Mt Glastenbury AT/LT Vermont Sun 6/11

[rocksnrolls]

The plan is for a traverse of Mt Glastenbury (~3700') along the AT and LT in southern Vermont this coming Sunday. We'll be going southbound from either the parking on USFS 71 or if we have to, Arlington-West Wardsboro Rd (2 extra miles), to Rt 9. Total distance from 71 is nearly 21 miles and about 3000' of elevation gain. Starting time will probably be around 7am, maybe earlier, but we haven't totally decided that yet. Looks like it'll be a wet & muddy day

So far it's going to be me, Dugan, Jade, Lattinhill, and maybe Abster. Anyone else who wants to come along and thinks they can keep up a good pace for the day is welcome to join. PM me and/or post here.

 

[swamp]

I did this same trip as a backpack about a month ago. I parked on 71 and hiked south to Glastenbury ,staying at Goddard shelter. I didn't see a soul on the hike in or out, but the shelter was full that night. Most people seem to hike in from Rt 9. It was a great trip and the views from the fire tower were amazing.

 

[jade]

7am or earlier--obviously I've lost my pull with this crowd!! Count me and possibly Carmen, in....
We did a 10 mile hike on the Finger Lake's Interloken Trail last week. The whole trail was mud and water. After jumping over puddles and walking around 5 inches of mud, I gave in and stopped protecting my new trail runners walking through a foot deep cold brook...I'm ready for anything this weekend!

I look forward to seeing my friends after so long.....
...Jade

 

[rocksnrolls]

Hi Jade!

I figured we'd need an early start due to the lack of a mid-point carspot for a bail out. We'll need all the daylight hours we can get for this long a hike! And while I'd love to see Carmen, I'd like to suggest this be a canine-free hike due to the distance and probable muddiness.

 

[funkyfreddy]

I would love to go on this hike but can't at this time, unfortunately.

Hope you have a great hike and please let us know what impressions/feelings you get from the Glastenbury Triangle

 

[Double Bow]

Same state, different day... if you want to do Mansfield on Saturday, let me know.

Hope both of our VT weekend trips go well and that the weather is better when I see ya' the following weekend!

That's a great stretch of the LT and I too saw few people in there while Shamie and I were backpacking that section of the trail. Goddard's a good one.

 

[Dugan]

I've done to Goddard and back via AT/LT from the Stratton Pond Trailhead on Arlington West Wardsboro Road as a day hike a few times. Three nice big hills in the way make it a good workout! Been close to 20 years since I've been on the stretch between 9 and Goddard.

Never noticed anything weird with the Glastenbury Triangle.

Is it true the shelter was recently replaced? I always liked that one.

Hmmm... Mansfield... idly wondering what the distance of an LT traverse over Camel's Hump and Mansfield is - too lazy to get up and go check the guide... Doable in a day?

 

[RoySwkr]

I figured we'd need an early start due to the lack of a mid-point carspot for a bail out.

You can bail E or W via ATV trails, or S via old AT from Goddard. There's also a short cut at the N end but I assume you won't be bailing so soon

 

[rocksnrolls]

You can bail E or W via ATV trails, or S via old AT from Goddard. There's also a short cut at the N end but I assume you won't be bailing so soon

My map, from the 2001 VT/NH AT guide doesn't show the ATV trails. What roads do they come out at? I don't even see any nearby roads on my map As for the old AT, is that the West Ridge Tr? Or is it somewhere between the two trails? Would it get us to a road quicker than the current AT route? Thanks for the input!

 

[dms]

There is a myriad of ATV/snowmachine trails, some right to the summit of Glastenbury. Most come in from the east, and lead to Somerset Road and Arlington Road.

 

[Dugan]

Would it get us to a road quicker than the current AT route?

What's this? Quicker??? Weren't a couple of someones looking to do a long hike to continue training for Pound the Presies?

 

[rocksnrolls]

What's this? Quicker??? Weren't a couple of someones looking to do a long hike to continue training for Pound the Presies?

I asked in relation to bail out/carspotting. If it's not any quicker than the planned route, it wouldn't make much of a bail out, right?

ask a simple question and the weenie alert goes off ?!

 

[RoySwkr]

>My map, from the 2001 VT/NH AT guide doesn't show the ATV trails.
>What roads do they come out at?
>I don't even see any nearby roads on my map

The AT/LT guides are oriented towards hiking those trails and often
feature poor coverage of side trails (Skookumchuck for instance).
Relatively few hiking guides cover ATV trails at all.

If you buy an updated USGS map from the GMNF (not from USGS or Topozone) it shows the roads and ATV trails from the Macintyre area. There was a post on Trail Conditions a couple years ago by a guy who went from road to summit in 1.5 hours at an easy pace. The trails E go down to FR-71,
they cross the AT maybe .5 miles N of the tower.

> As for the old AT, is that the West Ridge Tr?
>Or is it somewhere between the two
>trails? Would it get us to a road quicker than the current AT route?

West Ridge is a former AT but before that it went due S from Goddard
Shelter, you can see it on the Topozone map.
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4755927&e=656041&datum=nad83
You could once drive to within a couple miles of the shelter but I haven't checked it lately. My sister helped build the AT in the Maple Hill/Little Pond area and they had a number of short cuts to pack in their equipment and a week's food instead of lugging it from Rte.9.

 

[Dugan]

Alas, for many reasons, we did not see Glastenbury last weekend. We did, however, visit three ponds - Stratton, Bourne, and Branch. TR pending.