Woodward & Ricker Mts. VT

[Toe Cozy]

I know there are a bunch of you who've done many of the more off the beaten path VT hills. I was looking at Woodward and Ricker Mtns on the maps I have. Unfortunately I don't have a quad of that area. I thought I did. I'm trying to figure out if there are trails to those peaks from the Little River Campground. In a post from last year it looked like Audrey mentioned that Woodward had great foliage and a trail. Also I don't want to hike Ricker from the ski resort side if I can help it. Is there a trail to that peak too? I don't like asking these kinds of basic questions, usually I have resources to figure it out myself. But I thought they were hills without trails from the Little River CG side and now I think that's incorrect. Anyone got any info for me? Thanks.

 

[Nate]

I have yet to do these peaks, but I do know that there is a wooden observation tower on a sub-peak just south of Ricker. The GMC's firetower guide recommends reaching this by hiking to the top of the chair lift line that goes highest up the mountain, and then a 0.1 trail leads the rest of the way to the tower.

I'm sorry that I don't yet have any more information than this.

 

[audrey]

Cozy, you can print a map from Topozone that will give you enough detail.

We did climb up from the Little River Campground, using an old logging road/snowmo trail that took us right up on the ridge that leads to Woodward. Then we just walked through open hardwoods along the ridge to the top. We did Ricker as a separate trip from the ski area - it's a short but thick whack from the top of the Wilderness Chair (the left-most as you face the mountain. If I recall correctly, the installations are on a bump that is lower than the true summit.

 

[Pig Pen]

As of last fall: There was a fairly good trail from the top of the eastern most chairlift to the antennas on top of Ricker. You may have to look around for it a bit. From the antennas you need to bushwhack a short distance to the true summit where I neither confirm nor deny that there are any summit markers.

Back at the antennas there is a trail/service road that goes all the way to Woodward via the top of another chairlift. At the top of the other chairlift you need to look around for where the path continues from there. We lost it at that point and had to bushwhack over to it from one of the downhill ski trails. The summit of Woodward is on a little bump just off the path where I neither confirm nor deny that there are any summit markers.

From Woodward, it's an open bushwhack down to an old logging road that leads to the parking area for the lower ski area. Don't head for Bone Mountain (Unless you want to bag it) It gets a little thick and scrappy that way. You'll need to do some fairly competent navigation to find the road.

Obviously you will need to do something with transportation because the lower ski area parking lot is a couple of miles down the road from the starting point.

Bolton Valley is about a half hour from where I live. I could provide taxi service if I'm not in Maine getting lost in the Beaudry or something.

Edit: I think the trail up Woodward actually starts from a snowmobile trail that starts on the Little River Road. I once went up there to try to find the actual origin but never did. Anyway there's a lot less elevation gain from the Bolton Valley Side.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Thanks for the info.

Audrey, every time I print from topozone I'm just not happy with the outcome. . I can only print in B&W, do you have any tips for getting better free maps from topozone? Maybe I'm doing something wrong. But they are never as sharp as I'd like them to be. Oh well...ain't no such thing as a free lunch, right? I really like having the color, sharper USGS quad maps.

 

[DougPaul]

Oh well...ain't no such thing as a free lunch, right? I really like having the color, sharper USGS quad maps.

You can get free digital scans (DRGs) of the USGS topos from http://libre.redjar.org/maps/. Maybe they will print better in B&W.

Free lunch, maybe not; but free maps, yes!

Doug

 

[albee]

The same free topo maps (in color) are usually available here:
http://libremap.org/
It is a different interface, and not every map is available in TIFF format (easiest to manipulate) but you can usually get something really useful and zoom it in to the desired level. (Hint: use Windows Picture and Fax Viewer for best results, then use Ctrl+PrtSC to copy and paste your map into a Word document... it is easy once you've done it a couple times!)

The only times I have run into difficulties are the rare occasions when I need a map that spans 2 (or more) quads.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Reasons why I shouldn't?

Hey all,

Thanks for the links to the "free the maps" site. That site isn't as intoxicating as a cuba-libre though but it's definitely more helpful for direction finding.
Anyway...I really don't like hiking up ski trails. At all. It sucks. Perhaps 'whacking through stuff sucks even more, but it's a different kind of sucking with a little more character building involved, right? So, ideally I'd like to hike up the ridge that's to the south east of Woodward and then over to Ricker and make it a loop back down to the Little River campground. I am merely looking at the gazetteer and the topo map. So a dose of reality might be in order here. Anyone have any input on that idea yea or nay? Thanks.

