Vermont Open

[Guthook]

I've been very preoccupied for the past week or so, but I just noticed the Green Mountain Club's trail conditions page says a bit of the National Forest is finally reopened. I didn't see anything about it here. Is this not news? Anybody been out there since the official reopening?

 

[RoySwkr]

Most of the trails are open (except over Killington) but most of the Forest Service roads are still closed
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/f...in&pname=Green Mountain National Forest- Home

North Half map
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5330599.pdf

South Half map
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprdb5330573.pdf

 

[askus3]

Does anyone know or can guess when they think the Killington section of the Long Trail from US 4 to VT 103 will be opened? What is the official reason for closure:

a) access roads not in good shape
b) bridges on the trail out
c) blowdowns are extensive and need cleared
d) erosion and ditches causing difficulty traversing
e) landslides & mudslides
e) all of the above

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Any problem(s) with Jay / Big Jay (from 242)?

Tim

 

[B the Hiker]

Greetings all,

The plan was to backpack from Brandan Gap Rt 73 to Rt 4 this weekend on the LT. The trail is open, but part of Rt 73 is closed (as is access from Rt 100). So we need to drive to the trailhead from Rt 7.

Problem is that parts of 73 are closed, but the map isn't fine grained enough, nor am I knowledgeable enough, to understand if we can get to the trailhead on 73, coming from Rt 7.

If anyone is knowledgeable enough, I would appreciate you telling me if we can get through or not.

Thanks!


Brian

 

[TDawg]

...The plan was to backpack from Brandan Gap Rt 73 to Rt 4 this weekend on the LT....

That section literally drove my hiking buddy and I crazy last fall while thru-hiking. All the traversing below peaks and maybe 1 view, you should probably just do another section.

But seriously though, it was tough mentally because we had beer and food from The Inn at Long Trail on the mind on our 20 mile day! (Sunrise Shelter to the Inn) Nice woods walking if nothing else, and probably the only section of the LT that skips summits instead of going over all of them. Sorry I'm of no help for road information, you just brought back a couple memories.

I heard a side trip to North Pond could be nice and avoid the Sunrise shelter's privy, hands down the worst on the trail. Hopefully they've remedied that.

EDIT: Take a look at this, appears 73 west of the Brandon Gap is open with delays. If you check the "Terrain" box in the upper right hand corner (hover your mouse over "Map") it is easier to get a sense of where exactly things are. Also, here is the parent site for VTDOT where the map link was.

 

[Maddy]

Greetings all,

The plan was to backpack from Brandan Gap Rt 73 to Rt 4 this weekend on the LT. The trail is open, but part of Rt 73 is closed (as is access from Rt 100). So we need to drive to the trailhead from Rt 7.

Problem is that parts of 73 are closed, but the map isn't fine grained enough, nor am I knowledgeable enough, to understand if we can get to the trailhead on 73, coming from Rt 7.

If anyone is knowledgeable enough, I would appreciate you telling me if we can get through or not.

Thanks!


Brian

How about the folks at the Green Mountain Club or the District Ranger?

 

[B the Hiker]

We emailed the club last night. I just realized there should be a district ranger, and fortunately she was in and very helpful.

The bridge connecting Rt 100 to Rt 73 is washed out, but one can get to the trailhead from Rt 7.

Sorry to be a bother!


Brian

 

[Maddy]

We emailed the club last night. I just realized there should be a district ranger, and fortunately she was in and very helpful.

The bridge connecting Rt 100 to Rt 73 is washed out, but one can get to the trailhead from Rt 7.

Brian

Sorry to be a bother!

No bother...personally I love troubleshooting and trying to find solutions to problems! Happy to hear you got the info you needed. Have a nice hike!

 

[askus3]

Now if someone can answer my question (post #3). The folks at GMC said hopefully but no promises and it is bridges out. But I also heard mudlsides since there are no major stream bridges over Killington.

Also, while I am at it. You can't approach the Long Trail from the west (US 7) on Kelly Stand Road, but can you get as far as the Stratton Pond Trailhead? According to the closure map it looks like you can. Can someone confirm. Thanks.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Any problem(s) with Jay / Big Jay (from 242)?

