This was the last of my 21 Vermont Appalachian Trail hikes, during the course of which I hiked all of the AT in Vermont during the month of August, 2016. The Vermont Trail Guide and VT Map 8 both detail the Appalachian Trail south to Mass. 2, in North Adams, MA. However, there is no obvious AT parking along Mass. 2, so using the Massachusetts (AT) map, I made my way to Pattison Road, which is 0.9 trail mile south of Mass. 2.
Heading north from Pattison Road, the trail passes through suburban woods for several tenths of a mile, then reaches Phelps Avenue, which the trail then follows down to Mass. 2. After crossing Mass. 2, the trail crosses a footbridge over railroad tracks and the Hoosic River. At the end of the footbridge, the trail turns right on Massachusetts Avenue. At 1.1 miles (0.1 mile from the footbridge), the trail turns up a driveway, bears left and then enters woods. At 2.7 miles, a loop side trail leads 100 yards to Sherman Brook Primitive Campsite. At 3.3 miles, the trail reaches a steep rock slide, which lasts 0.2 mile. This was an interesting climb. There is a bad-weather route available to bypass the steep slide. At 3.7 miles, the trail reaches the high point at an open, rocky knoll and a junction with the Pine Cobble Trail. At 4.4 miles, Eph's Lookout is reached. At 5.0 miles, the trail reaches the MA-VT line, and the southern terminus of the Long Trail. At 7.6 miles, Risky Ranch Road/Broad Brook Trail is reached. When I reached this point, I had about a mile left to walk on Risky Ranch Road to get to my car. While I was preparing to leave, I had the opportunity to meet the owner of the property on which I had parked. He was very gracious, and happy to allow me to park along the wide entrance to the property, and invited me to come back again. But I won't likely do that, since I've now completed the AT through that area.
The best way to access (my) last 2.6 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Vermont was to start 5.0 miles south of the VT-MA line (on Pattison Road in North Adams, MA). That also gave me my first AT miles in Massachusetts. The highlights of this section are the steep rock slide and the open, rocky knoll. There's no view from the knoll, but the open area, surrounded by trees, is very nice.
An additional note is warranted here: I hiked this section on September 3, which is not quite in the month of August. However, I had planned to hike it on August 30. The reason I did not do so was that I wanted to visit friends who live northwest of the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. To meet their optimum schedule, I needed to spend September 30 driving from North Adams, Massachusetts to their home. After spending two nights and a day with them, I made it a loop drive by returning via Lake Champlain, Waterbury Center, Montpelier, Bethel and Brattleboro, VT. I reached Pattison Road in the early afternoon, and completed this hike during the afternoon. However, if it had not been for this side trip, I would have completed this last section on September 30. I had completed the first section, including only the one mile of Vermont (from Norwich to the Connecticut River) on July 30. So, for future planning purposes, as a rule of thumb, I am treating my hiking of Vermont (including 6.4 miles in New Hampshire and 5.0 miles in Massachusetts) as having been completed in a 32 day period. The total mileage for the 32 days was 161.5 miles. This gives an average of 8 miles per hiking day. I hiked on 20 days, which means that, on average, I hiked 5 out of each 8 days. On the zero days, I took care of logistics (especially food shopping), did some more "conventional" sightseeing, attended church and visited with friends. It was a very enjoyable trip, varied and with a gratifying sense of accomplishment. I am thankful for the Lord's protection and keeping, as well as His strength through these weeks.
He is faithful - I Corinthians 1:9
When I first looked at this section on the map, I expected to access it via County Road from near Bennington, Vermont. However the best access is from the south. West Road heads north from North Adams, MA (Mass. 2). It becomes a gravel road, then Risky Ranch Road turns left where Klondike Road continues straight. My Garmin GPS very effectively led me to this point by this (better) route. For parking, I was directed to a wide entrance road (to a large tract of land) on the right side of Risky Ranch Road, perhaps a mile from this intersection. The road becomes rather rough after this point - it was better to walk to the trail crossing, then it would've been to try to drive to it (not to mention the lack of parking at the trail crossing). Shortly after the trail crossing, the road becomes Broad Brook Trail.
Heading north, at 0.2 mile a, blue blazed side trail leads 0.3 mile to Seth Warner Shelter. As 0.5 mile, the trail crosses the aforementioned County Road. At 1.7 miles, there is a lookout with a view south to Mount Greylock. At 5.4 miles, a well-traveled woods road leads 0.2 mile west to Sucker Pond. At 6.0 miles, a puncheon through a wetland in Stamford Meadows is reached. At 7.4 miles, Congdon Shelter is reached. At 8.0 miles, the trail crosses old Bennington-Heartwellville Road. At 9.9 miles, the open summit of Harmon Hill is reached. There is a view located off to the west side of the trail in this area. At 11.7 miles, VT 9 is reached.
This was the 20th hike of my complete traverse of the Appalachian Trail "during" the month of August, 2016. The most memorable part of this section was the descent to VT 9 at the end of the section. While the trail is switch-backed (to an extent), the slope is very steep and rocky. The trail is mostly covered in large rocks, often making something of a rather steep staircase. The large (distance) step-by-step drops onto these rocks were not much appreciated by my knees, which had already been negatively impacted by rocks throughout Vermont, but especially on the previous section, i.e. the steep northbound climb from VT 9 (see below). Harmon Hill seems to be an open field, at least where the view is located. The field gradually drops away from where I stood to look at the view, making the view somewhat marginal. It is possible that there might be a better view further way from the trail, but which I didn't take the time to pursue.
