ow2010
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I just got back from my much-anticipated roadtrip around the mountains of the Northeast. I had two months free between my college graduation and starting my job in the "real world" so I wanted to do something memorable (and relatively inexpensive). I planned this roadtrip to cover many sights that I have been interested in for a while but were far enough from home that I kept putting them off. After a long wait for a streak of good weather, the stars finally aligned and off I went!
Day 1 (Berkshires and Taconics)
I was up early and driving west on the Mohawk Trail (MA-2) toward Adams. The hike up Mt. Greylock via the Cheshire Harbor Trail saw no other hikers! I was surprised at how quiet it was at the summit...I had expected something like the crowds on Mt. Washington. The views from the summit were awe-inspiring and I stayed for about an hour before heading down. Ran into several hikers heading up this time.
Next stop was Mt. Equinox, the highest point in the Taconic Range, in southern VT. I have a feeling I enjoyed the drive up a bit more than my car did. Unfortunately there is construction going on at the summit, but views can be obtained via a short hike to Lookout Rock.
After letting my car rest for a bit after the steep drive down from Mt. Equinox, it was on to the Adirondacks. The GPS chose a rather unique route through rural NY, but I finally arrived. I ended up driving nearly to Lake Placid before realizing that the most logically campsite was about half an hour south...time to backtrack. I spent the night at Sharp Bridge Campground with only one other occupied site!
Day 2 (Adirondacks)
Early start for a Pyramid-Gothics loop. There was a lot of construction going on on Lake Road which made for a less-than-natural nature walk to the trailhead at Lower Ausable Lake. I was tempted at times to try thumbing a ride from some of the trucks headed in my same direction, but decided otherwise.
Boy is hiking in the ADKs tough! Lots of rock scrambles, slabs, and just very steep terrain. After a huge expense of energy I popped out on the spectacular summit of Pyramid Peak. I marveled for a while, but was driven from the summit by black flies. The remaining climb to Gothics was fun and went by quickly.
I have to agree with what I was told on this forum months ago - the view from Pyramid probably trumps the view from Gothics! But that's not to say that Gothics wasn't spectacular. Through the haze I could make out Lake Champlain and the highest peaks in the Green Mountains.
I made surprisingly good time for a 14-mile hike, then headed to Noonmark Diner for a burger and ice cream...boy did that hit the spot!
Day 3 (Burlington, VT)
After two days of hiking (~21 miles in all), it was time for a little break. I broke down camp at Sharp Bridge and headed north to Cumberland Head where I caught the ferry to Grand Isle. A quick scenic drive took me to the lakefront in Burlington. I met my cousin and her husband for a day of beer and good food in my new favorite New England town!
For anyone visiting Burlington, I would highly recommend the Farmhouse Tap & Grill...a bit expensive but the food is definitely worth it. We visited Magic Hat Brewery, then enjoyed the weather while walking around downtown Burlington. It wouldn't have been right to leave without ending the day with some Ben and Jerry's!
After a great day touring "the more alcoholic side of Vermont" I was headed to Underhill. It is a quick and beautiful drive from Burlington to the base of Mt. Mansfield. I secured a campsite at Underhill State Park and prepared for an early start.
Day 4 (Green Mountains)
Camel's Hump was first on the agenda. After driving 2 miles down a very rough dirt road (complete with tons of elevation changes), I realized I had plugged in the wrong location for the trailhead. Unfortunately, my navigational skills did not improve and I got pretty lost. I finally found my way to the Burrows trailhead and started down the Forest City Connector. Driving in circles trying to find the trailhead had gotten me a bit flustered and that unfortunately cast a shadow of the beginning of my hike. My mood improved as impressive views of the summit cone opened up.
The summit was muggy and blackfly-infested. I was able to see the vague outline of the White Mountains but even that view soon disappeared into the haze. Oh well, still better to be on a mountain than anywhere else.
After descending via Burrows Trail, I returned to Underhill and prepared for an afternoon ascent of Mt. Mansfield.
I chatted with the ranger about when I should head up in order to get to the ridge in time for sunset. Since the sun set at 8:39 that day, I started up the trail at 5:30.