The answer to my question is no (construction, yes, but only minor delays)

Tim

 

[B the Hiker]

Now if someone can answer my question (post #3). The folks at GMC said hopefully but no promises and it is bridges out. But I also heard mudlsides since there are no major stream bridges over Killington.

Also, while I am at it. You can't approach the Long Trail from the west (US 7) on Kelly Stand Road, but can you get as far as the Stratton Pond Trailhead? According to the closure map it looks like you can. Can someone confirm. Thanks.

Call the rangers for that area, and they can give you definitive word.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/greenmountain/htm/greenmountain/g_contact.htm


Brian

 

[hammerhead]

Kelley Stand is in really bad shape, my Father in law took a walk up there last week from the Arlington side. I think you can only make it to the second bridge which is way before Stratton Pond trailhead. I hope to take a run up that way this week and will let you know for sure. Not sure about the approach from the other side of the Mtn.

 

[RoySwkr]

The bridge connecting Rt 100 to Rt 73 is washed out, but one can get to the trailhead from Rt 7.

Just got a forwarded e-mail from VDOT that all washed-out bridges on the state highway system will be open by Jan.1, most of them will have temporary bridges until next year but 2 of the minor ones will be replaced by contract by Dec.

The VT-73 bridge at VT-100 is scheduled to reopen in late Oct which I think means not by this weekend

Note that many towns will not have their bridges open by then.

 

[CINDERSMOM]

I just hiked Breadloaf and Wilson yesterday. I used this link to find road closures http://vthb.carsprogram.org/main.jsf Had to take route 4 to route 7 to route 125 to get to the trailhead. Route 73 is still closed in 2 places. They have been doing a great job in getting the roads open , when you drive around it is amazing all the destruction that occured from the storm.

 

[B the Hiker]

Just got back from a wet weekend on the Long Trail.

Route 100 from the south is open all the way to Rt 4, although there are some sandy spots on the drive up and down. The drive up Rt 73 requires going past a sign saying the road is only open to local traffic, but the parking lot is in the "open" area.

The trail was in quite good condition. One or two small blowdowns, and it is quite possible they came down after Irena.

The trail is under-blazed, and it is worth noting that several of the double blazed heading southbound come a bit before the actual turn. This is a bit hard to describe, but I will give it a shot. We stayed at Rolston Rest. Heading south, we came upon a logging road. There is a double blaze before a turn to the right, and the blaze is just before a road turning right. DO NOT TAKE THE ROAD, RATHER, TAKE THE TRAIL JUST PAST THE ROAD.

Also, remember that the Tucker Johnson shelter burned down earlier this year.


Brian

 

[askus3]

Yes I know about that road intersection/junction. I even took a leak at that spot instead of paying closer attention to the blazes. Wound up at a pretty pond on the Catamount ski trail (although I started getting suspicious that I saw no blazes after awhile but kept going anyway...now that was dumb). But our group was splintered and the people in the rear wondered how they got ahead of the group in the middle and the front runners had a long wait at the Tucker Johnson shelter wondering where we were. Just plain inattentiveness on our group in the middle's part. But we told everyone we were chasing a moose and went off the trail aways. The others did not buy into that theory. By the way that took place on Thursday, August 26, 2010, long before Irene came on the scene.

 

[B the Hiker]

I started to wonder if something was wrong as we went down that road when I stepped over the empty shotgun shell.


Brian

 

[Peaks]

AT/LT open

Among the announcements made Friday (10/7/11) at the ALDHA Gathering was that the Appalachain Trail/Long Trail is now a contigous trail with the reopening of the section between Route 140 and Route 4/Killington.

 

[Guthook]

Among the announcements made Friday (10/7/11) at the ALDHA Gathering was that the Appalachain Trail/Long Trail is now a contigous trail with the reopening of the section between Route 140 and Route 4/Killington.

I talked with the ATC representative there, and then with some GMC trail crew folks. The "reopened" trail is now a significant roadwalk, but they said it should be back to trail pretty quickly next summer. I guess the Governor Clement area took some hard damage from the rains.