Mount Mansfield?

Could any veteran VT hiker advise me on the best (Scenery and Challenge) route up this mountain? My experience lies in the Daks and the Whites, I have no idea what route to take in the next two weeks..distance not an issue.

I did it as part of a Long Trail thru hike last summer and it was awesome. There are some cool, tricky ledges if you take the LT up from the South side, and the views from anywhere along the ridge are awesome. If you want a real challenge, head up from Smuggler's Notch. The trail isn't terribly long, but it is quite steep almost the whole way, including the above treeline section at the very end.

A route including Hell Brook and Profanity would top my list of "challenge", but I don't think I'd try either in the snow. For views, Sunset and Maple Ridge loop would be high on my list.

Mansfield

I agree... up by maple ridge and down by sunset ridge will give you the whole experience...

Mansfield

By the way that route starts from The Underhill road where you park your car, than take the ccc road to the maple ridge trail...

Last year I and a partner took the LT route, intending to push up through Profanity to the summit. This was during one of those sub zero days last January...trailhed ambient temps at -16 F! It was a great day for a hike, but we got skunked trying to find Profanity Trail. We figured we only had about 300 vertical feet to the summit. To SherpaKroto's point...it's a bitch in the snow. We were wading in chest high snow in the gully (WITH snowshoes), with no trailsign or indication of previous hikers being in there. (I was a little pissed that the trail wasn't marked better-but that wouldn't have helped anyway.) We basically had our direction clear, but no way to make progress in the snow. Be very cautious of snow depth and conditions on the mountain if you make a decision to take this route.

I read something about parking on an un-plowed road and walking up it to reach the trail, could anyone elaborate on this?

ADK4Life said:

I read something about parking on an un-plowed road and walking up it to reach the trail, could anyone elaborate on this?

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The Underhill Park entrance road isn't plowed much past the last house on the road. Last year there was a good sized parking area cleared just beyond the houses, about a mile below the where the Teardrop trail comes out. You park there and then hoof it up the road to the real entrance to the park, where the rest of the trails start.

I think it's roughly 2 miles to the true park entrance? Not sure, we went up the Teardrop.

On the other side of the mountain, just past the Stowe ski area is a parking spot for the Long Trail. The road is gated just beyond that. That's a nice approach as well, but you'll be seeing skiers in the woods by Chin Clip glades, the trail goes right through that.

-dave-

Go from Underhill side for sure!

Having tried both sides of the mountain this winter, I agree 100% with the Underhill Center suggestions. I tried the Long Trail on 12/21. As I neared the top the snow got really deep (lee side of the mountain), and soon there was no evidence of the trail. Since I had a very strict turnaround time, I did not summit. In February I tried again from the Underhill Center side. As Dave M. mentioned, it's an extra two miles to the trailhead on easy going, well packed trails. Parking was not an issue. If it's breezy you can take the Laura Cowles trail up and stay in the woods till you near the ridge. The snow was very thin on the Sunset Ridge, and there was some ice. Sunset Ridge gives great views on the return. Assume it will be windy and cold!

Have fun!

Mansfield

I have also been on Mansfield this winter, as well as during summer and fall. Sunset ridge up and laura cowles down-- great views up and quick, butt sliding descent if there's snow. Up Notch side there are skiers and drifts, and I also lost trail after the hut, only to realize(from summit, later) that I was maybe 20 minutes from top. Could have easily bushwached from that point, but had spent 3 hours wading through drifts on 20 below, solo day, so turned around.
Yes, 2 miles to trailihead from parking below Underhill SP, but all on road.

Is it going to be obvious when I get to the road to the state park?

ADK4Life said:

Is it going to be obvious when I get to the road to the state park?

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Just follow the signs to Underhill State Park. Go through Underhill Center on Pleasant Valley Road, turn onto the Mountain Road and follow it until you can't go no more. Take a quick look on Mapquest, it's pretty obvious.

-dave-