A sunset hike to Mt. Mansfield was perhaps my greatest idea ever! I had the entire ridge to myself and the windy ridge kept the bugs at bay. Views of the sun setting over Lake Champlain can't be described in words. After traversing the ridge, I arrived at the Forehead just in time for the official sunset.
As soon as my watch hit 8:39 I blasted off down the Maple Ridge. I wanted to get all the scrambling and ledges done as quickly as possible before the darkness took over. Once I was in the woods, I was careful to note the color of the blazes, watch for trail junctions, make sure I didn't accidentally follow trail drainage or herd paths, and timed my distances. To be honest, I was pretty nervous since this was my first time descending by headlamp, but all went well and I was back at the campground by 10pm.
Day 5 (Dixville Notch)
I broke down camp at Underhill and took the scenic route through Smuggler's Notch. The drive across the state of Vermont and through the Northeast Kingdom was extremely rural and remote. It was surprising to notice how close I was to the Canadian border. After an extended drive, I arrived in Dixville Notch.
The climb to Table Rock is short but STEEP! I left my backpack in the car and just carried water as I approached from the west trailhead. When I arrived at Table Rock, it was pretty unbelievable. This is one spooky ledge...I like walking on ledges, but this one is particularly airy. I inched toward the edge, waited a few moments until I was comfortable, then inched a bit closer. The wind picked up minimally, but that was enough for me. I retreated to the safety of the base of the ledge.
After enjoying the ledge and the hike down, it was off to Gorham.
I had a great dinner at Mr. Pizza and then settled down for the night at Moose Brook State Park.
Day 6 (Mahoosuc Notch)
The Notch Trailhead on Success Pond Road is 20 miles from Moose Brook State Park...should be an easy drive, right? Wrong. Success Pond Road was a lot more rugged than I was expecting. It is truly a jeep road and it was a bit of a joke to be driving it in a sedan. My peak speed was 20 mph for the 10 miles of Success Pond Road to the trailhead, and luckily those 10 miles are mostly flat. Instead of driving further down the spur road to the trailhead, I opted to park on the side of Success Pond Road since I would be walking back this way anyway.
The Notch Trail is one beautiful hike! Perhaps the least rugged trail I've ever encountered in the Whites, it climbs extremely gently while following a brook toward the top of the notch. This area is so remote and wild I thought for sure I would see a moose (unfortunately, this did not happen)!
At the Mahoosuc Trail junction, I prepared for the ease of the trail to decline rapidly. It actually wasn't as bad as I expected. Most of the crevices can be bypassed.
As I rounded a corner, I saw a foot and a pole disappear around the corner...I was surprised to see someone out here since I had seen no other cars on Success Pond Road. As I continued through the boulders of Mahoosuc Notch, I began to wonder if I had imagined another hiker ahead of me...I mean, anything's possible, right? Sometimes when you're alone in the woods it's hard to trust what you think you saw.
Anyway, to prove to myself that I had seen another hiker ahead of me, I picked up my pace. I soon caught up to the hiker...I'm not hallucinating!
"Where did you start from?" I asked.
"Georgia!"
I chatted with the thru-hiker for a while, but his pace was unbelievably fast and I soon took a water break and never saw him again.
Now, Mahoosuc Notch is sometimes called the toughest single mile on the AT. From my own personal experience, I have to say the climb to Mahoosuc Arm after the notch is so much more tolling than the notch itself! Wow is that a steep climb. I actually thought I might have missed a trail junction and was actually climbing Old Speck...nope. I arrived at the hazy summit of Mahoosuc Arm, but didn't stay long.
Down the wild, overgrown, and beautiful Success Pond Trail. When I arrived at Success Pond Road, I had a 2 mile roadwalk back to my car, but a huge thanks to the passing motorist who gave me a ride to my vehicle! It was a nice end to the hike.
And so that was my adventure! I hope that write-up wasn't too stream-of-conscious. Now get outside and do something memorable!
Photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/583007471rGHUIG
Slideshow: http://community.webshots.com/slideshow/583007471rGHUIG?mediaPosition=1
Click here for Slideshow.
