Peakbagging Vermont

[Sherpa John]

Sarah and I hope to get Vermont out of the way during August and September of this year. Thing is, the resources available for VT hiking is in my opinion, scarce.

Can anyone suggest any GREAT books on the 5 peaks in VT on the NE 4K's list as well as hikes to nearby Hundred highest we can bag on day hikes?

I think we're going to take a weekend and Backpack Mansfield and Camels Hump or something that has various closer peaks.

Any help would rock! Books.. websites.. other resources.

Thanks
SJ

 

[dr_wu002]

Sarah and I hope to get Vermont out of the way during August and September of this year. Thing is, the resources available for VT hiking is in my opinion, scarce.

Can anyone suggest any GREAT books on the 5 peaks in VT on the NE 4K's list as well as hikes to nearby Hundred highest we can bag on day hikes?

I think we're going to take a weekend and Backpack Mansfield and Camels Hump or something that has various closer peaks.

Any help would rock! Books.. websites.. other resources.

Thanks
SJ

http://www.greenmountainclub.org/
They have 2 good books.... "Long Trail Guide" and a great all weather map (sold separately) to go along with that. And "Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont"

Other than that I haven't found too much! Good Luck! I want to get there as well!

-Dr. Wu

 

[Sean]

The Long Trail Guide published by the Green Mountain Club is the best resourse I have found. All five 4ks are in there, as well as some of the NEHH. The maps are not what you find for the White's, but they are adequate if you have good eyes or a magnifying glass. The route descriptions are good.

 

[SherpaKroto]

The Long Trail Guide covers all of the 4K's in Vermont, and most of the NEHH. I'd start there and then ask info for specific other peaks. I've not found the DayHiker's Guide to VT to be that worthwhile for peakbaggers.

You might consider saving Mansfield and Camel's Hump for the Gathering

When I did the Vermont 4K's I broke it into 2 weekends (so, a short afternoon for you ). I bagged Mendon, Killington and Pico on a bushwhack/trailed near loop. Then I headed out to Little River State Park with Chickety (Michelle) and hit Ellen/Abraham (Lincoln to App Gap) one day, Mansfield (via Hell Brook/Haselton) the next, and Camel's Hump (Forester to cutoff and loop on LT through Wind Gap). That covered them all, and I still had plenty of time for Ben and Jerry's. That whets the appetite for the rest. Vermont hiking is different from the Whites in that it is less rocky (generally), on more rolling hills (i.e. PUDS).

 

[bigmoose]

"Hope to get Vermont OUT OF THE WAY this August and September...."??

Funny, I kind of ENJOYED a few of those climbs...Camels Hump, Mansfield, Abraham, Jay & Big Jay, Shrewsbury, Mendon, Dorset, Ascutney come to mind....

"out of the way," indeed....

 

[Papa Bear]

The Long Trail Guide and the Day Hikers Guide to Vermont. Both published by the Green Mountain Club.

Green Mountain Club

 

[SteveHiker]

"great books"? I don't think so.

The Long Trail Guide is adequate, just make sure you have a good road atlas to go with it so you don't get lost. The directions in it leave a lot to the imagination.

As for backpacking, there aren't really any NEHH close to either Mansfield or Camel's Hump. But you could hit Ellen, Abraham, Breadloaf and Wilson on such a trip. Killington, Mendon and Pico are also close too each other, as mentioned previously.

Perhaps, if things work out right, you'll be able to join me as I finish the NE67 on Killington probably in September. The plan includes stopping at the Long Trail Brewery in Bridgewater Corners for a LT burger and some fresh LT ale.

 

[John S]

There are two good maps by Map Adventures: Vermont and New Hampshire Hiking and Northern Vermont Hiking. The Long Trail map by the Wilderness Map Company is also handy. All can usually be found at the Mountain Wanderer.

There's some really great hiking in Vermont.

 

[patrickbrusil]

I have longed for the AMC to publish an entire vermony book. I must say I think the green mountain club guides are pretty bush league.

That did not help answer the question at all.

 

[-ben-]

Sherp John,
I did Mansfield a few weeks ago.I recommend a nice loop of Mansfield:Take Maple Ridge Trail to the summit of the "Forehead",then take the Cliff trail to the actual summit of Mansfield the "Chin".Head down the Sunset Ridge trail.This makes a scenic hike.Cliff Trail is worth seeing.Total milage is around 9-10 miles i think.

