Dorset Mtn, VT 10/9/06

[John H Swanson]

A beautiful warm fall day. Colors seemed to be past peak but still very nice. The route was well maintained...better than most WMNF trails except for the one muddy spot. It is really quite steep. Overall a most pleasant hike.

Route Data:
Climbed the peak from the north. Access: Brook Road.... Danby Mountain Road.
Ref USGS topo.
Started at the "1410" point where there is a new sign "Smokey House Project" Hunting access. Passed thru a double metal gate.
Followed the trail shown on the topo which is now a drivable logging road to a logging yard at 1700ft. Out the back of the yard on a wide skidder trail.
At about 1800ft there is a fork - left (really straight)
At about 1850ft another fork - right (the left route looked good, but I was wrong.) From here it is a wide nice trail - one suitable for ATV or snowmobile but not eroded (motor vehicles are restricted)
At 2980ft you junction the trail coming thru the col from the south.
At 3160ft there is a cairn and a junction. The trail shown on the topo goes left roughly level. The route to the mountain (not shown on the topo) goes right, up, about 100mag.
At 3580ft, a herd path, marked by a cairn, goes 180mag to the south firetower remains peak.
At 3660ft, hit a 4 way junction marked by the tree with two door knobs. All trails are wide and seem to be winter snowmobile routes. Right goes to the south peak. Left goes to the North (true) peak. (There is a small sign attesting this point.) Straight goes to points unknown.
From here, going left, it gets muddy. The trail becomes a herd path. A short while later the summit is reached.

Times:
Car 8:12
S pk 9:35
N pk 9:49-10:00
Car 11:03

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Necktie still on a door knob?

 

[Tom Rankin]

At 3160ft there is a cairn and a junction. The trail shown on the topo goes left roughly level. The route to the mountain (not shown on the topo) goes right, up, about 100mag.
At 3580ft, a herd path, marked by a cairn, goes 180mag to the south firetower remains peak.
At 3660ft, hit a 4 way junction marked by the tree with two door knobs. All trails are wide and seem to be winter snowmobile routes. Right goes to the south peak. Left goes to the North (true) peak. (There is a small sign attesting this point.) Straight goes to points unknown.

No necktie back in August. I should donate some of mine, I never wear them anymore!

John, I was following your directions mentally. Did you descend the same herd path you used to summit South Dorset, or did you keep going? It sounds like you went back down the way you came, otherwise, you would have met the 4-way junction from a different perspective.

Also, out on the herd path(s), there are numerous criss-crosses that lead to points unknown, some with confusing signs...

 

[Pamola]

From here it is a wide nice trail - one suitable for ATV or snowmobile but not eroded (motor vehicles are restricted)

I'm not sure if you're including ATV's and dirtbikes in motor vehicles but I had the distinct feeling when I did the trail that hikers were outnumbered by things with engines. Seemed like a lot of folk dirtbiked to the top, and even signed the register as such.
I think my retort in the register was something about the original two-stroke being legs.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I'm not sure if you're including ATV's and dirtbikes in motor vehicles but I had the distinct feeling when I did the trail that hikers were outnumbered by things with engines. Seemed like a lot of folk dirtbiked to the top, and even signed the register as such.
I think my retort in the register was something about the original two-stroke being legs.

I've been up there 2x and never saw anything motorized. I don't remember tire tracks either. I guess YMMV....

 

[John H Swanson]

No necktie.

We went up the herbpath to the S pk then down a wide trail on the ridge to the doorknob junction. On the return we did not reclimb the south peak but rather descended directly from the doorknob junction.

So to restate there is one 4 way intersection at the doorknob junction with only 4 trails. Along the ridge going to the N peak from the doorknob junction is another less-used trail going off (down) to the northwest. There are some old direction signs indicationg this trail was once the normal ascent route. I assume this trail goes down to the trail on the topo, further to the northeast of the 3160 junction.

We saw no motor vehicles. The trail from the north to the col was not ridden recently as it had no tracks or heavy erosion. Along the ridge was more impacted but, being familar with heavily used trails, I would say this was not heavily used. Of course this is all relative.