Vermont: High peaks of the Green Mountains

August 8, 2009

The next morning, after visiting Mount Defiance on the New York side, I crossed over Lake Champlain into Vermont at the Ticonderoga ferry (which has recently been overwhelmed by traffic due to the closure of the Lake Champlain Bridge at Crown Point). From there I drove to the Mount Independence State Historic Site, where I went for a lovely hike through the woods, reading the occasional interpretive sign about the military uses and history of the archaeology of the area. I then drove on to the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site, continuing the theme of Revolutionary War history.

From there, after pausing in Middlebury, Vermont for lunch and a stroll through the farmer's market, I made my way back into the Green Mountains and Lincoln Gap, where I left the car and took to my feet for an overnight backpack.

The portion of the Long Trail I embarked on is known as the Monroe Skyline, after one of the prime movers behind the establishment of the Long Trail. There are two peaks over 4,000 feet on this section, and Mount Abraham was about 3 miles from the gap. Even though it is just over 4,000 feet, it has a bare summit with 360-degree views, including spectacular views of Lake Champlain to the west. After stopping at the summit for a rest, I hiked about 10 minutes further along the trail, and located a suitable spot off the trail to pitch my tent. After an early dinner I climbed back to the summit to observe the sunset.

August 9, 2009

Leaving most of my gear near my campsite, I got an early start, and hiked further along the ridge until I reached the summit of Mount Ellen. There are a number of intervening peaks that are only modest bumps above the ridgeline, and the upper ends of ski lifts punctuate the ridge and provide opportunities for views. Shortly after heading on my way back from Mount Ellen, the sky began to cloud over; by the time I recovered my gear and got back to the top of Mount Abraham, the view had noticeably disappeared...

I returned to my car by early afternoon, and headed off for Waterbury, Vermont, where I made myself comfortable at the campground of the Little River State Park.

August 10, 2009

My plan for this day was to enjoy a climb of Vermont's second-highest peak, Camel's Hump. While I succeeded in climbing it, the weather was difficult, and the higher reaches were entirely socked in with clouds and subjected to period rain. This put a definite damper in Bear's desire to take pictures, and made the mountain's supposedly great views less than stellar.

The weather was somewhat better down in the valley. I took a leisurely drive south until I reached Killington, where I set up camp at Gifford Woods State Park, and dried out my gear.

August 11, 2009

While I had originally contemplated attacking Mount Killington, the day hike seemed a bit long to me, and it was necessary for me to return home, so I abandoned that idea and made tracks for home.

Vermont: Bennington, Stratton Mountain

August 5, 2009

This day began a six-day trip through southern Vermont and adjacent portions of New York State. My goals were two-fold: first, to explore the greener parts of Vermont, and second, to visit a few historically interesting American Revolutionary War sites.

My first goal after departing the home turf was the southern Green Mountains, where I planned to camp on the first night. I drove a leisurely route to Bennington, Vermont, where I had a nice lunch at the Madison Brewery Company.

Unbeknownst to me until I got there, Bennington was in the middle of celebrating Moosefest, marked by placing colorfully-decorated fiberglass moose around town. I did not seek all of them out, but a few caught Bear's interest.

Eventually we escaped the clutches of the moose-infested town and made our way into the mountains, where I occupied one of the road-side campsites on the Kelly Stand Road. This now-depopulated area was once the site of a speech by Daniel Webster attended by 15,000 people.

August 6, 2009

After an uneventful night, I made my way to the local trailhead for the Long Trail and headed north to the summit of Stratton Mountain (which is probably best known for having a ski area on it. It was a beautiful day, and the summit tower had stupendous views in all directions. I also chatted with other hikers, some of whom were through-hiking either the Long Trail or the Appalachian Trail. One of them was kind enough to leave us with a few photos.

As the hike to the summit was not an overly difficult one, I returned to the car by early afternoon, and headed west. Crossing into New York, I checked into a commercial campground on the Batten Kill River for the night.