 

[Toe Cozy]

I just don't understand, please help

Okay, I'll admit I'm biased. I'll admit I'm in a bad mood today, I'll admit it's hotter than hades in my house...so forgive me ahead of time for my rant...

I live in Vermont and do almost all of my hiking here. I'm not a list person or a peak bagger so I also get pretty agitated by the "get Vermont out of the way" comment. I think one of my least favorite things about hiking in the Whites is how crowed they seem compared to Vermont. The Whites are stunning, that's for sure, but I think it's important to appreciate the natural differences between the Greens and the Whites. And also interesting to consider the highways that feed the areas where people hike. We mostly see plates from New York and CT here (I-91). The Whites seem to be overun by plates from Mass. (I-93). It's cool to appreciate these kind of variations.

And what is everyone's issue with the Green Mountain Club guides? I can see if you're looking to bushwack stuff you'd need more detailed topo maps. or if you were traveling into "remote back country". But c'mon. This ain't rocket science! Even the trails through "Wilderness Areas" are nearly impossible to lose even if your only slightly paying attention. I've been hiking successfully in this state for 4 years now with the Long Trail Guide, Day hiker's guide, and my Vermont gazateer. (I definitely agree that the Day hiker's guide is not too useful if you're just a list person/peak bagger...don't spend your money on that unless it has NEHH in it, I don't know what is on that list in VT other than Equinox and Pico). With these meager resources I have yet to get lost on roads to nowhere never to be found and have always made it up the trails and back to my car effectively. The LT guide tells many, if not all, of the side trails, distances, landmarks to note while hiking, elevation gain, driving directions to the trailheads, info about shelters. I'm sorry to be sort of sarcastic and a little hostile sounding here, but I've seen other comments about the maps and guides for Vermont's mountains being lacking and I just don't understand what more a person could need. What is it you're looking for? What more info do you need to get out there and enjoy the woods?? Please, tell me...help me understand so I can get over this pet peeve!!! I just recently added the Wilderness Map Company's Long Trail waterproof map to my list of resources as well...it's not a necessity, but it's a map, I like maps and a it's a sexy one! It's just hiking. Not the search for the Holy Grail.

I'm done ranting now. I'm sorry. The Hell's Brook Trail up Mansfield is a really fun scrambly way to get to the top with the Cliff Trail a fun way down. (not with a dog though) I enjoyed the Long Trail route up Killington more than the Bucklin Trail. Pick a really clear, haze free day (maybe in September?)to go over Abraham and Ellen...the views are really nice and should be enjoyed if possible! Haven't met a trail on Camel's Hump that I didn't like. Start your days early and you'll enjoy a lot of solitude. Go get your GMC club Long Trail Guide and a Gazateer, hop in your car and get to Vermont! It's beautiful and peaceful here. (when dorks like me aren't getting worked up about guide books and maps!)

 

[bigmoose]

Toe Cozy got it right.

 

[HockeyPuck]

When I hiked the Vermont 4K's I used "the Hikers Guide to the Mountains of Vermont" By Jared Gange. It covers the basics and includes major trails to each summit, has primitive maps and pretty good driving directions to each trailhead.

It includes a few Mountains on the NEHH, but no bushwhacks.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Yikes! Now I know what to look out for when hiking those Rolling Hills of VT: Toe Cozy! (All in jest, as she is a friend of mine - heck, she even trusted me with her car!)

I will agree with her about VT. I did start off trying to "get it out of the way", but find I started to love it, and have section hiked 100 miles of the LT since I started there. The way I look at it, go for whatever your reasons are and come back for the beauty.

One good thing about the Long Trail Guide: it is the right size to carry on a hike!

I forgot to mention the best book for VT hiking (as others mentioned it): Delorme Gazetteer. Getting to the trailheads in VT is often the hardest route finding that you will do!

 

[elhefe007a]

The "Day Hikers Guide to Vermont" just features Equinox and Dorset for mountains in the NEHH, so don't waste your money on it if thats what your looking for.


As a native Vermonter as well, I agree with your statements. Some of my favorite mountains are in Vermont, such as Jay Peak and the very underated Mansfield.

 

[Blue]

I love Vermont and will likely move there some day. This all depends on when I win the lottery.

On a summit you look around and see endless hills and farms. You feel, at any given time on a trail that you are far away from civilization, even when there is a road a mile away.