I had never previously hiked more than 17.6 miles in a single day. However, VT 9 is the southern end of a 20.6 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail, with no road crossings and no workable side trails to use to split it into shorter sections. The goal for the day was to complete the entire 20.6 miles. I thought it likely that I would be able to complete at least 90% of it in daylight, leaving 10% or less to complete with the help of a headlamp.
A couple of days in advance, the weather forecast for this day was basically sunny and rain-free until overnight.... However, as I was completing my final preparations to begin the hike, the forecast, which had been gradually deteriorating over the prior two days reached its worst point, but it still said "light and scattered rain, no more than 0.1 inch anywhere...". I briefly considered delaying the hike, but was so prepared to finally undertake this longer (than ever before) section that I decided to go ahead with it.
The section is accessed by a short side trail from the AT parking lot on the north side of VT 9. This trail passes a kiosk (on the left) and leads 0.1 mile or so to the William A. McArthur Memorial Bridge. Once across the bridge, the trail soon begins to ascend, among and over large rocks. At 0.7 miles, the trail passes through the fissure of Split Rock, 540 feet of elevation above the bridge. At 1.6 miles, a short side trail leads east to Melville Nauheim Shelter. At 2.1 miles, Maple Hill is reached, at an elevation 1300 feet above VT 9. At 3.9 miles, a bridge crosses over Hell Hollow Brook. There are then lookouts at 4.4 miles and 5.8 miles. At 7.6 miles the trail reaches Glastenbury Lookout. At 10.1 miles, Goddard Shelter is reached. This is nominally the halfway point between VT 9 and USFS 71. I had hiked these 10.1 miles in five hours, essentially with no stops. I was more than ready to rest for a bit. I spent 45 minutes to one hour there, eating, drinking and preparing for the second half of the hike etc.
Just as I was ready to leave the shelter, it began to rain. A woman who was also at the shelter , pulled out her smart phone and checking the weather forecast (for that spot) indicated that a maximum of 0.1 inch of rain was forecast. I went ahead and left the shelter, in the rain, and proceeded uphill towards the fire tower on the summit of Glastenbury Mountain, at 10.4 miles. By the time I got there, the rain was moderately heavy and the sky was quite dark. The atmosphere appeared to have all the makings of a heavy rain system. As I continued north, it continued to rain, "moderately heavy". Over the next three hours, I averaged no more than 1.5 mph, walking consistently through standing or flowing water, with little or no let up in the rain. By the time I got to the side trail to the Kid Gore Shelter at 14.4 miles, there was about two hours of daylight left, with 6.2 miles left to reach the end of the "section".
My energy level had diminished to the point that I knew that I would have difficulty completing the remainder of the "section", especially after dark (even though I was carrying a headlamp). Also, a significant part of the consideration was that the trail was very rocky. Even under dry conditions, and with a headlamp, after dark it would've been somewhat difficult to see where best to obtain footing on or around many of the rather large rocks. So, even though I did not have any overnight gear, and had never spent a night in a shelter (on the AT), I decided the safest thing to do was to spend the night at the Kid Gore Shelter.
When I arrived, and for the entire night, there were two other men there. My hope was that I had enough clothing to keep warm overnight (4 layers for my upper body, stocking cap and earmuffs, but only one layer for my legs). Within a short time after we all laid down for the night, it was clear that what I had was not going to be warm enough - indeed, that I was in a rather dangerous situation, unable to stop shivering. I considered going to the privy to spend the night, where my body heat in the enclosed area may have been enough to keep me warm enough. However, it was already dark and I did not know exactly where it was, and did not feel that it would be safe to try to find it. I asked the other two men if either of them had any extra clothing etc. that I could lay over me to help me keep warm. A hiker with the trail name of "Beef Jerky" offered me several items of clothing, which I laid over my legs. Most importantly, he also offered me a tarp, which he had spread out between him/his gear and the "floor" of the shelter. I immediately folded it in half and used it as a "double thickness" blanket. By so doing, I was able to keep just warm enough to safely sleep. I used my large fanny pack as a pillow, and did my best to use small, soft items to cushion the key pressure points on my body - knees, elbows, shoulders etc. Even so, I had to turn fairly frequently to minimize the discomfort enough to be able to sleep. Not surprisingly, that was not appreciated by the other occupant of the shelter.
I had plenty of water, and food. Throughout my hiking "career", I've routinely carried my own water, never drawing on the water sources on the trail. I had carried 6 liters of water up the steep slope (ascent) from VT 9. I also carried a variety of protein bars, tuna flat packs, a fruit cup or two and I'm not sure what else. It was enough to last until I got to my car, early afternoon the next day.
Overnight, the temperature only dropped to 68 degrees, at least partly due to the heavily overcast sky. After arriving at the shelter, it continued raining much of the night, but also with noticeable periods when it was not raining, or was raining lightly. By morning, it became evident that though the sky was still heavily overcast, the rain was pretty much over. Also, I think one of the men at the shelter was able to use a smart phone to obtain a weather forecast and/or I was relying on the forecast I heard before starting the section. In any case, I left the shelter and headed north on the Appalachian Trail by around 8:30 AM, with confidence that the weather would be clearing over the next few hours. That indeed turned out to be the case - by the time I got to my car at about 12:45 PM, the sky been bright and sunny (and the day warm) for more than an hour, perhaps two hours. However, I estimate that around 1.5 inches of rain fell between about noon and daybreak the next morning.
