alpinista
Active member
I'd been hankerin' to return to VT since last fall, when AMSTony and Poison Ivy and I bagged Abraham. This time, Mansfield was the peak that called out to us.
Tony and I were joined by a colleague of mine, who for the purposes of this trip report, will be known as "il Papa" (because his last name is Pope).
We met Tony in Nashua at 7 a.m., and headed up I-89. Yet again, we encountered a bit of a glitch finding the trailhead -- gotta work on those compass skills! -- and ended up having to ask a US Army soldier out for a run on her cross-country ski-type roller blades, how to get to Underhill State Park.
The ranger at the gate cautioned us against using the Laura Cowles trail, saying that some rain the night before would make it an unpleasant hike. It turns out that the big black cloud we'd seen on the approach hovering over the summit had blown away, so we weren't at all disappointed to be able to take Sunset Ridge Trail to the summit.
This is a wonderful hike because it doesn't take long -- maybe an hour -- to break above treeline. And once your out of the scrub, it's absolutely breathtaking the panoramic views you get from this trail: Lake Champlain, the Daks (what's that sound we hear? Are those peaks calling our names???).
Then, of course, the antennae that grace the top of Mansfield's "nose."
The rocky ledge that takes you up Mansfield's western shoulder and then along the spiny "face" is steep but not technical. This is a cardio workout. It's nice to have the handy excuse of awesome views to stop and catch your breath!
Then once on top of the summit, you could see the White Mountains -- the presidential range, the Franconia range, Moosilauke, then down the Long Trail toward Ellen and Abraham and Camel's Hump. The GMC steward at the top said it was the first time in a month that they've seen any kind of view from the summit.
The summit is a bit of a zoo from people taking the road and tram up from the ski area. But given that it was a holiday weekend, and a beautiful one in the high 70s/low 80s, it was nothing annoying.
It's rare that I enjoy taking back the very same trail I took up to a summit. But this is one of those trails that gives you just as much of a treat on the way down. The views were endless and inspiring.
On the way back down, we decided to stop off at the "cantilever," a giant rock formation that juts out from a giant boulder. I'd hate to be around when/if that thing ever falls!
All in all, a fabulous day with great company.
Pix can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/photo/384404128/384409489tgXPeI
Tony and I were joined by a colleague of mine, who for the purposes of this trip report, will be known as "il Papa" (because his last name is Pope).
We met Tony in Nashua at 7 a.m., and headed up I-89. Yet again, we encountered a bit of a glitch finding the trailhead -- gotta work on those compass skills! -- and ended up having to ask a US Army soldier out for a run on her cross-country ski-type roller blades, how to get to Underhill State Park.
The ranger at the gate cautioned us against using the Laura Cowles trail, saying that some rain the night before would make it an unpleasant hike. It turns out that the big black cloud we'd seen on the approach hovering over the summit had blown away, so we weren't at all disappointed to be able to take Sunset Ridge Trail to the summit.
This is a wonderful hike because it doesn't take long -- maybe an hour -- to break above treeline. And once your out of the scrub, it's absolutely breathtaking the panoramic views you get from this trail: Lake Champlain, the Daks (what's that sound we hear? Are those peaks calling our names???).
Then, of course, the antennae that grace the top of Mansfield's "nose."The rocky ledge that takes you up Mansfield's western shoulder and then along the spiny "face" is steep but not technical. This is a cardio workout. It's nice to have the handy excuse of awesome views to stop and catch your breath!
Then once on top of the summit, you could see the White Mountains -- the presidential range, the Franconia range, Moosilauke, then down the Long Trail toward Ellen and Abraham and Camel's Hump. The GMC steward at the top said it was the first time in a month that they've seen any kind of view from the summit.
The summit is a bit of a zoo from people taking the road and tram up from the ski area. But given that it was a holiday weekend, and a beautiful one in the high 70s/low 80s, it was nothing annoying.
It's rare that I enjoy taking back the very same trail I took up to a summit. But this is one of those trails that gives you just as much of a treat on the way down. The views were endless and inspiring.
On the way back down, we decided to stop off at the "cantilever," a giant rock formation that juts out from a giant boulder. I'd hate to be around when/if that thing ever falls!
All in all, a fabulous day with great company.
Pix can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/photo/384404128/384409489tgXPeI
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