Mt. Mansfield route

[sierra]

I have decided to tackle the VT5 list with my dog, I saw the patch and can't resist. 4 of the 5 seem pretty straight forward, I was curious if anyone was really familiar with Mansfield? From the research I have done, the route I have picked is the long trail from route108, you can turn it into a loop utilizing the Haselton trail, but that seems fairly long. I try to keep my dogs' hikes at 10 miles and the less scrambling the better. I figure there must be people on here that really know the VT peaks. I did Camels Hump in the 80's, but I'm doing it again for my dog.

 

[Kyle D]

When I did the VT5, I took the LT from 108 as you have described. The last .25mile or so to the peak above Taft Lodge I remember being rather steep and scrambly. Other than that it was standard trail and footing. All in all, nothing you or pup haven't already seen or handled in the Whites or 52WAV. Enjoy. I loved the VT peaks as all were moderate mileage and felt quieter than NH certainly.

As for Camel's Hump, Burrows trail and Forest City trail make a very nice loop.

 

[DavidG]

There are a couple spots on the LT that you will have to lift your dog up on the chin.
I recommend going to Underhill and doing the Laura Cowles up and Sunset ridge down.
Best dog route.

 

[JoshandBaron]

I'm going to second a route from Underhill State Park. Mansfield was my old dog's first 4K and that's the route we did. Up Sunset and down Cowles but if I did it again I'd probably come down Halfway House to extend the ridge time.

 

[peakbagger]

Except for the crowds, the approach from the West side from the Underhill State Park is the best route My preference is Up Cowles down Sunset. Dont even think about hiking it on a weekend. A general comment is getting to Underhill State Park definitely can be challenge.

 

[KRooney]

I like doing an up and back on the Sunset Ridge trail beginning at the Underhill State Park. The best views are on the way down,

 

[DavidG]

I'm going to second a route from Underhill State Park. Mansfield was my old dog's first 4K and that's the route we did. Up Sunset and down Cowles but if I did it again I'd probably come down Halfway House to extend the ridge time.

Go all the way to Maple Ridge and take the ccc road back and get the whole mountain.

 

[DavidG]

Except for the crowds, the approach from the West side from the Underhill State Park is the best route My preference is Up Cowles down Sunset. Dont even think about hiking it on a weekend. A general comment is getting to Underhill State Park definitely can be challenge.

Go early or late.

 

[dace]

The Haselton loop is great and gives you a mile or so on the open ridge up top. As others have mentioned there's one or two scrambly bits as the LT approaches the chin but it's pretty common to see dogs up there. Haselton coming down is likely to have a few stream crossings but no scrambles. Sadly as of a year or so ago I don't think the VT5 patch is available anymore, unless somebody has taken things over.

 

[hikerbrian]

We did Mansfield from Underhill a few months ago, on Memorial Day weekend, up Cowles, down Sunset Ridge, as others have suggested. It was a GREAT route for that mountain, you're above the trees for a lot of the route. Memorial Day was a beautiful weekend this year, and we expected heavy crowds. In practice, except for the summit ridge, we saw very few people. Maybe a dozen total groups, max. It was NOTHING like Franconia loop or really any 4K in the Whites. We hiked right in the middle of the day. I'd be pretty surprised if you ran into crowds (as we know them in the Whites) post-Labor Day.

 

[nartreb]

I like the Sunset Ridge route, and I second the recommendation to lengthen the hike by spending extra time on the summit ridge. It'll add distance but the main trial on the ridge is very easy, and mostly flat, and it's spectacular. Stop to rest and have a picnic while you're up there. You won't regret it.

Also, you should go bag the Nose while you're up there - it belongs on the list (altitude >4000', clean prominence > 200'). Don't linger, though - the TV relay antennas (microwave band mostly) are not good for you.

 

[peakbagger]

Its been several years since I was up there. I was with a small group on a Saturday about this time of year. The summit was a zoo, all the alpine trails were defined with strings and lots of volunteer summit stewards hovering over the crowds to keep them inside the strings. We came up Hell Brook trail (definitely not dog friendly) and saw few people but once we got to the summit ridge it was getting close to conga line. We came down the Long Trail and it was less crowded so my guess was most of the traffic was from the west side trails.

 

[DavidG]

Its been several years since I was up there. I was with a small group on a Saturday about this time of year. The summit was a zoo, all the alpine trails were defined with strings and lots of volunteer summit stewards hovering over the crowds to keep them inside the strings. We came up Hell Brook trail (definitely not dog friendly) and saw few people but once we got to the summit ridge it was getting close to conga line. We came down the Long Trail and it was less crowded so my guess was most of the traffic was from the west side trails.

Most of the summit traffic comes from the toll road.

 

[JoshandBaron]

We camped at Underhill on a Columbus Day weekend and got an early start. We must have missed the crowds because we saw no one on Saturday on the Sunset Ridge route and on Sunday when I went up again I only saw 2 people on Halfway house.