It is very clear to me that if I had not had the help of "Beef Jerky", I may not have survived the night. It is clear that my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ sovereignly provided (using "Beef Jerky") what I needed to stay warm enough to be able to walk out of this wilderness alive (and well).
So the moral of the story is this: Even though all of my AT hiking up to this point had been done as day hikes, I was aware that it would be necessary to spend some nights "on the trail", in order to complete some parts of Maine, the Smokies and probably parts of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. As of this writing, I'm in the process of identifying the equipment I need to obtain.
The trail was still rather wet when I left the Kid Gore Shelter in the morning. I did not expect to be able to walk at my usual pace - 2 mile-per-hour. I think I averaged a bit over 1.5 mile per hour on this section.
At 4.6 miles, the Story Spring Shelter is reached. I paused there for a while to eat, reflect on the prior day and night and enjoy the rapidly improving weather. At 6.2 miles, USFS 71 is reached. When I had parked there, I was a little concerned that one or two of the car's wheels might have trouble gaining traction, or getting out of depressions hidden under the grass that I thought I felt when I parked. However, when I gave it power, it pulled smoothly forward, and up and out of the grassy shoulder. I was thankful to emerge from this two day adventure, really none the worse for wear.
This short section served to limit the length of the above two sections to the 20.6 miles with no road crossings and no suitable side trails. I parked in the grass along USFS 71, just west of the trail crossing. At 1.1 miles, the trail crosses Black Brook footbridge. At 2.0 miles, the trail reaches Stratton-Arlington (Kelley Stand) Road.
One of the characteristics of the Appalachian Trail in Vermont is a lot of mud, even in August of a dry year. In many of the places where this occurs, the trail is level and there's not much place to which the water can run off. Also, presumably, the cooler temperatures in Vermont (versus the southern states - for example, Virginia, in which I've lived nearly all of my life) result in less evaporation of standing water. And of course the very cold winters mean that most of the snow that falls remains until spring, and then melts in a relatively short period of time. However, there are also many very muddy sections that were not (originally) streams, but now are effectively stream beds. It certainly seemed to me that much of this water could be diverted away from the trail. It does appear that sedimentation buildup is a much bigger issue in the North than it is in the South. As far as the level areas are concerned, I saw a good example of how that could be addressed. A group of young trail workers were camped along Risky Ranch Road during the time in which I was hiking the last two sections in Vermont (the two sections at the beginning, above). As I finished the last half-mile of the last section, immediately south of Risky Ranch Road, I think I discovered the primary work they were doing. Large rocks, 6 to 12 inches thick, and basically level on top had been placed in such a way that hikers could step from rock to rock and thereby completely avoid the mud below. Yes, it would take a lot of work to address, in this way, all the Vermont sections that are muddy. But surely it would be worth it, to minimize the broadening of the trail that results from people skirting the mud "puddles" - which I felt, for safety reasons (i.e. boot traction) I needed to do.
I got a late (late morning) start on this section, due to incorrect information that I received prior to traveling to Vermont for this trip. An individual in the bicycle shop at Stratton Ski Resort had indicated that I would be able to park within 100 yards of the Appalachian Trail on their property. However, when I arrived there to do so, I learned that the roads needed to get there were "work/maintenance" roads, and that I could not use them. That would've cut 3.8 miles off of the hike for this day. I wasn't about to climb the ski slopes to reach the trail, so chose to drive further south to graveled Stratton-Arlington (Kelley Stand) Road, which the trail crosses.
At 3.8 miles, the trail reaches the fire tower on the south peak of Stratton Mountain. I climbed just far enough up the fire tower to be able to see the views - to New Hampshire's White Mountains to the east and the mountains of New York to the west. At 4.5 miles, there is a view to the west of Stratton Pond and Mount Equinox. At 6.9 miles, a short spur trail leads west to Stratton Pond Shelter. At 7.0 miles, Willis Ross Clearing at Stratton Pond is reached. At 8.9 miles, a footbridge crosses the Winhall River. At 11.7 miles, the Branch Pond Trail to the William B. Douglas Shelter is reached. At 12.6 miles, the trail reaches Old Rootville Road and Prospect Rock.
As on Killington, the trail across Stratton Peak never leaves the woods, i.e. never gets within view of the ski slopes/lifts. The climb up Stratton, through the woods, was nice. I was pressed for time all day, based on the hours of daylight remaining, so made only brief stops. I wish I'd had time to take a swim in Stratton Pond, but there wasn't time. It seems to me that I actually passed the William B. Douglas Shelter, or at least a shelter, located on a level portion of trail, and probably near a stream, 1.5 - 2 miles before the end of this section. I believe the trail actually becomes a road awhile before the 12.6 mile mark noted above. Darkness was beginning to encroach as I passed Prospect Rock. However, the road was wide and as the light gradually dimmed, I descended the mile or so back to my car. By the time I got to the car and removed my gear, it was dark. But by God's grace, I had successfully completed the hike in enough natural light to not need to use a headlamp. Note: see the next section for information about parking on Old Rootville Road.
Access to this section required a hike to reach the trailhead. Rootville Road/Old Rootville Road turns right off of VT 11/30, about 1/2 mile from VT 7, east of Manchester Center, VT. Follow Rootville Road a bit less than 1 mile, to the large tank on the right. Despite the no parking signs, I was told that parking is permitted in front of them during the warm months. The area is a snowplow turnaround for winter use. I actually parked in the " official" AT parking area on the same side of the road, just below the tanks. I then began walking up Old Rootville Road. Before I got very far, two men in a four-wheel-drive SUV came by and gave me a ride to the trailhead. What a blessing.
