Toe Cozy
New member
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2004
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Spruce Peak VT winter-like bushwack
Well, here's another exciting installment of Toe Cozy Hikes the VT 3k Peaks. This was a fun day playing in the snow. I had my USGS Quad out and ready to go and my pack by the door on Thursday evening. I couldn't wait to get outside this weekend. We (Chip & I) drove over to Manchester and down Rte 7 to Arlington. Based on the quad map there were a couple places I thought we could start our hike, but of course, they didn't pan out due to more houses and no trespassing signs than I was comfortable with. But we kept driving around and found a dead end road that was in the right location and there was a dude out shoveling. So I stopped the car and just asked him if this was all private property and if we could hike up to Spruce Peak from here. He was real nice, said that some of it was private, but we could probably head up behind an unoccupied summer trailer and then we'd be in Arlington State Forest. He asked if we had snowshoes and if we were just gonna be out for the day so he'd know when to expect us back to our car.
Chip and I broke trail through very open woods on a relatively steep grade most of the way. We had the help of random logging roads occasionally which is always a treat. We hit the little bump of a false summit slightly northeast of the true peak and stopped there for a rest and snack. Okay, so for a second we thought we'd hit the peak and even looked around for a canister just in case, but I knew there was no way this was the summit. It was not at all the right shape. So, we dipped down about 20 feet into a tiny col then made our way another quarter mile up to the true summit at 3033. I found the canister but was unable to sign in. It was filled with water and frozen solid. Then made our way back. Originally I thought we could also hit Grass Mountain, but my feet had been freezing since the start despite toe warmers in my boots and we would have been pushing too close to darkness for my comfort. So, I'll go back for that one some other time. It took us 3:45 up and 1:15 down. I don't know the total distance, but not far 3 miles maybe and about 1900 ft elevation gain. We were not speed demons, that's for sure. Hey we were breaking trail and it was steep!
Highlights:
1. Powder powder everywhere!
2. The tree branches covered in ice sounded like chimes when they bumped into each other from the wind.
3. At about 1500 ft. Chip was leading the way and stopped. He was trying to find a line through the maple and beech. "It's just so thick, I don't know where to go". Chip has not been on many bushwacks and none with any kind of truly thick vegetation. It took all my will power to keep my mouth shut and not tease him about this comment. Bushwacks don't get much more open than Southern VT maple and beech.
4. Off trail in the winter is great for the ease of route finding on the way down!!!
Well, here's another exciting installment of Toe Cozy Hikes the VT 3k Peaks. This was a fun day playing in the snow. I had my USGS Quad out and ready to go and my pack by the door on Thursday evening. I couldn't wait to get outside this weekend. We (Chip & I) drove over to Manchester and down Rte 7 to Arlington. Based on the quad map there were a couple places I thought we could start our hike, but of course, they didn't pan out due to more houses and no trespassing signs than I was comfortable with. But we kept driving around and found a dead end road that was in the right location and there was a dude out shoveling. So I stopped the car and just asked him if this was all private property and if we could hike up to Spruce Peak from here. He was real nice, said that some of it was private, but we could probably head up behind an unoccupied summer trailer and then we'd be in Arlington State Forest. He asked if we had snowshoes and if we were just gonna be out for the day so he'd know when to expect us back to our car.
Chip and I broke trail through very open woods on a relatively steep grade most of the way. We had the help of random logging roads occasionally which is always a treat. We hit the little bump of a false summit slightly northeast of the true peak and stopped there for a rest and snack. Okay, so for a second we thought we'd hit the peak and even looked around for a canister just in case, but I knew there was no way this was the summit. It was not at all the right shape. So, we dipped down about 20 feet into a tiny col then made our way another quarter mile up to the true summit at 3033. I found the canister but was unable to sign in. It was filled with water and frozen solid. Then made our way back. Originally I thought we could also hit Grass Mountain, but my feet had been freezing since the start despite toe warmers in my boots and we would have been pushing too close to darkness for my comfort. So, I'll go back for that one some other time. It took us 3:45 up and 1:15 down. I don't know the total distance, but not far 3 miles maybe and about 1900 ft elevation gain. We were not speed demons, that's for sure. Hey we were breaking trail and it was steep!
Highlights:
1. Powder powder everywhere!
2. The tree branches covered in ice sounded like chimes when they bumped into each other from the wind.
3. At about 1500 ft. Chip was leading the way and stopped. He was trying to find a line through the maple and beech. "It's just so thick, I don't know where to go". Chip has not been on many bushwacks and none with any kind of truly thick vegetation. It took all my will power to keep my mouth shut and not tease him about this comment. Bushwacks don't get much more open than Southern VT maple and beech.
4. Off trail in the winter is great for the ease of route finding on the way down!!!
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