Peakbagging Vermont

[elhefe007a]

For anyone familiar with hiking in Vermont...I'm planning on making Camel's Hump my inaugural climb/hike in the Green Mountain State some time in early August with my wife (we've hiked fairly extensively in the Daks High Peaks region). Is the ascent from the west (the Burrows Trailhead, I believe) difficult to find?

The Burrows Trailhead isn't difficult to find, but I would ascend via Forest City Trail and come down the Burrows Trail. As your heading up the road to the Burrows Trailhead, you will drive right by the Forest City Trailhead. Skip that, and head to the end of the road. (Road dead-ends at the Burrows Trailhead). Immediatly when you enter the woods on your right is a sign for the Forest City Connector Trail, which is a quick .2 miles or so and connects to the Forest City Trail, about .7 miles from where it started on the road. Basically just saving some distance.
From there, head up to the Long Trail, and enjoy one of the best LT sections over the top of Camels Hump and down the other side to the Camels Hump Clearning, where the Burrows Trail comes in. Take that down to the same parking lot. I woudn't do this loop the other way at all, the Burrows Trail is wooded untill the last .2ish miles, while the LT is almost all good views to the summit for about 2 miles.

Here's a trip report and some pictures of this loop.

http://www.forthoseabouttorock.net/climb/NE/camelshump/camelshump.html

 

[Rugger]

Hey Gandalf,

I'm picturing is not the GMC Long Trail Guide...but Michael Lanza's New England Hiking book

I have also found that the Lanza book is the best for Vermont. It never leaves the jeep and I'm on my 2nd copy.

 

[Pig Pen]

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.

The trail name is Hell Brook not Hell's Brook

 

[TenPeaks]

I can't believe I just found this thread about Vermont, hiking and beer. Nothing in life gets better than that. In fact this past weekend I combined all 3 by hiking a couple hundred highests and attending the Vermont Brewers Fest in Burlington.

If you like hoppy beer, Heady Topper from the Alchemist was perhaps the best beer at the fest. And believe me, I tried a lot of beers at the fest The restaurant in Waterbury has awesome food and brews and should be on everyones list for a place to go when ever in the area.

Oh yeah, the hiking was great too. Just wish it wasn't so hot and hazy.

 

[robohiker]

What??

In case anyone is interested, Mrs. Robo and I are washing the Mars rover this coming weekend. We want to " Get it out of the way"

 

[arm]

when you're ready to get a post-hike beer or two out of the way after hiking in scenic Vermont, McNeil's or the Long Trail Inn should do the trick

http://www.allaboutbeer2.com/brewpubs/nav_links2.cgi?start=0&State=VT
http://www.pubcrawler.com/Template/ReviewWC.cfm/flat/BrewerID=228
http://www.innatlongtrail.com/

McNeil's sometimes has cask-conditioned ales on tap (YUM!)

McNeil's t-shirt slogan: Beer is the reason I get up each afternoon !

there's a decent brewpub on Main St in Bennington VT (Madison?)

D's Doghouse and Tavern in Granville has icy cold Long Trail Ale when you're in the Breadloaf / Wilson / Ellen / Abraham area
http://www.dsdoghouse.com/

White River has great skinnny-dipping spots to cool off after a long hike

 

[bobandgeri]

Another feature of VT hiking is the possiblitiy of local swimming holes for cooling off afterwards. For those without direct local knowledge, there is actually a thin little book you can buy that describes swimming holes in VT. Just be forwarned....Vermonsters like their "au naturel" style swimming!

Here is a online webpage for Vermont Swimming Holes that provides locations and descriptions including which ones are clothing optional. Can promise that it is 100% accurate, but the ones we visited were excellant.

 

[Puma concolor]

Hey, I thought this was Views From The Top, not Views Of The Bottoms.

Not a complaint, mind you. Maybe the next VFTT gathering can be held at The Ledges.

 

[Tom Rankin]

We just went to Vermont and did Mansfield and Camel's Hump. It was great.

And as for beer, y'all missed it! The Vermont Brewer's Festival was last weekend, and it was fantastic!

 

[Heather]

I had the same problem finding a a topo trail for VT. mapadventures.com has one for sale for about six bucks which is the best I've seen (meaning that it shows more than just the LT.) you can also but it at smugglers notch and a couple other places in stowe vt. Clayton and I ended up bagging all five in a weekend with a road map showing the main trails (a good way to find a trailhead not to find trail mileage). Good luck

 

[Heather]

And as for beer, y'all missed it! The Vermont Brewer's Festival was last weekend, and it was fantastic!

I didn't. And yes it was awesome.

 

[Sherpa John]

Wow... well... where to begin and not even dare to venture...

1.) Swimming Holes = I know of a few around Quechee area and some in the northeast kingdom.. in fact here at home, I have a pic of me in a bikini swimming in the heavy rain flooded Passumpsic River in Lyndonville in 1999. But... I'll leave that to the imagination.. and yes.. it was ANOTHER lost bet.

2.) "GET VT OUT OF THE WAY".... what I mean is... we'd like to get the "VT LISTS DONE" so we can move onto the Main list to then get MAINE OUT OF THE WAY since we all ready have NH OUT OF THE WAY.. then at somepoint.. I'll get NY and the AT OUT OF THE WAY TOO. No offense meant by any means and I'll explain why....

