Jazzbo
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Sunset Ridge starts in Underhill State Park. There aren’t many road signs to help you find this park. Luckily I had a local for a guide. Underhill State Park has a charming and well cared for little campground. A Delorme map book would help.
This route totals slightly over 9 miles. It took us 8 hours to complete. Weather slightly less cloudy version of yesterday’s mixed bag of high white billowy clouds opening and closing seemingly at random to reveal views of sunlit valleys below. We ascended via Sunset Ridge with a stop at Cantilever Rock. Sunset Ridge is rocky trail. It is 3.1 miles and 2700' elevation gain to summit. Sunset Ridge Trail has plentiful rock steps so footing is good most of the way although rocks were damp from humid conditions so were bit slippery.
Cantilever rock is worth stopping to see and provides a nice place to stop and catch your breath about half way up and offers your first grand views.
Views open up shortly after. Rock ledges aren't as slippery here because breezes keep ledges dry.
Billowy clouds make for some interesting views.
Took detour to take in the Chin then proceeded along Long Trail. Views are very fine all the way frequently 360 degrees with only short sections through spruce. Coupled with Sunset and maple Ridge Trails, this makes for a very spectacular ridge hike.
We skipped the Nose to save some time and proceeded over to the Forehead and headed down Maple Ridge Trail. There is some steep drops down this trail. Maple Ridge is definitely lot trickier than the Sunset Ridge Trail. Maple Ridge also has lot of above tree line terrain. Lots of steep smooth slabs (thankfully dry).
Two spots in particular stand out. One is a big crevasse which only way across is to leap although I found alternate route in some thick spruce that was easier. Then there is an interesting ledge which you can’t see way over except to hang feet over ledge to a sort of crack, do about turn, and rest hands on slab with no handholds and ease yourself down. Very tricky with a big pack.
Back in the woods the Maple Ridge trail is not as well equipped with rock steps Sunset Ridge Trail is so there are long stretches of smooth slippery schist which one tries to avoid by encroaching onto the fragile soils along the side. We reached the CCC road and hiked out a fast pace to get back to TH in 8 hours.
This route totals slightly over 9 miles. It took us 8 hours to complete. Weather slightly less cloudy version of yesterday’s mixed bag of high white billowy clouds opening and closing seemingly at random to reveal views of sunlit valleys below. We ascended via Sunset Ridge with a stop at Cantilever Rock. Sunset Ridge is rocky trail. It is 3.1 miles and 2700' elevation gain to summit. Sunset Ridge Trail has plentiful rock steps so footing is good most of the way although rocks were damp from humid conditions so were bit slippery.
Cantilever rock is worth stopping to see and provides a nice place to stop and catch your breath about half way up and offers your first grand views.
Views open up shortly after. Rock ledges aren't as slippery here because breezes keep ledges dry.
Billowy clouds make for some interesting views.
Took detour to take in the Chin then proceeded along Long Trail. Views are very fine all the way frequently 360 degrees with only short sections through spruce. Coupled with Sunset and maple Ridge Trails, this makes for a very spectacular ridge hike.
We skipped the Nose to save some time and proceeded over to the Forehead and headed down Maple Ridge Trail. There is some steep drops down this trail. Maple Ridge is definitely lot trickier than the Sunset Ridge Trail. Maple Ridge also has lot of above tree line terrain. Lots of steep smooth slabs (thankfully dry).
Two spots in particular stand out. One is a big crevasse which only way across is to leap although I found alternate route in some thick spruce that was easier. Then there is an interesting ledge which you can’t see way over except to hang feet over ledge to a sort of crack, do about turn, and rest hands on slab with no handholds and ease yourself down. Very tricky with a big pack.
Back in the woods the Maple Ridge trail is not as well equipped with rock steps Sunset Ridge Trail is so there are long stretches of smooth slippery schist which one tries to avoid by encroaching onto the fragile soils along the side. We reached the CCC road and hiked out a fast pace to get back to TH in 8 hours.
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