 

[Lone Stranger]

Most of the summit traffic comes from the toll road.

On my SOBO thru last year I found that to be disturbingly true. Camped at Taft and didn't see a soul until I was a bit beyond the Chin. Then suddenly a parade of people appeared out of the cloud.

 

[TEO]

Also, you should go bag the Nose while you're up there - it belongs on the list (altitude >4000', clean prominence > 200'). Don't linger, though - the TV relay antennas (microwave band mostly) are not good for you.

As one of the first two people to ascend all VT6ers in a day, I concur. I would add that you—and any other tempted souls—please be mindful of the alpine flora on the Nose, especially with your dogs. Use a leash if necessary. The Nose was all but stripped bare prior to the closing of the trails to it, and since the closing, the alpine flora has made a remarkable recovery.

Having red-lined the current trail system on Mansfield and all known former trails, with the exception of the Notch section of the Bear Pond Trail and a short segment of the Triangle Trail, and for years ascended it on a weekly basis, I am confident in making my recommendations.

If you're looking for a quick up-and-down, then up Laura Cowles, down Sunset Ridge is definitely the best option, though there are a couple of very brief scrambly moves on the upper part of Laura Cowles. Given its steepness, I do not recommend descending Laura Cowles.

Mansfield has a number of gems and the best trails on the mountain do not go to the summit. If you have to summit, I would recommend the following:
Park at Underhill State Park, take the Eagle Trail>CCC road to the Maple Ridge Trail and ascend to the Forehead. (The upper 0.2 miles is actually part of the Wampahoofus Trail.) From the Forehead take the Long Trail to the Chin, making a side-trip to the Nose. Descend via Sunset Ridge. Without the side-trip to the Nose, CalTopo puts the length at 8.6 miles. @sierra, I'm going to PM you some extra info. I'm not fan of ascending Sunset Ridge, so if you wanted to reverse the aforementioned loop, I would ascend via the Laura Cowles and descend via Maple Ridge. If you do that, be sure not to miss the right turn back to the CCC road.

Up the LT and down via the LT South>Toll Road>Haselton Trail would be fine for you and your dogs, but it is a much less interesting route. If you did do this route, a side trip to the Adam's Apple is well worth it. The view of the summit from the AA is pretty cool.

The Cliff Trail on the East side of the summit ridge and the Subway system on the West side are marvelous, but not dog-friendly, due to ladders, crevices, ropes, et cetera. The Teardrop Ski Trail is shown on some maps, but it is not designed or maintained as a hiking trail, so I would not recommend it.

 

[sierra]

As one of the first two people to ascend all VT6ers in a day, I concur. I would add that you—and any other tempted souls—please be mindful of the alpine flora on the Nose, especially with your dogs. Use a leash if necessary. The Nose was all but stripped bare prior to the closing of the trails to it, and since the closing, the alpine flora has made a remarkable recovery.

Having red-lined the current trail system on Mansfield and all known former trails, with the exception of the Notch section of the Bear Pond Trail and a short segment of the Triangle Trail, and for years ascended it on a weekly basis, I am confident in making my recommendations.

If you're looking for a quick up-and-down, then up Laura Cowles, down Sunset Ridge is definitely the best option, though there are a couple of very brief scrambly moves on the upper part of Laura Cowles. Given its steepness, I do not recommend descending Laura Cowles.

Mansfield has a number of gems and the best trails on the mountain do not go to the summit. If you have to summit, I would recommend the following:
Park at Underhill State Park, take the Eagle Trail>CCC road to the Maple Ridge Trail and ascend to the Forehead. (The upper 0.2 miles is actually part of the Wampahoofus Trail.) From the Forehead take the Long Trail to the Chin, making a side-trip to the Nose. Descend via Sunset Ridge. Without the side-trip to the Nose, CalTopo puts the length at 8.6 miles. @sierra, I'm going to PM you some extra info. I'm not fan of ascending Sunset Ridge, so if you wanted to reverse the aforementioned loop, I would ascend via the Laura Cowles and descend via Maple Ridge. If you do that, be sure not to miss the right turn back to the CCC road.

Up the LT and down via the LT South>Toll Road>Haselton Trail would be fine for you and your dogs, but it is a much less interesting route. If you did do this route, a side trip to the Adam's Apple is well worth it. The view of the summit from the AA is pretty cool.

The Cliff Trail on the East side of the summit ridge and the Subway system on the West side are marvelous, but not dog-friendly, due to ladders, crevices, ropes, et cetera. The Teardrop Ski Trail is shown on some maps, but it is not designed or maintained as a hiking trail, so I would not recommend it.

Thank you for the detailed response. We climbed Mansfield last week, did the Sunset ridge as an out and back. The mountain was completely socked in, but it was a brilliant hike regardless. The trails and the rock itself were fantastic. As far as my dog, he is always tied to my pack with an 11ft bungee style leash and he stays on the trails and off the flora, although he is trained to leave the trail to go to the bathroom.