Near the trailhead is a nice overlook, known as Prospect Rock. It is just out of sight on the south side of Old Rootville Road. Heading north on the trail, at 2.1 miles, a spur trail leads 0.1 mile west to Spruce Peak Shelter. At 2.5 miles, a spur trail leads 100 yards west to Spruce Peak with views. At 4.9 miles, the trail reaches the end of the section at VT 11/30.
This was a pleasant, short hike to end the week of hiking. The view from Prospect Rock appears to be towards the town of Manchester Center. The new residents, who were moving in across the street from the water tanks, objected to my parking in front of them, despite my indication that I had determined that it was legal. Fortunately, there was a spot available in the small parking area a stones throw down the street. However, when I returned to my car, I noted that there were two vehicles parked in front of the tanks. Surely the new residents were quickly disabused of the notion that no one could park there, perhaps by locals who knew better....
This section begins at the north end of the parking lot on VT 11/30, east of Manchester Center, VT. At 2.0 miles, a spur trail leads east 100 yards to Bromley Shelter. At 2.8 miles, the trail reaches a wide novice ski trail. The trail follows the ski trail to the top of the ridge. At 3.0 miles, the trail reaches the summit of Bromley Mountain. At 3.5 miles, the trail passes over the northern summit of Bromley Mountain. At 5.5 miles, the trail reaches Mad Tom Notch/USFS 21, and the end of the section.
This is the only Appalachian Trail section in Vermont that contains a portion which obviously follows a ski slope. The trail descends steeply from the summit of Bromley Mountain. Also of special note are the well-maintained moldering privies that are found numerous places along the Appalachian Trail (i.e. Long Trail) in Vermont. There was one of those located along the spur trail to the Bromley Shelter.
This section begins at Mad Tom Notch Road (USFS 21). This is a gravel road and a graveled parking area. At 0.1 mile, the trail enters Peru Peak Wilderness. At 1.6 miles, the trail reaches a rock outcropping on the summit of Styles Peak, with views toward Bromley Mountain. The trail off the back side of Styles Peak, was steep and eroded for a while. At 3.3 miles, the trail reaches the wooded summit of Peru Peak, with a short spur trail to a lookout. At 4.6 miles, the trail reaches the Peru Peak Shelter, 0.1 mile north of the wilderness area boundary. At 4.9 miles, the trail reaches the eastern shore of Griffith Lake. At 5.1 miles, the trail passes the Griffith Lake Tenting Area. At 5.3 miles, the trail reaches the northern end of Griffith Lake and a trail junction. At 7.2 miles, the trail passes a junction with the Baker Peak Trail and at 7.3 miles reaches the summit of Baker Peak. At 9.3 miles, a spur trail leads 100 feet west to Lost Pond Shelter. At 10.9 miles, the trail crosses a suspension bridge over Big Branch. At 11.0 miles, the trail reaches Big Branch Shelter. At 12.0 miles, the trail enters Big Branch Wilderness. At 12.3 miles, the trail reaches the parking area on Danby-Landgrove Road (USFS 10).
This was a varied section, with a chance of showers in the afternoon weather forecast. After the descent from Styles Peak, the trail is fairly level, on boards over swamp and hemmed in by trees for quite a while. For several miles through this area, the white blazes were extremely sparse. Several miles in, I met a man who was one of the trail maintainers for the area. I mentioned the "infrequent" occurrence of blazes. It gave him pause for thought - he indicated that when they did their fall maintenance they should probably add some. I also learned that he was walking the section (on this day), to check for blow downs etc. on the trail. I expressed my appreciation to him....
The view from Styles Peak was nice, though somewhat hemmed in by trees. The really striking part of this section was Baker Peak. The last 1/10th of a mile before reaching the summit is made up of rock slabs, pitched at an angle of probably 30 degrees. At the lower end of this, I painstakingly made my way among the dense trees/brush to the left of the rock slabs. However, I soon reached a point where that was no longer possible. When I got up on the rocks, I discovered that there were usually depressions in the rock "face" that had filled with dirt. These generally provided a flat, level surface just large enough for my boot "to fit", on which I could step. And in most cases, they occurred frequently enough to enable me to largely avoid having to try to obtain footing on the sloped surfaces. I should also note that there is a bypass trail that avoids these rocks. However, all of the views, and they are nice views, require getting out on some of the rocks.
The sky was heavily overcast as I made this climb (on Baker Peak). To the south, there was an especially dark "thunderhead" sort of cloud. There was no rain where I was on Baker Peak, and there may not have been even under the clouds that I could see from the rock slabs on the side of the peak. However, it was a very impressive view, made more dramatic by the weather.
Danby-Landgrove Road is a paved road from US 7 at Danby, Vermont to a large paved parking area at the trailhead. Heading north, the trail reaches Little Rock Pond at 1.9 miles. At 2.0 miles, the trail reaches a spur trail that leads 100 feet east to Little Rock Pond Shelter. At 2.3 miles, the trail reaches the northern end of Little Rock Pond and a couple of trail intersections. At 3.1 miles, the trail reaches Aldrichville Clearing. At 6.3 miles, the junction with the White Rocks Cliff Trail is reached. At 6.8 miles, a spur trail leads 0.2 miles east to Greenwall Shelter. At 7.5 miles, a junction with the Keewayden Trail is reached. The AT turns right, while the Keewayden Trail goes straight ahead. I missed this turn, and ended up at the White Rocks Picnic Area, before I realized my mistake. At 8.2 miles, the trail reaches Sugar Hill Road.
