Pamola
New member
I had grand plans on Friday. It's always easy to dream while still in the office at 4pm after a long week. I'm going to hike 6 mountains tomorrow! No, 7!
It was to be a solo day since all the bushwhackers were busy or in NH. Also, my girlfriend isn't quite sold on the no trail thing yet.
Sooo, obviously 6am on Saturday turned into 8am and after a meandering drive through Vermont I finally found myself at my first trailhead at 11ish.
1st 2 peaks: Unnamed Branch Pond Peak and NE Glastenbury
The drive along the Arlington road was gorgeous. Apple trees and wildflowers lined the road, also yielding wonderful views and hardwood forests that made it hard for me to keep my eyes forward. I passed by the AT and parked at a tiny pulloff by the Branch Pond Trail. This ended up being the easiest peak of my life. I know Marc and Nate say Hoosac was their easiest, but i Doubt they've done this. After a nice 5-10 minute trailwalk, I bushwhacked about a 100 feet up to the summit. The canister was neat. An old 16? oz nalgene suspended upside down by an intricate weaving of synthetic twine. The old register wasn't in a bag and was in danger of falling apart in my hands is was so wet and rotten. So I stashed it safely in my bag to return to the amc and replaced it. I bounded back to my car, feeling an odd amount of energy. It was a gorgeous day.
The other side of the Trail goes directly to the AT on the side of NE glastenbury. after a short hike I was at the intersection. Looking both ways to make sure I was safe, I crossed and started whacking up NE. Also an easy climb, about 2.5 times as long as Branch. What a register though! It went back to '86, sporting iconic names such as Dokla, Crispo, Spurling, Swanson, as well as a local guy who had been up 10+ times. Unless a piece of the register was lost, I seemed to be the first since 2004. Then whacked down to a pond on the AT and back out.
Tallyho!
I can't tell you about the next peak. I was never there. Infer what you want.
Last peak: Hoosac
I was a bit tired by this point as I hadn't eaten enough during the day. Nonetheless this was an easy hike up a neat ridge covered in gnarled, misshapen beech trees that had probably gotten the worst of the ice storm. A few recognizable names. Marc's quick, messy scrawl. Nate's crisp, tiny, near gothic script making his standard tome of an entry (i don't know how he writes so much with the VT flies about). On the way out I literally hit my car in the side. Impossible to get lost.
Putting the ixnay on Stamford or Haystack I simply drove into Wilmington and finished up my Vermont Views and Brews list at Maple Leaf with some good folks there. Very friendly, very tasty. What a great day.
Sunday!
What a much simpler day. Wow. Tiring though. My girlfriend an I hit up Cape Lookoff and Gillespie in Brandon Gap. This is like a mini-Weeks hike. Up and down and up and down and up. Ok. Now repeat on the way back to the car. not too much for views. A couple lookouts but the side trip to the great cliff was well worth it. Got to look Goshen squarely in the eye. I'll be seeing you soon enough.
Tis all! What a superb weekend. And not too much blood lost either.
It was to be a solo day since all the bushwhackers were busy or in NH. Also, my girlfriend isn't quite sold on the no trail thing yet.
Sooo, obviously 6am on Saturday turned into 8am and after a meandering drive through Vermont I finally found myself at my first trailhead at 11ish.
1st 2 peaks: Unnamed Branch Pond Peak and NE Glastenbury
The drive along the Arlington road was gorgeous. Apple trees and wildflowers lined the road, also yielding wonderful views and hardwood forests that made it hard for me to keep my eyes forward. I passed by the AT and parked at a tiny pulloff by the Branch Pond Trail. This ended up being the easiest peak of my life. I know Marc and Nate say Hoosac was their easiest, but i Doubt they've done this. After a nice 5-10 minute trailwalk, I bushwhacked about a 100 feet up to the summit. The canister was neat. An old 16? oz nalgene suspended upside down by an intricate weaving of synthetic twine. The old register wasn't in a bag and was in danger of falling apart in my hands is was so wet and rotten. So I stashed it safely in my bag to return to the amc and replaced it. I bounded back to my car, feeling an odd amount of energy. It was a gorgeous day.
The other side of the Trail goes directly to the AT on the side of NE glastenbury. after a short hike I was at the intersection. Looking both ways to make sure I was safe, I crossed and started whacking up NE. Also an easy climb, about 2.5 times as long as Branch. What a register though! It went back to '86, sporting iconic names such as Dokla, Crispo, Spurling, Swanson, as well as a local guy who had been up 10+ times. Unless a piece of the register was lost, I seemed to be the first since 2004. Then whacked down to a pond on the AT and back out.
Tallyho!
I can't tell you about the next peak. I was never there. Infer what you want.
Last peak: Hoosac
I was a bit tired by this point as I hadn't eaten enough during the day. Nonetheless this was an easy hike up a neat ridge covered in gnarled, misshapen beech trees that had probably gotten the worst of the ice storm. A few recognizable names. Marc's quick, messy scrawl. Nate's crisp, tiny, near gothic script making his standard tome of an entry (i don't know how he writes so much with the VT flies about). On the way out I literally hit my car in the side. Impossible to get lost.
Putting the ixnay on Stamford or Haystack I simply drove into Wilmington and finished up my Vermont Views and Brews list at Maple Leaf with some good folks there. Very friendly, very tasty. What a great day.
Sunday!
What a much simpler day. Wow. Tiring though. My girlfriend an I hit up Cape Lookoff and Gillespie in Brandon Gap. This is like a mini-Weeks hike. Up and down and up and down and up. Ok. Now repeat on the way back to the car. not too much for views. A couple lookouts but the side trip to the great cliff was well worth it. Got to look Goshen squarely in the eye. I'll be seeing you soon enough.
Tis all! What a superb weekend. And not too much blood lost either.