I just got back from my much-anticipated roadtrip around the mountains of the Northeast. I had two months free between my college graduation and starting my job in the "real world" so I wanted to do something memorable (and relatively inexpensive). I planned this roadtrip to cover many sights that I have been interested in for a while but were far enough from home that I kept putting them off. After a long wait for a streak of good weather, the stars finally aligned and off I went!
Day 1 (Berkshires and Taconics)
I was up early and driving west on the Mohawk Trail (MA-2) toward Adams. The hike up Mt. Greylock via the Cheshire Harbor Trail saw no other hikers! I was surprised at how quiet it was at the summit...I had expected something like the crowds on Mt. Washington. The views from the summit were awe-inspiring and I stayed for about an hour before heading down. Ran into several hikers heading up this time.
Next stop was Mt. Equinox, the highest point in the Taconic Range, in southern VT. I have a feeling I enjoyed the drive up a bit more than my car did. Unfortunately there is construction going on at the summit, but views can be obtained via a short hike to Lookout Rock.
After letting my car rest for a bit after the steep drive down from Mt. Equinox, it was on to the Adirondacks. The GPS chose a rather unique route through rural NY, but I finally arrived. I ended up driving nearly to Lake Placid before realizing that the most logically campsite was about half an hour south...time to backtrack. I spent the night at Sharp Bridge Campground with only one other occupied site!
Day 2 (Adirondacks)
Early start for a Pyramid-Gothics loop. There was a lot of construction going on on Lake Road which made for a less-than-natural nature walk to the trailhead at Lower Ausable Lake. I was tempted at times to try thumbing a ride from some of the trucks headed in my same direction, but decided otherwise.
Boy is hiking in the ADKs tough! Lots of rock scrambles, slabs, and just very steep terrain. After a huge expense of energy I popped out on the spectacular summit of Pyramid Peak. I marveled for a while, but was driven from the summit by black flies. The remaining climb to Gothics was fun and went by quickly.
I have to agree with what I was told on this forum months ago - the view from Pyramid probably trumps the view from Gothics! But that's not to say that Gothics wasn't spectacular. Through the haze I could make out Lake Champlain and the highest peaks in the Green Mountains.
I made surprisingly good time for a 14-mile hike, then headed to Noonmark Diner for a burger and ice cream...boy did that hit the spot!
Day 3 (Burlington, VT)
After two days of hiking (~21 miles in all), it was time for a little break. I broke down camp at Sharp Bridge and headed north to Cumberland Head where I caught the ferry to Grand Isle. A quick scenic drive took me to the lakefront in Burlington. I met my cousin and her husband for a day of beer and good food in my new favorite New England town!
For anyone visiting Burlington, I would highly recommend the Farmhouse Tap & Grill...a bit expensive but the food is definitely worth it. We visited Magic Hat Brewery, then enjoyed the weather while walking around downtown Burlington. It wouldn't have been right to leave without ending the day with some Ben and Jerry's!
After a great day touring "the more alcoholic side of Vermont" I was headed to Underhill. It is a quick and beautiful drive from Burlington to the base of Mt. Mansfield. I secured a campsite at Underhill State Park and prepared for an early start.
Day 4 (Green Mountains)
Camel's Hump was first on the agenda. After driving 2 miles down a very rough dirt road (complete with tons of elevation changes), I realized I had plugged in the wrong location for the trailhead. Unfortunately, my navigational skills did not improve and I got pretty lost. I finally found my way to the Burrows trailhead and started down the Forest City Connector. Driving in circles trying to find the trailhead had gotten me a bit flustered and that unfortunately cast a shadow of the beginning of my hike. My mood improved as impressive views of the summit cone opened up.
The summit was muggy and blackfly-infested. I was able to see the vague outline of the White Mountains but even that view soon disappeared into the haze. Oh well, still better to be on a mountain than anywhere else.
After descending via Burrows Trail, I returned to Underhill and prepared for an afternoon ascent of Mt. Mansfield.
I chatted with the ranger about when I should head up in order to get to the ridge in time for sunset. Since the sun set at 8:39 that day, I started up the trail at 5:30.
