Stratton Mtn (VT) - southern approach - access to the LT?

Hi - thinking of doing up Stratton Mtn this week from the south as a loop via Stratton Pond (i.e., N up LT, down via stratton pond trail, walk 1 mi or so on the road to the car). My LT book says the Arlington-West Wardsboro Rd. is plowed up to the LT. Is this still true? My book is pushing 10 yrs old at this point.

thanks.

We have no snow in Vermont.

You should be fine!

When there is snow, the Kelly Stand Road is plowed to the AT/LT crossing from the east side, not the west (Arlington) side. There is a parking lot there. I was last there is March 2004.

Kelly Stand Rd will be dirt, I took it in from the Arlington side, just over the hill from Mt Snows entrance driveways, but the AT/LT area is an obvious open parking lot type area as mentioned, it is a gathering place during snowmobiling season...look for a porta potty that the snowmobilers use...it was extremely nasty when i was there. The wooden hiking sign is on the edge of the lot on your right, which would be north. When i first drove to this trailhead i didn't have a GPS etc. it seemed like i was driving too far, hope you pick a good day with views...tower is good for that...i hear the trail back from stratton pond can be a bit overgrown/wet...don't know about Dec/Jan conditions..have a good one...ctsparrow

FWIW,

There is snow on the Kelly Stand Rd. as well as all of the Forest Service rds in the Somerset area. In fact they were snowmobiling on FR 71 yesterday albeit on the barest minimum amount of snow and I expect there were still some sparks being thrown from the skegs as they clattered over the gravel.

There is snow up high (we got to about 3000') but not enough to slow you down. No ice underneath either. We did get some turns in on our skis (a bit below Kid Gore Shelter in the Glastenbury River valley headwaters area.) They weren't much to brag about but you gotta take what you can get.

One other interesting fact to note. The Vermont game wardens stopped us from driving on FR 71. All of the FR roads are closed to all but snowmobile traffic starting on Dec. 16 every year. The feds will fine you if you are caught driving a truck on them (snow or no snow.)

Kelly Stand Rd. doesn't count because it is a county road and not administered by the Feds.

Finally you can save yourself a little of the road walk back to your car if you can find the trail jct. marked on the map and follow that back to Kelly Stand Rd. I haven't walked it recently but it wasn't hard to find since the junction is right in the saddle where both trails level out.

bcskier