I lived in Vermont for a year while I attended Lyndon State college and for 2 years after that I dated some females from Vermont as well. Vermont was truly my home away from home before I returned to NH's famous hills. While in VT, I enjoyed venturing out into lesser known regions of the Northeast Kingdom such as Whilloby, Pisgah, Burke and I even found some lost ponds where poets had settled to write inspirational writings. I also ventured out into the woods and hills in the Rte 4 Area from Quechee to Rutland, the hills bounding along the ridge line from Brandon Gap and even spent many weekends camping in Middlebury on Lake Dunmore. Speaking of lakes... Bomoseen is a favorite of mine as well.

So... by no means did I mean to make it sound like I was dissing VT as a whole.. I just meant.. I wish to BAG the list and get it done because once it is complete, I can again venture into the wilds of all of these great states in search of more beauty WITH and WITHOUT views.

Ok.. so thats my explanation for that and I mean it with sincerity.. no harm no foul.. I would be upset too if I read someones words about NH wrong.. much like when folks give Owls Head a bad rap.

Threadjacking - You kidding?! This thread ended up being awesome! Hiking, swimming, ice cream, beer... isn;t that what we live for! LETS ALL GO!

Sweet.. thanks for the suggestions.

SJ

PS... Robohiker... I'll give you a green square for A.) Showing up after a long absense from my postings (god forbid) and B.) For including the thoughts of the Mrs. in your reply that we could probably have managed without... mindless dribbler.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Hey, I'm glad this thread drifted. I'll be cycling through Vermont in a few weeks, and I expected nothing but cows, cheese, and breadmakers. Glad I caught on to all of the things that are there.

I think I might even enjoy my ride!

And to think I just thought of it as something in the way between here and Boston.

 

[Rugger]

Here is a online webpage for Vermont Swimming Holes that provides locations and descriptions including which ones are clothing optional. Can promise that it is 100% accurate, but the ones we visited were excellant.

I am just blown away by this thread! I want to move back home right now. The swimming hole mentioned in the first section "Twenty Foot Hole"in Felchville, I've thought about almost every day for the past 32 years. I have a jagged 3 inch scar in the fleshy part of the palm where I fell when I was 16 walking downstream there. I felt fine until I looked at my hand and saw the damage. The steep climb back to the road was difficult. Fantastic swimming hole though.

 

[MarkJ]

Never met a VT hike I didn't like!!!!

Been doin' a bunch of great hikes in Vt this spring and summer,liked em all...You can always find your way without a good guide book,just do your research.......had the pleasure of meetin the Vermontster Robohiker one time,he's a good guy.I got a way's to go in VT,Mother Myrick,Senecas,Gore,Unnamed pk Stamford,Aeolus;Umpire,Unnamed Telephone Gap,etc....Can't wait.See ya there Toe Cozy!!

 

[Rugger]

I got a way's to go in VT,Mother Myrick,Senecas,Gore,Unnamed pk Stamford,Aeolus;Umpire,Unnamed Telephone Gap,etc....Can't wait.See ya there Toe Cozy!!

Unnamed Telephone Gap I know as the ridge behind North Pond. I used to deer hunt there every fall, never got one and now I don't hunt. I did however see the funniest thing I have ever seen in the woods there. I was sitting eating lunch late November and heard a horrible crashing sound coming down the ridge behind me. I turned around to see a small black bear (first winter) rolling down the hill. He/She smacked into a large tree and just sat there dazed for a minute then wondered off. I love that part of Vermont from Rt 4 to Brandon Gap. The long trail misses the peaks so they are rarely visited - Bloodroot, Carmel, North Pond Ridge.

 

[Peakbagr]

I love Vt.

A close friend and I have been chipping-away at Long Trail sections for many years and then we just kind of forgot about it. This thread reminded me that we should start up again.

I think the people are friendly, the trails and mountains are nice, and the scenery is, well, rural.

On one of our hiking trips out west, I remember telling some friends that Oregon is a lot like Vt. A nice mountain range runs north to south, and Oregonians are as friendly as Vermonters are, and Oregon is like a bigger, Vermont.
Although you got off to a little rocky start, it was a fun thread.

Peakbagr

 

[king tut]

The brew fest was good from what i can remember. I didn't see any moose there though. a couple of dogs, and a few hippies. I also partook in a swimming hole later that night around midnight. it's a secret one out in the boondocks though, can't tell ya where. Huntington gorge is a nice one, if anyone is out doing the camel's hump loop. I spent a summer out in the lake champlain islands a few years ago, i would recommend that drive to anyone on a vacation, a few nice state parks up there. also only an hour from montreal. montreal is great, lotsa nice places to visit up there, and gosh most of them are friendly. I loved the peel pub up there, and there was also a nice huge all you can eat chinese food place in chinatown. yum yum.

 

[spaddock]

This thread sidetracked my whole day. Instead of working diligently on our systems I found myself daydreaming about hiking, swimming and chocolate ice cream.

I walked down to MEC tonight to check out the guidebooks. Unfortunately they didn't have any "Long Trail Guides". They did have the "50 Hikes in Vermont" book also put out by the GMC. It seemed to have all 5 4k's in it with directions on how to get to the trailheads. They were pretty funny, like: "Go to the town square, pass the memorial monument".

Good times to be had for sure!


-Shayne

 

[Rugger]

It seemed to have all 5 4k's in it with directions on how to get to the trailheads. They were pretty funny, like: "Go to the town square, pass the memorial monument".

Good times to be had for sure!


-Shayne

"You Can't get The-ah from he-ah!"

or maybe

"If I was goin' to the top of that mountain, I sure as hell wouldn't start he-ah"

Sorry, couldn't resist.