Delectable Mountain VT 11/10/06

[RoySwkr]

If like me you've spent a weekend climbing 6 unnamed peaks and then were
unable to tell anyone where you'd been, you'll understand the advantages
of going places with interesting names that will impress your listeners.
I was looking for potential hikes near the winter gathering site and
decided upon Delectable Mountain in Barnard VT. Drove out to Smith Hill
Road but it was posted as closed without permit from Oct.15 to May 1,
apparently the fall mud season is longer than the spring mud season
there. Rather than wait until May or come back Wednesday evening for the
selectmens' meeting, I decided to park and walk as I wasn't sure how far
it could be driven anyway. As it turned out, it had been repaired for
logging and could have been driven another mile to about 1800' where
logging roads left both sides and the road ahead was unimproved. I took
the logging road R hoping it would circle the main peak but it soon
petered out and I was left bushwhacking, angling uphill through cutover
terrain with a lot of briers. I finally reached the summit of Mt Hunger
which was fairly distinct and hadn't been cut recently.

I then proceeded S along the ridge to the next bump which the Board of
Geographic Names considers to be Delectable Mountain. It was mostly
cutover area with briers all the way to the summit where an old stone
wall ran over what may be the highest area. The steep part of the descent
to the highest point on Smith Hill Road was in older woods but the lower
part was more briers. There was an unnamed higher peak another couple
miles S but the going that way didn't look too good so I headed back for
my car. The upper part of Smith Hill Road was apparently too steep for
logging trucks so I walked down a gravel logging road that was recently
built to bypass it. I drove out Chateaugay Road toward the higher peak
but it had a similar closure sign well before the optimum starting point
so with darkness coming early I just went home.

In retrospect I chose the wrong time of year to climb these peaks. In
summer I could have driven closer and perhaps gotten berries off all the
pricker bushes, while in winter most of the briers would be buried and it
would be mostly easy going. It looks like there may be a wide spot plowed
where I parked and Smith Hill Road is a signed snowmobile trail so only
the upper part of the hike should require real trailbreaking.

 

[Amicus]

Perhaps you didn't chose the best time to climb Delectable Mountain, but you performed a service by your Report - bringing to the attention of many of us a Mountain that sounds like it should exist only in Pilgrim's Progress.

When someone gets around to compiling the Best-Named Peaks List, this one will rank near the top.

 

[drewski]

Hey Roy--been on that ridge many,many times chasing whitetails..
did you find Bull hill???

Drew

 

[RoySwkr]

been on that ridge many,many times chasing whitetails..

So were they delectable?

did you find Bull hill???

Not this trip, will probably go there with 2690 next summer

Climbed 2836 a few years ago from the Bridgewater end of Chateaugay Rd and found the old leanto shown on the map, know anything about it?

 

[drewski]

I know nothing of an old leanto but have been all over those mtn tops..
I was on At today near bull hill..Hunting pretty much sucks without snow..

Drew

 

[RoySwkr]

The next destination in this quest was Terrible Mtn in Andover VT. The terrible thing is that this range is being overrun with ski houses (there is a state law regarding development over 2500' but they are pushing this limit from several directionss) and some of the most obvious starting points seemed to be off limits until I buy a new luxury car. I finally drove the road to the E and parked at the intersection with Newton Road, TH17. A short distance up this road is one of the most unique highway bridges I've ever seen, posted for 8 tons.

I soon turned off on a woods road but eventually it petered out and I bushwhacked up in open woods. The register was placed 10/31/97 as the finishing peak for his VT 200 highest, and signed 3 different years since by a guy who climbs in deep snow. He could see Marcy, Greylock, and Moosilauke for 4 different states, but it was too hazy for me. As the W bump isn't far away and only one contour lower, I went over there and saw 2 snowshoe rabbits whose white fur was obvious against the gray and green of the ground. Took a more direct route down and picked up the same woods road.