una_dogger
Well-known member
Where: Pico Peak, Mendon, Vermont, Blue Spur Trail from Rt 4 across from Inn at Long Trail
Elevation: 3,957 ft.
Distance: 5.8 miles roundtrip
Vertical Gain: 1800 feet
Book time: 4 hours
Hike Time: 3.25 hours with ample time for chillin' in the ski lodge up top
Alternate route: work road up from Pico Base Lodge to summit is a butt kicking cardio climb; views the whole way, dogs allowed on property.
Description: a moderate climb through mixed forest, with the occasional ski slope thrown in to a nondescript summit.
Best views: views of the Chittendon Reservoir, Deer Leap and the Northbound LT are best had from the ski trails.
Overall impression: it better snow soon or Pico may never open for skiiing AND boy is it fun to run down ski slopes.
TR:
At nine am this morning my phone rang and hiking pal Mntn Drew is looking to squeeze in a local hike before he needs to participate in some happy family committments. My pack was already loaded from yesterday's hike so I jumped in my Suby and burned rubber up through Rutland to meet him at the trailhead for a ten am start.
The trail starts gently climbing and maintains a sustained moderate grade for the first two miles. The trail then breaks out onto the upper mountain slopes, following ski trails and then dissappearing back into the woods only to pop out on them again. From this point the summit is clearly visible and the views are outstanding, even today as a line of fast moving dark clouds blew across the summit and upper atmosphere. We opted to take the ski trail up for the final push, a calf burning experience to say the least. This is my third or fourth time up Pico, being that its a local peak to me. I like to think of Pico, Killington and nearby Blue Ridge Mntn (GMC Canty Trail) as my local training grounds where I try to push my speed to gain fitness (hopefully).
There is an immense noise-generating monstrocity on the summit that looks like a combination megagenerator/airplane deterent/telecommunications tower. The winds were blowing at an estimated 50 miles per hour(OK, estimated by Drew and me and neither of us is a meteorologist but he does hike alot in the Whites so he may have a honed sense of wind speed). The top of the mountain is exposed in a way that only a ski area can be, wide swaths of mass tree destruction and clear views downhill. Just below the summit is a ski lodge where we warmed up and snacked before heading back down.
Once again we opted to stay on the snow covered, skiier lacking slopes where I practiced my downhill out of control snow jogging technique. Very fun. Traildog Terra met several dogs on todays hike, and enjoyed the snow very much. Back into the woods we went and made it back to the cars in just a tad over three hours.
Word to the wise: Never pass an EMS on the way home from a short day hike, its worse than going to the grocery store hungry! (but I have some fun new toys for winter hiking ... yuk yuk yuk)
Elevation: 3,957 ft.
Distance: 5.8 miles roundtrip
Vertical Gain: 1800 feet
Book time: 4 hours
Hike Time: 3.25 hours with ample time for chillin' in the ski lodge up top
Alternate route: work road up from Pico Base Lodge to summit is a butt kicking cardio climb; views the whole way, dogs allowed on property.
Description: a moderate climb through mixed forest, with the occasional ski slope thrown in to a nondescript summit.
Best views: views of the Chittendon Reservoir, Deer Leap and the Northbound LT are best had from the ski trails.
Overall impression: it better snow soon or Pico may never open for skiiing AND boy is it fun to run down ski slopes.
TR:
At nine am this morning my phone rang and hiking pal Mntn Drew is looking to squeeze in a local hike before he needs to participate in some happy family committments. My pack was already loaded from yesterday's hike so I jumped in my Suby and burned rubber up through Rutland to meet him at the trailhead for a ten am start.
The trail starts gently climbing and maintains a sustained moderate grade for the first two miles. The trail then breaks out onto the upper mountain slopes, following ski trails and then dissappearing back into the woods only to pop out on them again. From this point the summit is clearly visible and the views are outstanding, even today as a line of fast moving dark clouds blew across the summit and upper atmosphere. We opted to take the ski trail up for the final push, a calf burning experience to say the least. This is my third or fourth time up Pico, being that its a local peak to me. I like to think of Pico, Killington and nearby Blue Ridge Mntn (GMC Canty Trail) as my local training grounds where I try to push my speed to gain fitness (hopefully).
There is an immense noise-generating monstrocity on the summit that looks like a combination megagenerator/airplane deterent/telecommunications tower. The winds were blowing at an estimated 50 miles per hour(OK, estimated by Drew and me and neither of us is a meteorologist but he does hike alot in the Whites so he may have a honed sense of wind speed). The top of the mountain is exposed in a way that only a ski area can be, wide swaths of mass tree destruction and clear views downhill. Just below the summit is a ski lodge where we warmed up and snacked before heading back down.
Once again we opted to stay on the snow covered, skiier lacking slopes where I practiced my downhill out of control snow jogging technique. Very fun. Traildog Terra met several dogs on todays hike, and enjoyed the snow very much. Back into the woods we went and made it back to the cars in just a tad over three hours.
Word to the wise: Never pass an EMS on the way home from a short day hike, its worse than going to the grocery store hungry! (but I have some fun new toys for winter hiking ... yuk yuk yuk)
-- I didn't know they had snow on them!!! 
