Bushwhacking the NOSE...VT's 6th 4K

My wife wanted to XC Ski on more than Grafton's approx 1.5K. So yesterday off we went to Stowe. As I don't ski she dropped me off at the Mt Mansfield Toll Road then went off to ski for a few hours.

I was amazed to see it covered in about 6" of snow! So I put my snowshoes on for the first time this season

Headed up the road "breaking trail"

Little did I know that further up (1.6 miles) it became an active ski trail!

Staying on the side I continued up with lots of skiers going by...aren't those little kids amazing!!!

Shared a greeting with ski patrol and finally got above the active trail at just short of 4 miles.

As I continued up a skier whizzed by...after having booted up

Then the cliffs of the Nose began to appear to my left, pretty neat!

I continued a counterclockwise loop til I got to the Radio/TV(?) building. Getting into a corner I changed into dry clothes from the waist up, put windpants on, dry mittens with chemical heat and had half a P&J sandwich

Continuing counterclockwise I went up a bit and around a second building then...began the very open bushwhack by tiny trees...my kind of whackin

Within minutes I was at the Summit! Unfortunately not much of any views and as it was rather breezy I soon headed down.

A short distance after the 2 buildings I met 3 guys that were taking a snack break. They had come up a trail from the west side.

When I got to the high point of the road in the col I recorded the elevation. The difference between the summit and there was 248'.

Since access to the summit is illegal (I'd heard?), I doubt it will be recognized as Vermont's 6th 4000'er anytime soon!?!?!?

There used to be a maintained trail (Triangle Trail, if I remember right?) to the Nose, but it was closed due to radiation danger associated with the short wave installations there.

I'm not aware that it is illegal to go to the Nose, I've never seen signs saying anything but that radiation levels may exceed Canadian standards for safe exposure, and those referred to the older towers.

I've been told by the GMC that there are still some areas where you might be exposed to harmful levels of radiation, but that the areas are substantially more localized than before the digital towers. That said, they prefer that people do not go up to the Nose, in fear that the fragile vegetation that has returned since the closing of the Triangle Trail will be damaged. It is for this reason that I suspect they will never give the AMC the green light to recognize its status on the 4k'er list, which it without a doubt is.

Please, if you do go up to the Nose, stick to the rock.

In the summer, I've seen a sawhorse on the "trail" to the Nose saying something like 'Trail Closed' or so. If you go up the Haselton Trail, you kind of head right for it if I remember...

Jay

Sounds like a conspiracy.

We went to the Nose yesterday. Saw some old signs about radiation as we were on the short wooded section of the Long Trail. We walked by the building with the big fans, then would our way up to another building. There were no signs warning of anything, although it really felt as though we were tresspassing. As we rounded the last of the roadway approached we could see the summit, but especially noticable were the peace flags. A couple of others came and went as we sat for a while and ate our lunch.