Friday, January 24, 2014
Camel's Hump - Long Trail South
Monday, January 20, 2014
Happy New Year (revisited)
Here are some more photos and a few videos from the EPIC hike on Mt. Mansfield on 12/31/13:
(above: Matt Coonrod demonstrates his excitation)
(above: a look down in to the crevasse through which we had just emerged)
(climbing up ladders, which are bolted in to the rock-face)
(above and below: natural frost sculptures)
(above: a snotcicle)
(above: looking down at Stowe, Spruce Peak and Smuggler's Notch)
(above: looking north along the ridge. Mini game: find Kyle!)
That was a DAY!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Happy New Year
Matt and I have somewhat of a tradition now to hike Mt. Mansfield on New Years Eve Day. This year Sam joined us, and we did the full circuit, but with a slight amendment. Once on the Maple Ridge trail we took the Rock Garden trail southeast to Butler Lodge. We ran into our first fellow hikers and we were offered some Yukon Jack. At 11:00am. Boy was it tasty. We then took the Long Trail north over the forehead (through some harrowing terrain) and over the ridge to the chin. Then we did a rapid descent down the Laura Cowles trail. Can't think of any greater way to close out a year. Those post-hike Limbo IPAs never tasted so good. Here is a video of Matt coming up the Long Trail to the forehead. Sam has some additional pictures and video.
Hunger Mt. and Crop
Today was glorious. It's been cold in Vermont. By cold, I mean excruciatingly cold. But today was so beautiful, we had to hike. We decided to make it a short one. Sam and I pounded up and down Mt. Hunger, less than 4.5 miles round trip, then headed into Stowe for some beers and food at Crop Bistro and Brewery.
The hike: It was -4 degrees in the parking lot when we started at 9:45am, and 7 degrees when we finished at 11:55am. Seriously cold. But the beauty of the Mt. Hunger trail (from the Waterbury side) is that it pounds uphill so quickly that we had a good sweat going after just 10 minutes on the trail. We hit ice about 3/4 of a mile from the top, at which point we threw on the microspikes. The views were killer. So clear, so sunny. We could see all the way east into the Presidentials, south past Killington, and even the Adirondacks looking west past Camel's hump. There are some pictures and a panoramic video below.
The beer: It was my first time at Crop, and I was impressed. I was disappointed when the Shed closed a few years back, but glad to hear the spot was snatched up by another microbrewery. I had a killer Willi Vanilli Porter. It had a nice balance of Vanilla aroma and flavor without being too sweet. It had a nice dry, bitter finish, characteristic of a good porter. I then went on to the Vermont Pale Ale, an American style pale ale. It was solid, though I was left wanting a bigger hop feel, especially for an APA. I probably should have started with the VPA and finished with the porter, but what are you going to do. Solid beers, solid day.
The hike: It was -4 degrees in the parking lot when we started at 9:45am, and 7 degrees when we finished at 11:55am. Seriously cold. But the beauty of the Mt. Hunger trail (from the Waterbury side) is that it pounds uphill so quickly that we had a good sweat going after just 10 minutes on the trail. We hit ice about 3/4 of a mile from the top, at which point we threw on the microspikes. The views were killer. So clear, so sunny. We could see all the way east into the Presidentials, south past Killington, and even the Adirondacks looking west past Camel's hump. There are some pictures and a panoramic video below.
The beer: It was my first time at Crop, and I was impressed. I was disappointed when the Shed closed a few years back, but glad to hear the spot was snatched up by another microbrewery. I had a killer Willi Vanilli Porter. It had a nice balance of Vanilla aroma and flavor without being too sweet. It had a nice dry, bitter finish, characteristic of a good porter. I then went on to the Vermont Pale Ale, an American style pale ale. It was solid, though I was left wanting a bigger hop feel, especially for an APA. I probably should have started with the VPA and finished with the porter, but what are you going to do. Solid beers, solid day.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Mt. Mansfield: The Full Circuit
I never get sick of hiking Mt. Mansfield. I've hiked it countless time and have tackled just about every trail, but still it doesn't get old. Something about being at the highest point in the state is quite appealing. It's such a majestic mountain. Seeing every day from Burlington and knowing that you've conquered it is quite satisfying. Part of the allure is the drive. It's an easy 40 minutes from Burlington, but it has such a remote and far-off feeling once you get there. Taking the right hand turn onto the dirt road to head up toward Underhill State Park, basically sitting at the base of the mountain, sends shivers down my spine. Every time.
