1SlowHiker
New member
This past weekend I knocked off the last three Vermont Peaks on my NEHH list. 07/30/15:08/01/15
Trip Stats:
Jay Peak (3861‘) and Big Jay (3800‘) 07/31/15 via Vermont’s Long Trail, up and back on VT Long Trail from VT RT-242 and Bushwhack/Herd paths between Jay and Big Jay
Per my GPS; 06:01am - 11:57am ~6 hrs, 5.89 miles, average speed 1.0mph, moving average 1.4mph,
Min elevation 2208’ (trailhead), Max elevation 3847’
Dorset Peak (3804’) 08/01/15 from backwoods roads off of Tower Hill Road.
Per my GPS; 06:02am-11:12am, ~5hr:10min, average speed 1.2mph average moving 1.6mph
Min Elevation 1664’ Max elevation 3837
Total driving miles ~750-800 miles, Total trip time ~49 hrs
Trip Report (briefly):
These were my last three Vermont peaks on the NEHH list. I did them on a 3 day trip to Vermont. The Jays are the furthest northern Peaks (almost in Canada) and Dorset is one of three most Southern Peaks on my list. I should have picked up Dorset by staying another day when I did Stratton and Equinox laast year- can’t recall why I didn’t – probably weather. The complete trip was about 800 miles of driving within 49 hrs with two overnights. I drove up to a campground near the Jays on Thursday afternoon and hiked the Jays Friday morning. Friday afternoon I drove down to Emerald Lake State Park (4 hr drive), set up camp, then did a short drive to the Dorset “trailhead” to make sure I could find it the next morning, and stopped at the Dorset marble quarry for a quick swim before heading back to the campsite. Saturday I broke camp at first sunlight, hiked to Dorset Peak, stopped at the quarry again for a few more water jumps, and drove back to Rhode Island.
All trails/roads were in pretty good shape with no significant blowdowns. The herd path from Jay to Big Jay is easy to follow but has many ankle deep bogs. I lost a pair of glasses along this path which I reported in the “lost and Found: forum.
It was great being able to take a swim in the quarry at the end of both hiking days.
I snuck in in a near perfect weather window despite 40% forecast. It threatened to rain on my way back from Big Jay Friday but cleared by the time I got down. Then, just after leaving the quarry on Satyurday it rained hard for the first few hours driving home.
Pictures and details at: http://1slowhiker.blogspot.com/
Trip Stats:
Jay Peak (3861‘) and Big Jay (3800‘) 07/31/15 via Vermont’s Long Trail, up and back on VT Long Trail from VT RT-242 and Bushwhack/Herd paths between Jay and Big Jay
Per my GPS; 06:01am - 11:57am ~6 hrs, 5.89 miles, average speed 1.0mph, moving average 1.4mph,
Min elevation 2208’ (trailhead), Max elevation 3847’
Dorset Peak (3804’) 08/01/15 from backwoods roads off of Tower Hill Road.
Per my GPS; 06:02am-11:12am, ~5hr:10min, average speed 1.2mph average moving 1.6mph
Min Elevation 1664’ Max elevation 3837
Total driving miles ~750-800 miles, Total trip time ~49 hrs
Trip Report (briefly):
These were my last three Vermont peaks on the NEHH list. I did them on a 3 day trip to Vermont. The Jays are the furthest northern Peaks (almost in Canada) and Dorset is one of three most Southern Peaks on my list. I should have picked up Dorset by staying another day when I did Stratton and Equinox laast year- can’t recall why I didn’t – probably weather. The complete trip was about 800 miles of driving within 49 hrs with two overnights. I drove up to a campground near the Jays on Thursday afternoon and hiked the Jays Friday morning. Friday afternoon I drove down to Emerald Lake State Park (4 hr drive), set up camp, then did a short drive to the Dorset “trailhead” to make sure I could find it the next morning, and stopped at the Dorset marble quarry for a quick swim before heading back to the campsite. Saturday I broke camp at first sunlight, hiked to Dorset Peak, stopped at the quarry again for a few more water jumps, and drove back to Rhode Island.
All trails/roads were in pretty good shape with no significant blowdowns. The herd path from Jay to Big Jay is easy to follow but has many ankle deep bogs. I lost a pair of glasses along this path which I reported in the “lost and Found: forum.
It was great being able to take a swim in the quarry at the end of both hiking days.
I snuck in in a near perfect weather window despite 40% forecast. It threatened to rain on my way back from Big Jay Friday but cleared by the time I got down. Then, just after leaving the quarry on Satyurday it rained hard for the first few hours driving home.
Pictures and details at: http://1slowhiker.blogspot.com/
! I suspected there was a better route in when I saw the good condition of the road from the left at the first "T", then afterwards found out that there is a route from Danby Four Corners. It looks to be a lower grade and I can see where there would be views from the North. Is it much longer though? On the other hand if I went that way I probably wouldn't have seen the quarry off Rt30 which was actually the high point of my trip. I never even saw Emerald Lake.
