Vermont-New Boston Trail (FR 99)

[frytz]

The current Long Trail Guide states that FR 99 (at least the last 1.3 miles) is passable only by high clearance vehicles. Does anyone know if this is currently the case? Is that section passable in a passenger car with careful driving? Sometimes the guide books are overly optimistic or overly pessimistic about dirt road conditions!
Thanks

Fred

 

[RoySwkr]

The current Long Trail Guide states that FR 99 (at least the last 1.3 miles) is passable only by high clearance vehicles. Does anyone know if this is currently the case? Is that section passable in a passenger car with careful driving?

I have been in several times over the years and always got a car in with care. Don't know how it is this year, there is one area that seems to wash out in the spring that may not get fixed for a year or two.

Note that if you are spotting a car there instead of hiking from there and return, you have to drive the road 3 times vs hiking it once. If you walk 3 mph on roads vs driving 10 mph, you may decide the time saved isn't worth the risk of damage.

 

[askus3]

I am planning a trip in to access the Long Trail using that route on Aug. 26. Will you be going before then? Please let me know your findings. It will be greatly appreciated.

 

[frytz]

Ffr 99

I have been in several times over the years and always got a car in with care. Don't know how it is this year, there is one area that seems to wash out in the spring that may not get fixed for a year or two.

Note that if you are spotting a car there instead of hiking from there and return, you have to drive the road 3 times vs hiking it once. If you walk 3 mph on roads vs driving 10 mph, you may decide the time saved isn't worth the risk of damage.

I will be doing a number of solo "out and back" hikes on the LT the first week of August. I will be covering the trail from US 4 to Middlebury Gap. I plan to do hikes in from both Rte 4 and from Brandon Gap. Assuming I can't get the section done with 2 hikes, I would use the New Boston Trail to access the "missing middle". If I don't have a large middle to do, I would just walk the section of FR 99 in question.

Aaron

Assuming I do FR 99 (either driving or walking), I will let you know the condition of the road. If you are interested in any dirt road conditions or other trail quirks from Rte 4 to the southern terminus, I have been there over the past few summers.

Fred

 

[askus3]

I started a thread about a year ago investigating coming in from the east side which was my preference (staying in Stockbridge, VT). Since I had to see for myself what options I had, I found Michigan Road to be very rough and although I was able to get up it with my Mazda Tribute (SUV), I did not want to take a group up it. And besides the snowmobile trail from there a little ways in was obscure and the distance too far to the LT at Wetmorre Gap to make this way feasible. I also could not fine the other road s in from 100 (ie. Green Road), so I resigned myself to use the New Boston Trail, but I never had time to scout it out to see if that way was any better. The road might be equally as bad but I resigned myself to go drive all the way around and at least I have a decent access trail to the LT. However, I still don't know what kind of road I am dealing with, so I look forward to your observations. Here is a link to what was suggested to me in that previous thread.

 

[Jay H]

Assuming I do FR 99 (either driving or walking), I will let you know the condition of the road. If you are interested in any dirt road conditions or other trail quirks from Rte 4 to the southern terminus, I have been there over the past few summers.

Fred

You should get some off-road tires for your insight Fred

Jay

 

[frytz]

The poop on FR 99

I also could not fine the other road s in from 100 (ie. Green Road), so I resigned myself to use the New Boston Trail, but I never had time to scout it out to see if that way was any better. The road might be equally as bad but I resigned myself to go drive all the way around and at least I have a decent access trail to the LT. However, I still don't know what kind of road I am dealing with, so I look forward to your observations.

Since it is used as a horse trail by the Mountaintop Inn, there literally is poop on FR 99! At the beginning of FR 99, there is a small pullover for parking. It can fit 2 cars, one blocking the other, or it can fit two small cars, very tightly side by side. I went in about 50 feet onto the road (fairly low clearance Honda Insight), and decided not to go any further. I parked and walked in. The road is the roughest for the first 1/3 mile. I would guess a reasonably high clearance car could probably make it with no problem. It is even possible my car might have made it, but, since it only took 35 minutes to walk to the trailhead, I was happy I parked at the start of the road. It might have taken as long to drive up, then I would have all day to worry about the return drive! The first 0.1 mile downhill to the bridge is a good test. If you can make it there, nothing beyond that is any worse. After the first fork, the road becomes a virtual "dirt super highway". If you made it up the other rough road, you will probably be able to do FR 99. The New Boston Trail a wide grassy skimobile trail for the lower half, then a wide foot trail to the shelter.
As another heads-up, Rte 125, from the LT at Middlebury Gap, is scarified all the way to the edge of Middlebury (about 8 miles). I did 30 mph average going up and down, with little other traffic on the road. But if you get behind a tractor trailer, log truck, or camper, it could be much slower (and dustier!)

Fred

 

[askus3]

After evaluating my options and reading your report of FR 99. My decision is to take two 4-wheel drive vehicles all the way and the thrid vehicle can park in the 2 car mini-lot and the strong hikers in that group can catch up and we'll all wait at the shelter to continue. Thanks for your assistance.