Snowshoe hikes in Stowe, VT??

[gram]

My husband and I will be in Stowe next week. Any suggestions for a moderate snowshoe half day hike?

We don't do ice ax and crampons, but are experienced snowshoers in the Whites. We are not familiar with VT, and are looking for something with a view. Hopefully a well marked trail!

Thanks.

 

[Pig Pen]

Stowe Pinnacle is a high bang for the buck hike near Stowe. It's a popular trail that goes to a prominent rock outcrop on the Worcester Range. It's only about 3 miles round trip so it may not qualify as a 1/2 day hike depending on your capability. It's listed in the Day Hikers Guide to Vermont.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Yeah, I'd second that choice for bang and buck quality. If you want a longer day you could hit Mt. Hunger which is also in the day hikers guide. But that's probably more of a 3/4 day hike, not 1/2 day hike. Stowe Pinnacle is very, very popular. It will be well tracked and easy to follow. Maybe even busy with hikers. Maybe do a later start and time it to hit the opening of The Alchemist in Waterbury!!! (think it opens at 3pm or maybe 4pm) That's what I'd do.

Have fun!

 

[cushetunk]

One more vote for either Stowe Pinnacle or Mount Hunger. Hunger is a little longer of the two, but I think it's still a moderate hike compared to many NH 4000-footers.

Also a vote for the Alchemist. Carefully timing a hike to conicide with 4:00 PM opening of the Alchemist is one of the key logistical challenges of hiking in Vermont. Finish too soon, and you're stuck with no beer. Savor the hike too long, and you'll be stuck in standing room only (but at least you'll have beer).

 

[darren]

Another vote for the Pinnacle. I assume you already know about the Stowe recreational path right through town. You can snowshoe right to The Shed brewery. Also, 108 in Sumgglers Notch is closed in winter so you can walk right up the road through the notch and that is nice in winter. From there you can head up to Sterling Pond if conditions are good for snowshoes.

- darren

 

[Guthook]

snowshoeing near stowe

This is my first post here, but it's my neck of the woods, so I'll weigh in a little bit

The Worcester Range and Smug's Notch (108) have all the snowshoeing possibilities you'll really need for this area, although there definitely are lots of good ones.

If you go to Hunger Mountain, I'd definitely suggest taking the side trail to White Rocks, which would probably push the hike to 3/4 day, but depends on your snowshoeing pace. The trail from the waterbury parking lot to Hunger Mountain is usually packed down quite nicely, but White Rocks not as much. The hike over to White Rocks and the final views from it are well worth the effort though. In fact, I really should get over there soon...

 

[Amicus]

I would like to have seen this thread last Friday morning, when I found myself deciding where to go for exactly 2 hours I had free for snowshoeing (after three days downhill skiing with wife and kid). I wouldn't have had time for these suggestions, however, and was effectively limited to places on or very near Mountain Road.

As it was, I was very happy 'shoeing around the dedicated snowshoe trails that are part of the Stowe/Mansfield resort Nordic network (which includes many more miles of X-C trails), as shown on this map. This is connected with similar networks maintained by the TopNotch and Stowe Family Lodge resorts, but I don't know if the latter two post maps on-line. I didn't get great views, but it was overcast. The trails I took had seen little use and went up and around very pretty ledges in the south foothills of Mansfield.

I paid a few bucks for a trail-pass, which really was for use of their little lodge, which had a toasty wood-stove roaring away (it was cold) and was a convenient place to change before a long drive home. (We had been staying in a Stowe Resort condo so I got a break on that.) I imagine you can access this network of trails without a fee - the Recreational Path/Stowe Derby route runs through the middle of them.