This was a heavily overcast day, with rain expected by mid-afternoon. I decided to undertake the section anyway, with the hope that I could finish before the rain began. When I missed the turn, and proceeded down the Keewayden Trail, it added nearly a mile to the day's hike. At that point, it was obvious that the rain was not far off. However, I quickly returned to the AT and completed the hike. I was able to take off my pack and quickly get it in the car just as the rain was beginning.
I would like to also note that I particularly enjoyed walking by the ponds which occur at different places along the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. I was looking forward to White Rocks Cliff, but I missed the trail. Perhaps it's just as well, otherwise I almost certainly would've been finishing this hike in the rain.
Sugar Hill Road is a gravel road which turns off of VT 140. It passes White Rocks Picnic Road (USFS 52). There is a pull-off where the trail crosses, just wide enough for a vehicle, under overhanging trees. VT 140 is reached at 0.1 miles, just after crossing a bridge over Roaring Brook. At 0.2 miles, there is an AT parking lot - if I had realized it was there, I would've used that instead of the pull-off on Sugar Hill Road.
At 1.1 miles, the trail reaches Domed Ledge Vista. At 2.2 miles, the trail reaches "height of land" on Bear Mountain. The climb from the parking lot to this point was not only the nicest, but also one of the few properly switchbacked sections of trail I found in the state of Vermont. At 3.7 miles, the trail reaches a spur trail leading 200 feet east to Minerva Hinchey Shelter. At 5.6 miles, the trail reaches Rutland Airport Lookout, which also offers vistas of the Taconic Range in New York. This view was very nice. The trail then descends steeply to a high suspension bridge over the Mill River in Clarendon Gorge, which is reached at 6.3 miles. VT 103 is reached at 6.4 miles.
After crossing the road, the trail crosses a railroad track, then two stiles. At 6.7 miles, the trail passes through a boulder filled ravine. This ravine was not very long, but it was a steep climb up and among large rocks that required high/long steps, even for a tall person (such as I). A southbound hiker whom I saw shortly after completing it, indicated that it was the roughest section he'd seen since New Hampshire (the Whites). At 6.8 miles, there's another overlook with views of Rutland Airport. At 7.4 miles, a side trail leads 400 feet east to Clarendon Shelter. At 7.9 miles, the trail passes an airplane beacon on the top of Beacon Hill. At 8.3 miles, the trail reaches Lottery Road.
When I reached the suspension bridge over Clarendon Gorge, a number of people were down below, enjoying the waters of the Mill River. I did not have time to stop. It looked like it would take a while to get down to the river - it was probably several hundred feet below the bridge and would've required gradual descent of the slope to the east side of the AT. There is probably a trail, but it was not visible from the bridge. The boulder filled ravine was quite a shock - I expect to see places like that in New Hampshire, but I did not expect it in Vermont. The trail climbs a steep slope after Clarendon Shelter. The views of the airport and beyond were very nice.
All in all, another successful hike in my successful quest to hike the entire state of Vermont (i.e. on the AT) in the course of one trip.
This section begins where the trail crosses Lottery Road. The predicted rain for this day still did not seem imminent (see the description of Kieffer Road to Upper Cold River Road - below), so I decided to also undertake this section. The trail reaches Kieffer Road at 1.7 miles. The trail passes through fields and woods without much change in elevation. I accomplished it, and the prior hike (on this day), completely free of any rain.
This day dawned sunny, but with some heavy clouds in the sky and a forecast of rain. I was looking forward to taking a weekend break from the trail, but there were a couple short, easy to hike sections that were next.... The sky looked like it would be a little while before rain would arrive, so I decided to undertake this section - which would take no more than an hour to hike. Kieffer Road is a dirt/gravel road which turns off of Cold River Road. A wide shoulder makes an adequate place for several vehicles to park. At 0.2 miles, the trail reaches the western bank of Cold River. At 0.3 miles, the trail crosses Cold River Road (lower). At 1.1 miles, the trail crosses Gould Brook. The trail then ascends a hill that lies between two streams. The hill is characterized by a narrow ridge line and simultaneous views of both streams. At 1.9 miles, Upper Cold River Road is reached.
In the course of my decades of hiking, it has been fairly infrequent that I have found/seen narrow ridge lines - where the sides drop-off steeply on both sides. It's been even more unusual to find a narrow ridge where there is a "river" visible on both sides. This short section is the only one in Vermont that I would particularly like to walk again.
Ah, Killington - probably the most strenuous section in Vermont. I selected Upper Cold River Road as the trailhead at which to begin this hike. I had a little trouble finding the trailhead, but when I stopped to inquire as to its location, the gentleman (whom I asked) had me follow him/his car to it. He also offered his help if I needed anything, which I later took him up on - to obtain a shower. He grows blueberries, and treated me to some after we spent some enjoyable time chatting (after the shower).
As to the hike itself, at 1.6 miles the trail passes Governor Clement Shelter. At 4.2 miles, the trail reaches a junction with the Shrewsbury Peak Trail. At 4.6 miles, the trail reaches the high point on Little Killington Ridge. At 5.9 miles, the trail reaches Cooper Lodge, which is a closed, stone and frame cabin. Also at this point there is a spur trail that leads to Killington Peak. Killington is one of the major ski resorts in Vermont - I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Appalachian Trail stays in the woods, away from the ski trails and ski lifts for its entire traverse of this area. Of course, that means that the trail does not go over the summit of Killington, so there were no views. I did not take the time to walk to the summit of Killington. Later, I did take the time to drive into the resort. It is located at the end of a road, several miles long, which is flanked on both sides by restaurants and various lodgings. It was a sight that seemed out of place in Vermont. I considered taking the ski lift to the top of Killington (to see the view), but ultimately chose not to do so.
