Grass Mt and Spruce Pk (Vermont)

[Peakbagr]

Had a chance to get out on these 2 with almost no notice. Joanne was interested and no need to even ask Bookah. She(Bookah) hung out by the gear the evening before and hovered there from 6am.

Nice hike up from Shaftsbury Hollow Road. Due to washouts and DEEP mudwallows, the last 0.70 mile drive to the parking area near the red camp is only passable by high clearance 4WD vehicles.
We walked the jeep/ATV road to the col. The snow began from here and it was an easy whack thru open hardwoods to the summit of Grass Mt. The summit jar easily located. A first for Joanne. After a very quick lunch on top, retraced our steps. From the col we took a jeep road along Spruce Peak's western side and then headed up thru the snowy footing to the summit. Here's where I made my second mistake of the day. Error #1 was mistakenly grabbing my lightweight hiking boots in the morning. The ones that are porous and without Gore-Tex. A couple of dunkings on the stream crossings and walking up high in snow made for cold, damp, tootsies. Error #2 was forgetting to carry a spare jar and register. The jar on Spruce Pk had been vandalized and the register missing.
Joanne, Bookah and I again retraced our steps to the col for the easy walk back to the car.
Every time I'm in the Green Mts I'm reminded how the low three-thousand footers look like the Catskills without the pricker bushes. Bookah spent the day alternating between puddle bathing and snowwalking and had her usual good time being the scourge of chipmunks and mice. And Jo and I had a good time just being out. Joanne's first Vermont hike...I think it made a good impression, particularly the fern glade with great views just below the summit of Grass Mt. My pictures to eventually follow.
My sincere apologies for again forgetting to carry a spare jar and register.
Peakbagr

 

[rhihn]

Nice report. Wish I could have made it. One correction: it's Joanne's second VT hike. She's also done Camel's Hump, though she may have forgotten about it.

 

[audrey]

How's the old Subaru holding up?

Those two peaks were so pretty, and the easiest whacks ever.

 

[bigmoose]

We were surprised to find a grand total of one (1)! spruce tree on the short whack up to Spruce Mt.! And no grass, but extensive fern fields on Grass.... And we dubbed the rusted Subaru remnants in the col the "VFTT limo," marking it as such, scratching out the letters with a Rolaids tab, washed away by now, for sure.

 

[Peakbagr]

It was another fine day in the Vermont mountains. The last 3/4's of a mile up to the red hunting camp would swallow any but the most robust high clearance 4WD in the condition its in now.

Alan

 

[Edelweiss]

I hadn't climbed a Vermont mountain since hiking Camel's Hump several years ago.The woods were very open - not really bushwhacking, but Alan's excellent route certainly helped. I paused longer than usual at a couple of the stream crossings as we began the hike, trying not to get my feet wet, but jumped rocks with abandon on the way out. Even my trusty Subaru wouldn't have made the trip in to the hunting camp along the deeply-rutted road. Full size, high-clearance vehicles certainly have their place in this part of the country!
The views below the Grass Mt. summit are wonderful, but the dark, overcast day didn't contribute to the quality of the photos I took. I snapped a few shots anyway.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLa...mail-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Man, with all the talk of ADK vs Whites all I could think is how those Vermont pictures sure do look like they got mixed up with your Catskill pics. Maybe we should have a "the differences between the Catskill and Vermont" or "the likeness of Vermont and Catskills!"

 

[audrey]

Turkeys might have been responsible for shuffling up the leaves in that photo. We encountered that phenomenon on the Hammond Trail on Chocorua last winter. Huge swaths of leaves were jumbled with the snow and we saw 3 large flocks of turkeys in the space of an hour.

 

[iceNsnow]

A dumb question -

I don't have a VT map handy and wanted to know if Spruce Peak is the same Spruce Peak across the road from Mt Mansfield.

Sounds like a cool trip!

Thanks -

 

[audrey]

No, this Spruce is in Southern Vermont a bit north of Bennington.

 

[Peakbagr]

My photos of the trip:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=avk6ugum.6gsc4zqi&x=0&y=94r4a&localeid=en_US

 

[iceNsnow]

Thanks Audrey!

Those VT peaks do some enticing!

 

[RoySwkr]

Hurry & bag Grass before it gets a wind turbine with no access!

 

[Peakbagr]

Roy,

You really keep on this stuff. Much appreciated. Does anyone know of other peaks in VT, NH and ME imminently under threat of windfarm closure ?

Closer to my home base, the 2 Moresville Range peaks are under consideration. Both summits are Catskill100s and 770s.
Today is the opening of the Catskills rifle season. While neither peak is under immediate development I wouldn't wait years before going.
There are PP issues.

 

[rhihn]

I thought this article in the online Backpacker might be of interest.

 

[RoySwkr]

Does anyone know of other peaks in VT, NH and ME imminently under threat of windfarm closure ?

All of these 3k have previous notes if more info is desired

VT
Readsboro/Fairington - approval pending for tower on summit with recreation closure

East - approval denied but I expect it to come back, continued recreation promised

Grass, Corporation, Hoosac - research towers proposed, will presumably come with closure if approved

NH
Dixville, Kelsey - approval pending, continued recreation promised

ME
Redington, Black Nubble - approval denied but I expect Black Nubble at least to come back, recreation status unknown

 

[Peakbagr]

Roy,

You're a resource...thanks. Hoping to get to Corporation with Spruce Grouch before too long.