A sunset hike to Mt. Mansfield was perhaps my greatest idea ever! I had the entire ridge to myself and the windy ridge kept the bugs at bay. Views of the sun setting over Lake Champlain can't be described in words. After traversing the ridge, I arrived at the Forehead just in time for the official sunset.
As soon as my watch hit 8:39 I blasted off down the Maple Ridge. I wanted to get all the scrambling and ledges done as quickly as possible before the darkness took over. Once I was in the woods, I was careful to note the color of the blazes, watch for trail junctions, make sure I didn't accidentally follow trail drainage or herd paths, and timed my distances. To be honest, I was pretty nervous since this was my first time descending by headlamp, but all went well and I was back at the campground by 10pm.
Day 5 (Dixville Notch)
I broke down camp at Underhill and took the scenic route through Smuggler's Notch. The drive across the state of Vermont and through the Northeast Kingdom was extremely rural and remote. It was surprising to notice how close I was to the Canadian border. After an extended drive, I arrived in Dixville Notch.
The climb to Table Rock is short but STEEP! I left my backpack in the car and just carried water as I approached from the west trailhead. When I arrived at Table Rock, it was pretty unbelievable. This is one spooky ledge...I like walking on ledges, but this one is particularly airy. I inched toward the edge, waited a few moments until I was comfortable, then inched a bit closer. The wind picked up minimally, but that was enough for me. I retreated to the safety of the base of the ledge.
After enjoying the ledge and the hike down, it was off to Gorham.
I had a great dinner at Mr. Pizza and then settled down for the night at Moose Brook State Park.
Day 6 (Mahoosuc Notch)
The Notch Trailhead on Success Pond Road is 20 miles from Moose Brook State Park...should be an easy drive, right? Wrong. Success Pond Road was a lot more rugged than I was expecting. It is truly a jeep road and it was a bit of a joke to be driving it in a sedan. My peak speed was 20 mph for the 10 miles of Success Pond Road to the trailhead, and luckily those 10 miles are mostly flat. Instead of driving further down the spur road to the trailhead, I opted to park on the side of Success Pond Road since I would be walking back this way anyway.
The Notch Trail is one beautiful hike! Perhaps the least rugged trail I've ever encountered in the Whites, it climbs extremely gently while following a brook toward the top of the notch. This area is so remote and wild I thought for sure I would see a moose (unfortunately, this did not happen)!
At the Mahoosuc Trail junction, I prepared for the ease of the trail to decline rapidly. It actually wasn't as bad as I expected. Most of the crevices can be bypassed.
As I rounded a corner, I saw a foot and a pole disappear around the corner...I was surprised to see someone out here since I had seen no other cars on Success Pond Road. As I continued through the boulders of Mahoosuc Notch, I began to wonder if I had imagined another hiker ahead of me...I mean, anything's possible, right? Sometimes when you're alone in the woods it's hard to trust what you think you saw.
Anyway, to prove to myself that I had seen another hiker ahead of me, I picked up my pace. I soon caught up to the hiker...I'm not hallucinating!
"Where did you start from?" I asked.
"Georgia!"
I chatted with the thru-hiker for a while, but his pace was unbelievably fast and I soon took a water break and never saw him again.
Now, Mahoosuc Notch is sometimes called the toughest single mile on the AT. From my own personal experience, I have to say the climb to Mahoosuc Arm after the notch is so much more tolling than the notch itself! Wow is that a steep climb. I actually thought I might have missed a trail junction and was actually climbing Old Speck...nope. I arrived at the hazy summit of Mahoosuc Arm, but didn't stay long.
Down the wild, overgrown, and beautiful Success Pond Trail. When I arrived at Success Pond Road, I had a 2 mile roadwalk back to my car, but a huge thanks to the passing motorist who gave me a ride to my vehicle! It was a nice end to the hike.
And so that was my adventure! I hope that write-up wasn't too stream-of-conscious. Now get outside and do something memorable!
Photos: http://community.webshots.com/album/583007471rGHUIG
Slideshow: http://community.webshots.com/slideshow/583007471rGHUIG?mediaPosition=1
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