Just before reaching the ridgeline of Little Killington, there was a rock several feet high, with a face angled up about 60 degrees, blocking the trail, with little in the way of handholds to facilitate climbing over it. While the slope was steep, limiting the places where the trail could be routed, I still think that there must be a better way to route the trail.
At 8.4 miles, the trail reaches "Jungle Junction", the southern junction with the Sherburne Pass Trail. At 10.3 miles, the trail reaches Churchill Scott Shelter. At 12.2 miles, the trail reaches US 4. The trail crosses a bridge over a brook just before reaching the parking area.
The ascent up Killington begins on a wide woods road, which gradually narrows over the first mile or so. It becomes a narrow, sidehill trail among numerous rocks as it ascends. However, none of these rocks were dangerous to step over or around, except the very large one mentioned above. The ridgeline walk was interesting. It was probably about 1.5 miles long, perhaps as much as 2 miles. By the time Cooper Lodge is reached, the trail is already below the ridge line (on the opposite side of the mountain from the ski resort). However, what changes there are in elevation on the ridgeline and on to Cooper Lodge are gentle - a very pleasant ridgeline walk, among large trees. However, the trail immediately begins a dramatic descent immediately upon leaving Cooper Lodge.
One person I spoke to referred to the northbound climb up Killington as "brutal". Realistically, I think the steep, nearly all rock trail for the first half-mile above the trailhead at VT 9 (both northbound and southbound), and the northbound climb from VT 103 were the most rugged (and brutal) portions of the AT in the state. Nevertheless, this 12+ mile section is probably the most strenuous in the state. Of course, if I had managed to cover the 20.6 miles from VT 9 to USFS 71 in one day, I would probably view that as the most strenuous section.
It was very gratifying to complete this section, perhaps the most popular section of the Appalachian Trail in Vermont - though I don't know if that's the case or not.
There's a large AT parking area on the south side of US 4, about 1/2 mile west of The Inn at Long Trail. At 1.0 mile, the trail reaches Maine Junction at Willard Gap. This is the point at which the Appalachian Trail leaves the Long Trail. The Long Trail continues north, while the Appalachian Trail heads east. At 1.1 miles, the AT passes the Deer Leap Trail. Locals told me that this trail leads to an overlook. Native American men would drive deer over the overlook - to fall to their death below, while the women would wait there to dress the deer.... If I had known that story in advance, I may have taken the time to walk out to the overlook. And perhaps I'll get back there someday and do so.
At 1.9 miles, the trail reaches it's northern junction with the Sherburne Pass Trail. At 3.0 miles, the trail reaches the upper camping area of Gifford Woods State Park. At 3.3 miles, the trail reaches VT 100. It briefly turns right, following the road, then turns left on the Kent Pond fishing access. At 3.5 miles, the trail reaches the shore of Kent Pond. At 4.0 miles, the trail reaches its southern junction with gravel Thundering Brook Road. At 5.2 miles, the trail reaches its northern junction with Thundering Brook Road. At 5.4 miles, a spur trail leads 200 feet west to Thundering Falls. At 5.6 miles, a boardwalk crosses over the Ottauquechee flood plain. River Road is reached at 5.7 miles.
This was an interesting section, beginning with a climb, followed by a descent (to VT 100). Thereafter, there wasn't much change in elevation. Gifford Woods State Park contains a trail among historic large trees, which I later returned to walk. Kent Pond was very beautiful, with numerous views of it between the trees as the trail parallels it's south shore. Since the Appalachian Trail is most commonly on mountain slopes or ridges, there really aren't very many waterfalls along it. It was nice to be able to see one (Thundering Falls) so close to the trail. And the boardwalk, just before reaching River Road was interesting. I enjoyed eating my lunch at the picnic table next to the visitor center at Gifford Woods State Park. And the map they provided was very helpful, especially when I returned to walk some of their trails.
After overdoing it during the first week of this hiking trip, I took two days off. On 8/6, I drove VT 100 through the northern half of the state. On 8/7, I visited friends near Barre, and attended church with them. I then returned to the trail and hiked this section - in the afternoon, as best I recall.
There is a parking lot along River Road at this trail crossing, primarily (I think) for Thundering Falls. However, it also serves as parking for the AT. At 4.3 miles, the AT reaches a short spur trail to the east, leading to Stony Brook Shelter. At 4.5 miles, the white blazes lead to the top of a large rock, with no apparent route/blaze to lead the way off of it - except for a long aluminum ladder leading 12 to 15 steps down to the ground below the far edge of the rock. I was stunned. I've not seen anything like this anywhere else on the AT. But it was apparently the official trail - there was no other alternative for moving forward - so I went down it, then found more white blazes.... At 5.1 miles, the trail reaches Stony Brook Rd.
I was not yet fully recovered from overdoing it the previous week. However, by hiking a couple of short days, then taking a zero day (enforced by rain), I was able to undertake Killington Peak later in the week.