 

[dms]

Unfortunately, maps and gazetteers don't indicate the thickness of vegetation, when doing 3k peaks, always follow the path of least resistance, for these two peaks, the ski trails have the best vegetation for bushwacking.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Say it ain't so

Really?? Don't make me sad like that. Is it that bad on the easterly sides of these hills? Are you talking from experience? Ugh...the path of least resistance when using the ski slope induction hypothesis is so middle class yuppie and like Gapkids kind of crap. If that's the case with these mountains then I need to look for something else to do this weekend. I need a more harebrained idea than skislopes to entertain me this weekend!

 

[onestep]

Are you talking from experience? Ugh...the path of least resistance

Dennis, do you have any experience?

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Ugh...the path of least resistance when using the ski slope induction hypothesis is so middle class yuppie and like Gapkids kind of crap.

I think Albee, buys some of his shorts at gap kids. But he doesn't have any kids.

 

[albee]

I think Albee, buys some of his shorts at gap kids. But he doesn't have any kids.

They have some deals there. You're just jealous that you don't have toddler-sized hips.

I need a more harebrained idea than skislopes to entertain me this weekend!

The way I see it, you have 3 options:

1) See if Marchowes and Pamola would like your company on their quest to tag all the trail-less Glastenbury peaks this weekend.

2) Start a new thread entitled "Where should I hike this weekend?"

3) I don't know what number 3 is, I just thought the list would be more substantial with a 3rd choice included. Let's just call it "None of the above."

 

[ColdRiverRun]

They have some deals there. You're just jealous that you don't have toddler-sized hips.

Hey, I'm big boned in the arse.

3) I don't know what number 3 is, I just thought the list would be more substantial with a 3rd choice included. Let's just call it "None of the above."

I (Albee) was planning on going to NY and whacking some bushes with Cory and your welcome to come hit some ADK100's and extras.

 

[albee]

Hey, I'm big boned in the arse.

Insert inappropriate joke here.

I (Albee) was planning on going to NY and whacking some bushes with Cory and your welcome to come hit some ADK100's and extras.

Doubtful. I think she's going underwear shopping with BlueBlaze, instead.

 

[Toe Cozy]

Dennis, do you have any experience?

Hey now, I meant experience with exploring the non-ski slope side of Woodward and Ricker specifically, like did he try to do what I was talking about and got eaten up by the forest or lost in a ravine or swallowed up by sasquatch or something. I certainly didn't mean to imply that I was doubting his 'whacking experience in general.

Thanks for all the tips, suggestions, alternate plans and such. Maybe I'll just head to the Manchester outlets and do some shopping. Or just stay home and watch American Idol

 

[Pig Pen]

There is an old ghost town on the Little River Side. It was the town that the people who built the dam lived in. So you can do history if you go from that side. I doubt that there is anything too awful whacking W and R from there, it is in Vermont after all. Most of us wimps just decided to do it the easy way.

 

[dms]

Dennis, do you have any experience?

I've been called a lot of things in my 62 years, but never a "middle class yuppie gapkid"! As far as "experience" goes, I guess I've been out in the woods off trail more than a few times. I'm not crazy about hiking ski slopes, but sometimes they get you where you want to go.

 

[RoySwkr]

The only times I have run into difficulties are the rare occasions when I need a map that spans 2 (or more) quads.

Back when I was using paper maps it seemed like everything was on the junction of 4 quads

Topozone has made it harder to print free maps, but don't they come out in color if you use a color printer? I use File->Print Preview, set paper to landscape, and only print the page with the map I want.

 

[spongebob]

I think this is one of those not getting peoples intentions. I really don't think Toe Cozy was calling DMS's skill level or idea Gap Kiddie. More like, she was looking to do it in non-ski trail way, as it is more adventurous. Now if you have done as much off trail as DMS, then a ski trial way is a nice treat after some more difficult hikes.

Lets just call these mountains a Sunday hike from the ski trails. (Most likely as I haven't had a chance to hike them.)

And I don't mind being a gap kid.

So Toe Cozy is not a jerk in this case. She just is a jerk in all other aspects of her life.