I think that people who are intimately familiar with the White Mountain Guide expect some more information from the GMC Guide. The WMG's style is to narrate a whole trail - explaining the steep parts, twists and turns in the trail, treeline.. the whole experience. The GMC adds in a few highlights, but overall, it doesn't give a blow by blow account of the whole trail (how could it possibly keep track of every up and down!).

See a recent picture from Mansfield: look here
I hiked Ellen, Abe, etc. in the fog and now I need to get back to that section so I can have a view!

 

[bobandgeri]

John - check out our Trip Reports web page - we have reports for all but a couple of the peaks listed there. Let us know when your going!

 

[Toe Cozy]

I think that people who are intimately familiar with the White Mountain Guide expect some more information from the GMC Guide. The WMG's style is to narrate a whole trail - explaining the steep parts, twists and turns in the trail, treeline.. the whole experience. The GMC adds in a few highlights, but overall, it doesn't give a blow by blow account of the whole trail (how could it possibly keep track of every up and down!).

Thanks, Blue for explaining a little what folks who are used to hiking in the Whites might be looking for and not finding in the Vermont guides. It's just all what you get used to I guess. For example when I recently bought my first copy of the AMCs White Mountain Guide I couldn't help but think, "Man this is way too much info! And I can't even pack it on day hikes without it being the majority of my weight and volume!!!!" So now I have to buy another one just so I can rip out the pages that I need on a given day! (must be a ploy by the AMC kidding, kidding!)

And I also thought more last night about why phrases like: bagged a peak, check that off the list, get _____ out of the way, etc. bother me. What dawned on me last night was that it's almost like a religious thing. You know, how religious people feel that saying certain things amounts to blasphemy? To me Nature, being part of it, observing it, allowing it to put me in my place of true insignifigance and temporary status in this universe is about the only thing I "believe" in. My religion in a sense. So, to me those phrases upset me because it seems disrespectful to the power of nature, like we can conquer it, like we're more important than it's cycles, a direct challenge to it...more adversarial than awe-inspired. And I get that bad feeling that people are tempting Nature to "put them in their place" someday!!! (my superstitious side showing! For the love of god! Don't jinx yourselves!!!)

By saying this stuff, I don't mean to imply that I think hikers who use these phrases feel the beauty of nature and soul satisfying experience every time their out there any more or less than I do. We all experience that in our own way or we wouldn't go, right? Merely wanted to share this insight I had last night into my own uncontrollable gut reaction to SJ's "get VT out of the way", even when I felt pretty sure that he didn't mean it in any disrespectful way. Most people at work don't really care about my philosophical insights into my hiking psyche, which is why I'm thankful for this forum and people who understand or at least are interested!!! Thanks for reading!

 

[Toe Cozy]

Less philosophy, more post hike food recs

For those who might only make the trip to VT occasionally and not be familiar with places to replenish I'll mention a few post hike places that might be of interest:

Waterbury: The Alchemist's Pub & Brewery I have never been here as I've only been through town when it was too early for beer (i.e. not too early for me, they just weren't open yet) But I've heard they have good beer. It's right on the main drag in downtown Waterbury.

Waterbury: on Rte 100 N. Good Old Ben & Jerry's of course.

Montpelier: Julios mexican restuarant for decent Mexican food & margaritas. Chips and salsa.

There's also a nice bakery on one of the main drags, I don't remember the name, but it's on the right and easy to identify if you keep your eye out for a bakery type place. There's also a good coffee shop called "Capitol Grounds".

Brattleboro: McNeill's Brewery on Eliot Street. Great beer. Get food from the any local place (the middle Eastern market on Eliot is always a good choice, great lamb stew) bring it back to McNeills eat and have a pint. It's my regular haunt after work. Mocha Joe's coffee roasters on Canal St. has great coffee and scones and other baked goods.

Killington: Of course, The Long Trail Inn. Good pub food, good bar atmosphere, built around a rock hillside. really hiker friendly.

Waitsfield, VT American Flatbread. Only open on weekends from 4:30 - 9, I think. I haven't eaten there, but have had their pizzas and they are tasty.

I'm sure there are lots more others can chime in on.

 

[Papa Bear]

John

Here's some reports of the smaller (HH) peaks south of Route 4 (Dorset, Mendon, Pico and Equinox). I assume you can find your way to Stratton. .

Vermont reports

There are pretty exact directions for getting there as well as conditions getting up the trails, etc.

Have fun and give my regards to Vermont. I may get up there myself later this summer to put a few more peaks "out of the way"