Stony Brook Road, like Chateauguay Road, required driving a short section of class 4 dirt road - in this case, less than 1/2 mile to reach the trailhead. There is room for a couple of cars at the trailhead. Heading north, the trail immediately crosses Stony Brook on a bridge. At 1.8 miles, the trail reaches "height of land" at 2260 feet. At 3.9 miles, the trail reaches Chateauguay Road. There were three sustained climbs in this section.
This was a "woods" walk. The delight of the day was driving out to Woodstock, VT to swim at their beautiful, outdoor, Olympic length municipal pool.
The starting point for this section was Chateauguay Road. The last 1.5 miles of this road, before getting to the trailhead is Class 4 dirt road. What that means is that there are occasional rocks embedded in the middle-of-the-road that stick out of it high enough to scrape the underside of a passenger vehicle. By driving very slowly, and moving from side to side (of the road), I was able to largely avoid these rocks, "scraping bottom" only a couple of times (each way). However, this is the kind of road that I don't like to use any more than absolutely necessary. Looking at the map and the trail guide, as I write this, it looks like it would probably have been better to have used Lookout Farm Road, which would've shortened the section by 3.6 miles and lengthened the next one from 3.9 to 7.5 miles. That would've been a better choice - I overdid it by trying to do 12.7 miles in one day so early on this trip.
At 1.1 mile, the Lakota Lake Lookout is reached. I don't recall seeing it. At 3.6 miles, the trail crosses Lookout Farm Road. At 4.5 miles, the trail reaches Don's Rock on The Pinnacle, giving a view of Killington and Pico peaks. At 5.2 miles, a spur trail leads 0.2 mile west to Wintturi Shelter. At 7.6 miles, the trail reaches an open ridge with views to the southeast of Mount Ascutney. The trail reaches VT 12 at 9.0 miles. For the last half-mile before reaching VT 12, the trail descends through fields, then passes through a narrow barrier of trees, crosses a footbridge, and reaches an AT parking lot. The trail then turns right for a short distance below the shoulder of VT 12, before crossing the road. At 10.5 miles, the trail reaches paved Woodstock Stage Road. At 12.7 miles, the trail reaches Pomfret - South Pomfret Rd. The last 2.2 miles contained three sustained climbs, not particularly welcome at the end of such a long day. This section was a long slog. But it was refreshing to splash in the waters of Pomfret Brook at the end of the hike.
The section began along Pomfret - South Pomfret Rd. I parked in a pull-off above Pomfret Brook, on the west side of the road. Leaving the road, the trail ascends somewhat steeply through a forest of spruce trees. At 0.5 miles, the trail reaches a hilltop field, with views to the south and west. At 0.8 mile, the trail follows an old town road, along a stone wall to the east, and is smooth and level for nearly 1/2 mile. At 1.3 miles, the summit of DuPuis Hill is reached. At 1.8 miles, the trail crosses gravel Cloudland Road. At 3.1 miles, a spur trail leads 0.1 mile east to Thistle Hill Shelter. At 4.9 miles, the trail reaches an open field atop Arms Hill, with views to the south. At 5.4 miles, the trail crosses an open field, with views to the north and northeast. At 6.2 miles, the trail reaches the wooded summit of Bunker Hill. At 6.5 miles, the trail passes through hilltop pastures with views. At 8.6 miles, the trail reaches, and turns left on Quechee-West Hartford Road. At 8.8 miles, there is a junction with Pomfret Road (on the right). At 8.9 miles, the northern end of the section is reached. It is at the east end of Patriots Bridge over the White River at/on VT 14. Another 0.3 mile north of the bridge, on VT 14, there is a wide pull-off - a good parking spot for accessing this section.
Throughout the northernmost 30 miles or so of the trail in Vermont, there are open high points/ridge tops that are overgrown with grasses and weeds etc. These spots are where some of the nicest views (on the AT in the state) are to be found. So, hiking through the several fields that are part of this section was a particular highlight. Vermont is beautiful. When I reached VT 14, and turned north towards the parking area, I noticed that people were swimming in the White River, just north of the bridge. It was a warm, sunny late afternoon. I briefly considered joining them, but I didn't really have the time to do so and somewhat reluctantly passed up the opportunity. I should also note that along VT 14, near the eastern end of the White River Bridge, there is a house, the residents of which (it was reported) were urging hikers to stop for some "Trail Magic". However, that did not occur when I passed by.
To access this section, I parked at a wide pull-off on VT 14, near Tigertown Road. The AT leaves VT 14, turning east on Tigertown Road and passes under I-89. At 0.6 mile, the AT turns right on Podunk Road, then enters the woods on the left. At 1.4 miles, the trail reaches a more northern junction with Podunk Road. Then in the next mile, the trail crosses several logging roads and two brooks. At 3.5 miles, the trail passes over a wooded shoulder of Griggs Mountain. At 4.0 miles, a side trail leads 0.1 mile east to Happy Hill Shelter. At 6.5 miles, the trail skirts east of Mosley Hill. At 7.5 miles, the trail reaches the Elm Street trailhead. At 8.3 miles, the trail reaches the junction of Elm Street and US 5 in Norwich, Vermont.
This was the second hike of my (AT hiking) month in Vermont. It was a warm and sunny day and a generally pleasant hike, at least after leaving the hot, unshaded introductory section on Tigertown Road.
The "northern" section of the AT in Vermont, i.e. between Maine Junction (where the AT intersects the Long Trail) and the Connecticut River, might reasonably be called the Vermont "roller coaster". This is because the hills and ridges generally run north-south, while the AT runs west to east. This means the trail is continually climbing or descending hills/mountains and passing over ridge-tops.