By far my favorite way to hike the mountain is by doing what we've dubbed the full circuit. I've recently learned that this is referred to as the "grand loop," but I much prefer the full circuit. Starting at Underhill State Park, you take the Eagle's Cut trail an easy .6 miles (a nice warmup) to the clearing where the trails split off. The common approach is to head left toward either the Laura Cowles trail or the Sunset Ridge Trail. We head right.
The trail follows the old CCC road (basically a slightly wider than average hiking trail) for approximately a mile before it ends and the Maple Ridge Trail begins. After roughly a mile and a half (maybe 2 miles) of up and down climbing and rock hopping, you reach the Forehead. While not technically a separate mountain and not even above 4,000 ft, the Forehead is appealing mostly because there is rarely anyone up there. Next, head north on the Long Trail across the ridge of the mountain for about 2 miles to the chin. This is where we like to jog. Jogging at 4,000 ft is pretty cool. This is also where we start running into people who have either driven up or taken the Gondola up. Part of me is glad that there is way for everyone to enjoy the mountain, whether they like hiking or not, but part of me wishes it was open only to hikers. Like Camel's Hump. This is an issue to be tackled another time. Reaching the chin and stomping on the USGS medallion is nothing short of gratifying. From there, its an easy 3.3 miles down the Sunset Ridge trail back to Underhill State Park.
As Sam and I have discussed over and over again, each season of hiking has it's draws. Summer, obviously, is perhaps the easiest season to hike in because at higher altitudes the air is cooler and because of the warm summer weather you can typically get away with a very small pack and can often pack many more miles into the day. Spring, with its warm weather at the bottom and snow and often storm-like conditions at the top really shows you how crazy the mountains can be. I don't think I need to explain why fall is appealing. Foliage.
And winter. Oh, winter. There is nothing quite like winter hiking. It takes a lot more preparation to get all layered up, make sure you have the proper gear and supplies to stay warm, fed, and hydrated, and the hike itself always takes longer, particularly depending on how much snow is on the mountain, how recently it was dumped, and how well-traveled the trail you are taking is. But the winter just turns the mountain into a whole new experience. As Sam puts it, the mountains become playgrounds.
Sam and I did the full circuit last March, with plenty of snow on top. I don't think we saw another soul until we got close to the Chin on the LT. Then all we saw were skiers and snowboarders "hiking" over to the Chin from the Gondola. We were questioned on several occasions as to where our boards were. Some people just don't understand the allure of hiking. Here's a view of Lake Champlain and across to the Adirondacks:
And here's the same view from an early summer full circuit hike with Sara, this time at Twilight:
If you've never hiked Mt. Mansfield before, I recommend the full circuit. And if you've hiked it countless times but have never done this particular loop, I again highly recommend it. It's a great experience that doesn't disappoint.
By far my favorite way to hike the mountain is by doing what we've dubbed the full circuit. I've recently learned that this is referred to as the "grand loop," but I much prefer the full circuit. Starting at Underhill State Park, you take the Eagle's Cut trail an easy .6 miles (a nice warmup) to the clearing where the trails split off. The common approach is to head left toward either the Laura Cowles trail or the Sunset Ridge Trail. We head right.
The trail follows the old CCC road (basically a slightly wider than average hiking trail) for approximately a mile before it ends and the Maple Ridge Trail begins. After roughly a mile and a half (maybe 2 miles) of up and down climbing and rock hopping, you reach the Forehead. While not technically a separate mountain and not even above 4,000 ft, the Forehead is appealing mostly because there is rarely anyone up there. Next, head north on the Long Trail across the ridge of the mountain for about 2 miles to the chin. This is where we like to jog. Jogging at 4,000 ft is pretty cool. This is also where we start running into people who have either driven up or taken the Gondola up. Part of me is glad that there is way for everyone to enjoy the mountain, whether they like hiking or not, but part of me wishes it was open only to hikers. Like Camel's Hump. This is an issue to be tackled another time. Reaching the chin and stomping on the USGS medallion is nothing short of gratifying. From there, its an easy 3.3 miles down the Sunset Ridge trail back to Underhill State Park.
