Fourfingers
New member
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2008
- Messages
- 82
- Reaction score
- 3
After work on Friday, we posted a car at Coddling Hollow and drove to the access road for the Babcock Preserve and Ritterbush Pond. The two-mile hike in to Spruce Ledge Camp took just about an hour. The water source is a spring and stream crossing the LT where the side trail takes off up the hill 830 feet to the cabin. I’ve never seen this water source so low, but there was enough flow to fill our Camelbaks for cooking and overnight needs.
Three other NOBO section-hikers were also spending the night at the camp. Views over Ritterbush Pond and Devil’s Gulch were, as ever, spectacular. The camp easily sleeps eight and has a picnic shelter and table 80 feet away, a moldering privy, and a wooden bench at the overlook.
Though the camp doors may be closed, mild temps and no wind made it quite comfy open all night.
Up at 0530, oatmeal with dried fruit, a quick pack-up and we were off at 0630. The trail up and along Bowen Mountain and over Butternut Mountain has a nice treadway, often closed in by ferns.
Corliss Camp made a great place for an early lunch of Summer Sausage and Swiss Cheese sandwiches on bagels and an opportunity to remove boots for a few minutes.
The hike up and over Laraway Mountain and then along the long escarpment/wall down to Codling Hollow was as scenic as ever. The viewpoint looking down on the Lamoille Valley to the south and west provides a preview of the next section south where the trail climbs up over Madonna Peak and drops into Smugglers’ Notch.
South of Corliss Camp, the trail was recently brushed out. Summit signs are up at Bowen’s North and South Summits, on Butternut Mtn, and at Laraway Peak.
Coddling Hollow was gained by 1230. If you’re driving to the trails in this area, be aware that significant delaying roadwork is being done at the intersection of Rtes 100 and 15 in Hyde Park, and for major stretches centered in the village of Johnson.
Fourfingers and Screwloose
[email protected]
Three other NOBO section-hikers were also spending the night at the camp. Views over Ritterbush Pond and Devil’s Gulch were, as ever, spectacular. The camp easily sleeps eight and has a picnic shelter and table 80 feet away, a moldering privy, and a wooden bench at the overlook.
Though the camp doors may be closed, mild temps and no wind made it quite comfy open all night.
Up at 0530, oatmeal with dried fruit, a quick pack-up and we were off at 0630. The trail up and along Bowen Mountain and over Butternut Mountain has a nice treadway, often closed in by ferns.
Corliss Camp made a great place for an early lunch of Summer Sausage and Swiss Cheese sandwiches on bagels and an opportunity to remove boots for a few minutes.
The hike up and over Laraway Mountain and then along the long escarpment/wall down to Codling Hollow was as scenic as ever. The viewpoint looking down on the Lamoille Valley to the south and west provides a preview of the next section south where the trail climbs up over Madonna Peak and drops into Smugglers’ Notch.
South of Corliss Camp, the trail was recently brushed out. Summit signs are up at Bowen’s North and South Summits, on Butternut Mtn, and at Laraway Peak.
Coddling Hollow was gained by 1230. If you’re driving to the trails in this area, be aware that significant delaying roadwork is being done at the intersection of Rtes 100 and 15 in Hyde Park, and for major stretches centered in the village of Johnson.
Fourfingers and Screwloose
[email protected]
Last edited:
