned to the Long Trail and headed north, a straightforward section trail along a ridge of sorts. I came to a sharp right turn in the trail, where a spur path continued straight ahead to the summit of Breadloaf: an unassuming, broad, viewless peak with a simple, small cairn to mark the summit.
Back on the Long Trail North, I soon reached the Emily Proctor shelter, constructed in 1960 and refurbished in 1983. A three-sided Mahoosuc-style shelter, this was the point at which the Emily Proctor Trail intersected the Long Trail as well. A stream nearby provides a good water source for hikers.
I continued along the Long Trail and reached the also-unassuming summit of Mt. Wilson, with its very small cairn. Here, I had some lunch and enjoyed the quiet. I had crossed paths with several people at this point, all of whom looked like thru hikers to me. There was no one else parked at the trailhead when I left that morning.
On my way back, I crossed a couple heading up the Skylight Pond Trail. It looked like they might be staying the night at the cabin. What a great idea, and just 2.6 easy miles from the trailhead (not a difficult stretch to carry a heavier pack). I just might be back for a stay there some day!
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