As noted before, throughout the northernmost 30 or so miles of the trail in Vermont, there are open high points/ridge tops that are overgrown with grasses and weeds etc. However, these spots are where the nicest views are to be found. I don't recall whether there were any such views in this section.
I do recall there being obvious grassy areas just beyond the edge of the woods to my left during some of the last couple of miles before reaching Elm Street. Walking down Elm Street, it was obvious that there are wealthy people who live there - most of the properties were very beautiful, some sizable. Perhaps the grassy areas that I saw beyond the edge of the woods belong to estates (similar to the ones I saw on Elm Street, and elsewhere in the general vicinity of Norwich).
This section begins at the intersection of Elm Street and US 5 in Norwich, VT. This intersection is about 0.1 mile from Dan and Whitt's General Store. The store is a good supply point. Also, despite the many "No Parking" signs, they do allow parking during the warm months. With their permission, I was able to park a vehicle there for several days while hiking in the area.
I left Dan and Whitt's late on a warm morning and headed east on US 5. Hiking in the sun, and on a road, is not particularly pleasant, but fortunately there aren't too many places like that on the Appalachian Trail anymore. The trail soon crosses the Connecticut River on the Ledyard Bridge and enters Hanover, New Hampshire. The trail continues uphill on W. Wheelock St. until it reaches and turns right on S. Main St. , (NH 10), diagonally across from the Dartmouth College Green. The trail turns left at Lebanon Street, then passes left through a bank parking lot and reaches Park Street. At 2.2 miles, the trail reaches NH 120 at a service station. Shortly thereafter, the trail turns left and follows the southern edge of a soccer field until it enters woods.
At 3.0 miles, the trail reaches the southern junction of a blue blazed loop trail that leads to Velvet Rocks Shelter. The northern end of the loop rejoins the AT at 3.5 miles. I used the blue blazed trail, rather than the AT at this point. At 4.1 miles, the AT reaches a junction with the Trescott Road Spur Trail, which leads to a parking area on Trescott Road. At 4.3 miles, the trail reaches the high point on Velvet Rocks Ridge (there is no view). At 5.7 miles, the trail passes through a conifer plantation. At 6.0 miles, the trail reaches and crosses Trescott Road and the trail continues through what appears to be a conifer plantation. At 7.3 miles, the trail passes a cemetery to the west. At 7.4 miles, the trail reaches Etna-Hanover Center Road. The parking here is a pull-off, long enough for two or three cars.
This hike was the first of 21 sections, accomplished across 32 days (after subtracting a 4 1/2 day side trip to visit a friend), during which I completed the Appalachian Trail through the entire state of Vermont. This first section actually included only 1 mile in Vermont, but gave me the opportunity, at the beginning of the month, to get a 6.4 mile start to the AT in New Hampshire.
Finding the blazes along the streets of Hanover, NH was a bit of a nuisance. I had not looked at the trail guide in advance - had I done so it would've been easier to find and follow the trail route. But I made all the right turns, thankfully, and got into the woods in a reasonable amount of time.
Having already done some hiking around Mount Washington (including the Tuckerman Ravine Trail), I was aware that there are a lot of rocks on the trail in New Hampshire. Still, I was surprised at how many I found on this section, mostly in the 1st mile after getting into the woods.
At the shelter, I met two people, a father and his son and chatted with the father for a while. Later in the month, I met them again at another shelter much further south. On our first meeting, his son was burrowed into a sleeping bag, so I had not seen him and he had not spoken - I did not realize that the second person was not an adult, until our second meeting. Throughout my month of hiking in Vermont, always heading northbound, but moving south section by section, there were numerous (southbound) people that I saw repeatedly.
The weather on this particular day was crystal clear and the hiking was, on the whole, very pleasant. However, a rain system was coming in, so I chose to take the next 2 days as zero days. This gave me the opportunity to visit a friend further north in Vermont (on Sunday), including going to church with him and his wife. It gave me the opportunity to take care of some logistics, including food shopping and getting a haircut. It also gave me the opportunity to do a lap swim in one of the Dartmouth College swimming pools.
An additional (Summary) note - see entry for Pattison Rd. (above): I hiked my last Vermont section on September 3, which is not quite in the month of August. However, I had planned to hike it on August 30. The reason I did not do so was that I wanted to visit friends who live northwest of the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. To meet their optimum schedule, I needed to spend September 30 driving from North Adams, Massachusetts to their home. After spending two nights and a day with them, I made it a loop drive by returning via Lake Champlain, Waterbury Center, Montpelier, Bethel and Brattleboro, VT. I reached Pattison Road in the early afternoon, and completed this hike during the afternoon. However, if it had not been for this side trip, I would have completed the last section on September 30. I had completed the first section (this one), including only the one mile of Vermont from Norwich to the Connecticut River on July 30. So, for future planning purposes, as a rule of thumb, I am treating my hiking of Vermont (including 6.4 miles in New Hampshire and 5.0 miles in Massachusetts) as having been completed in a 32 day period. The total mileage for the 32 days was 161.5 miles. This gives an average of 8 miles per hiking day. I hiked on 20 days, which means that, on average, I hiked 5 out of each 8 days. On the zero days, I took care of logistics (especially food shopping), did some more "conventional" sightseeing, attended church and visited with friends. It was a very enjoyable trip, varied and with a gratifying sense of accomplishment. I am thankful for the Lord's protection and keeping, as well as His strength through these 5 weeks.