As Sam and I have discussed over and over again, each season of hiking has it's draws. Summer, obviously, is perhaps the easiest season to hike in because at higher altitudes the air is cooler and because of the warm summer weather you can typically get away with a very small pack and can often pack many more miles into the day. Spring, with its warm weather at the bottom and snow and often storm-like conditions at the top really shows you how crazy the mountains can be. I don't think I need to explain why fall is appealing. Foliage.
And winter. Oh, winter. There is nothing quite like winter hiking. It takes a lot more preparation to get all layered up, make sure you have the proper gear and supplies to stay warm, fed, and hydrated, and the hike itself always takes longer, particularly depending on how much snow is on the mountain, how recently it was dumped, and how well-traveled the trail you are taking is. But the winter just turns the mountain into a whole new experience. As Sam puts it, the mountains become playgrounds.
Sam and I did the full circuit last March, with plenty of snow on top. I don't think we saw another soul until we got close to the Chin on the LT. Then all we saw were skiers and snowboarders "hiking" over to the Chin from the Gondola. We were questioned on several occasions as to where our boards were. Some people just don't understand the allure of hiking. Here's a view of Lake Champlain and across to the Adirondacks:
And here's the same view from an early summer full circuit hike with Sara, this time at Twilight:
If you've never hiked Mt. Mansfield before, I recommend the full circuit. And if you've hiked it countless times but have never done this particular loop, I again highly recommend it. It's a great experience that doesn't disappoint.
The Story of How it Came to Be
On a certain late spring/early summer hike of Mt. Mansfield, Matt decided that it was time that we each had an animal pseudonym attributed to us based on our hiking style. Matt dubbed himself the mountain goat. As he says, he may at times be stubborn and need a kick in the pants, but he does it. And he does it well. Sometimes complaining all the way. I pegged Sam as the Catamount of the group, pounding up the mountains with ease, and Sam christened me as a Bald Eagle for the way I, apparently, soar to the top. However, Matt later amended these pseudonyms, claiming that both the Catamount and Bald Eagle were overdone. Thus, Sam became the Bobcat and I became the Peregrine Falcon. Way cooler.
If you are wondering if this is what we talked about for the entire 8+ mile hike (Maple Ridge trail to the Forehead, LT across the top to the chin, Sunset Ridge down), the answer is yes. It seems that every group of animals has a unique label -- a gaggle of geese, a fleet of mudhens, a mutation of thrushes -- so we figured we could basically have our pick since we were a group of many different animals. Naturally, we settled on "pride." As Matt is the one who birthed the idea, he of course is our Elder Statesman. Sam and I round out the senior council. The group is not exclusive, but before anyone can be welcomed into the pride they need to hike with all three of us and the entire senior council must agree on the name. This is serious.
Sara is our first charter member as the Jackelope. A heated debate arose regarding whether or not we should allow mythical creatures into the pride and whether or not that would open up the flood gates for ridiculous suggestions. But as Matt has ultimate ruling power as the Elder Statesman, the Jackelope was allowed.
We decided that we should start documenting our escapades. While we will mostly talk about hikes, chances are we will also talk about running and beer. And maybe cycling. Adventures will be documented in no particular order. Just whatever we feel like talking about.
If you are wondering if this is what we talked about for the entire 8+ mile hike (Maple Ridge trail to the Forehead, LT across the top to the chin, Sunset Ridge down), the answer is yes. It seems that every group of animals has a unique label -- a gaggle of geese, a fleet of mudhens, a mutation of thrushes -- so we figured we could basically have our pick since we were a group of many different animals. Naturally, we settled on "pride." As Matt is the one who birthed the idea, he of course is our Elder Statesman. Sam and I round out the senior council. The group is not exclusive, but before anyone can be welcomed into the pride they need to hike with all three of us and the entire senior council must agree on the name. This is serious.
Sara is our first charter member as the Jackelope. A heated debate arose regarding whether or not we should allow mythical creatures into the pride and whether or not that would open up the flood gates for ridiculous suggestions. But as Matt has ultimate ruling power as the Elder Statesman, the Jackelope was allowed.
We decided that we should start documenting our escapades. While we will mostly talk about hikes, chances are we will also talk about running and beer. And maybe cycling. Adventures will be documented in no particular order. Just whatever we feel like talking about.
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