What do you do when there's fresh snow on the ground, light flurries still falling in the cold air, a trailbreaking Una_dogger eager to get out on her snowshoes, a MichaelJ with new matching snowshoes waiting to be tried out, but it's already almost two o'clock in the afternoon? You give thanks that you're in Vermont, pack up a pair of energetic traildoggies, and take a short drive to the Canty Trail to climb Blue Ridge Mountain!
Blue Ridge Mountain sits nestled between Route 4 and Chittendon Reservoir, or due northwest of the Pico/Killington Ridge. The Canty Trail is approximately a 5-mile round trip with 1450' of gain with mostly mild grades but with the occasionally steeper pitch. Una_dogger had been up this trail several times in the summer and fall and knew it was exactly what we were looking for, and she was right!
Our journey began at the trailhead on Old Turnpike Road. Due to plowing on the road, we had to make our own creative parking space by using the mighty Subaru AWD on the side of the snowbank. Orca knows his way around the area pretty well now, and as soon as he saw the turn off Rte 4, he couldn't wait to be let out of the car and onto the trail. He and Terra were quickly kicking up fluffs of snow, running and rolling and having the times of their lives!
The Canty trail starts out wide and nearly level, and the several inches of fresh snow on the ground meant we started right away with our snowshoes on. It was the perfect set of conditions for them. Una_dogger led the way easily while the traildogs burned off excess energy flying back and forth and back and forth. There was enough snow cover along the trail to not worry about rocks or branches, and we made excellent time.
At one point the trail passed right between the buildings of an old, deserted camp, in a darker section of the woods. It's a surreal spot, and we were both glad we wouldn't be alone when we came back through there later in the dark.
From here, the trail headed to the western edge of a ravine and followed it up, growing steeper and more narrow with every step. Una_dogger pointed out the eastern shoulder of Blue Ridge Mountain visible on the far side of the ravine as a possible bushwhacking destination, and in general what a really beautiful area this is: how wild and natural it feels despite being only a few miles from houses and a major road. I agree - it's no wonder this is a favorite local hike of hers! I felt very lucky to be along.
The Canty Trail soon turned west, heading out of the ravine, and started to have a wandering feeling as it moved through yellow birches and snow-laden evergreens. I followed her as she followed the blazes, until we came around a sharp corner and there was the summit rock!
The view was only gray, so Una_dogger led the dogs and myself a short distance to a lookout area that faces Rutland, to see if any city lights (which she knows are my favorite to see from a mountaintop
) were visible, but the light snow in the air kept everything gray. There was a bit of wind on this side of the mountain, so we wasted no time in making a u-turn to come back down.
It was a joy to fly down the mountain on our snowshoes. I have to admit, I was intrigued by the MSR's when she bought hers, impressed when I saw her tearing up the Twinway in them last weekend, and now I was very happy that we'd gone back and bought a set for me. I'm looking forward to using them again - they're so much more comfortable and usable than my big old Atlas 1033's. And the televators, ah!
About halfway down we pulled out our headlamps, and anyone who has night hiked in winter in a lightly falling snow knows how that's just, well, awesome. We cruised through the darkness on the soft snow; the tracks we set on the way up made for excellent footing on the way down.
As we approached the old camp I saw someone approaching with a hockey mask on, but it took just a few waves of my hiking pole to scare him off. Back at the car the traildoggies hopped inside to nap while we celebrated a great 3 hour snowshoe hike together with a thermos of hot matcha latte before heading home. Pictures from this gem of a hike are here.
Blue Ridge Mountain sits nestled between Route 4 and Chittendon Reservoir, or due northwest of the Pico/Killington Ridge. The Canty Trail is approximately a 5-mile round trip with 1450' of gain with mostly mild grades but with the occasionally steeper pitch. Una_dogger had been up this trail several times in the summer and fall and knew it was exactly what we were looking for, and she was right!
Our journey began at the trailhead on Old Turnpike Road. Due to plowing on the road, we had to make our own creative parking space by using the mighty Subaru AWD on the side of the snowbank. Orca knows his way around the area pretty well now, and as soon as he saw the turn off Rte 4, he couldn't wait to be let out of the car and onto the trail. He and Terra were quickly kicking up fluffs of snow, running and rolling and having the times of their lives!
The Canty trail starts out wide and nearly level, and the several inches of fresh snow on the ground meant we started right away with our snowshoes on. It was the perfect set of conditions for them. Una_dogger led the way easily while the traildogs burned off excess energy flying back and forth and back and forth. There was enough snow cover along the trail to not worry about rocks or branches, and we made excellent time.
At one point the trail passed right between the buildings of an old, deserted camp, in a darker section of the woods. It's a surreal spot, and we were both glad we wouldn't be alone when we came back through there later in the dark.
From here, the trail headed to the western edge of a ravine and followed it up, growing steeper and more narrow with every step. Una_dogger pointed out the eastern shoulder of Blue Ridge Mountain visible on the far side of the ravine as a possible bushwhacking destination, and in general what a really beautiful area this is: how wild and natural it feels despite being only a few miles from houses and a major road. I agree - it's no wonder this is a favorite local hike of hers! I felt very lucky to be along.
The Canty Trail soon turned west, heading out of the ravine, and started to have a wandering feeling as it moved through yellow birches and snow-laden evergreens. I followed her as she followed the blazes, until we came around a sharp corner and there was the summit rock!
The view was only gray, so Una_dogger led the dogs and myself a short distance to a lookout area that faces Rutland, to see if any city lights (which she knows are my favorite to see from a mountaintop
) were visible, but the light snow in the air kept everything gray. There was a bit of wind on this side of the mountain, so we wasted no time in making a u-turn to come back down.It was a joy to fly down the mountain on our snowshoes. I have to admit, I was intrigued by the MSR's when she bought hers, impressed when I saw her tearing up the Twinway in them last weekend, and now I was very happy that we'd gone back and bought a set for me. I'm looking forward to using them again - they're so much more comfortable and usable than my big old Atlas 1033's. And the televators, ah!
About halfway down we pulled out our headlamps, and anyone who has night hiked in winter in a lightly falling snow knows how that's just, well, awesome. We cruised through the darkness on the soft snow; the tracks we set on the way up made for excellent footing on the way down.
As we approached the old camp I saw someone approaching with a hockey mask on, but it took just a few waves of my hiking pole to scare him off. Back at the car the traildoggies hopped inside to nap while we celebrated a great 3 hour snowshoe hike together with a thermos of hot matcha latte before heading home. Pictures from this gem of a hike are here.
