Cragster
New member
{Reposted because my original date was wrong!}
Trails: Sugarbush's "Gondolier" to "Organgrinder" to Lincoln Peak; Long Trail (out and back) to Mt. Abe.
Summit(s): Lincoln Peak (3975'), Little Abe (3900'), Mt. Abraham (4006')
Hiker(s): solo
My plan to bag Abe & Ellen via their connecting ridge was thwarted by several factors on Friday:
a) Warren Mt. Rd/Roxbury Mt. Rd. (between VT-12A and VT-100) was absolutely terrible and I did a nice job burying my AWD car in mud,
b) The branches and trees across the Long Trail makes for super rough going with so much snow (or no snow, but it is much worse w/ so much snow as the "floor" is higher), and
c) I had to be home, showered, and down to Boston for a 1830 dinner rez w/ friends.
I left home at 0500 but did not spot my car at the Mt. Ellen parking lot until just before 0915. After turning around on Warren Mt. Rd because I didn't like sliding my rocker panels on the road, I got stuck, then unstuck, then back down to VT-12A. My Google map printout showed another road, further North, that had the same yellow road marking as VT-100 did. Turns out, they are not the same class of road. Cox Brook Rd to Moretown Mt. Rd. was awfully muddy, but I was able to get through. I'm sure any VT'ers that read this are laughing at my ignorance. For the rest of you "tourists", just take VT-100B down from Exit 9 on I-89 and stay out of the mud pits!
I caught the 0915 Mad Bus to Sugarbush Village and headed up the "Organgrinder" trail (shortest route to Lincoln Peak). The high temperature allowed me to skin up in a T-shirt even with the hefty wind gusts. The warm snow provided great traction, even on the steepest parts of the trail. All of the upper mountain lifts were closed due to wind, so I had the mountain to myself above the "Domino" trail. No activity at the top other than one patroller that I avoided behind some trees (due to what I have heard about Sugarbush's less-than-friendly attitude to uphill skiers like me). I made the ~2400' climb to the summit of Lincoln Peak (3975') in just under an hour and a half.
As with all of the other tidbits I've seen of the Long Trail, it was poorly marked and difficult to find--I wasted lots of time trying to find the trail by heading down "Jester" a hundred feet, and followed a few possible trails before turning back. Turns out, the Long Trail actually follows the edge of the "Paradise" trail at the top of the Heaven's Gate Chair, so if you head up to the observation platform (next to the antennas), bear to the right of the platform and start down the hill for the LT. I wasn't actually sure this I was on the LT until I found the sign for "Little Abe - 3900'". No blazes or obvious trail, especially in the sparse patch near Little Abe that is visible from the observation platform on Lincoln Peak. After going out and back, I concluded that the LT runs just below (Northern side, toward Ellen) of the ridgeline, and there were perhaps 2 white blazes that were visible above the snow. I basically just followed a compass heading of ~200 for fear that the summit of Abe could become obscured by clouds at any moment and I would have nothing to follow. Eventually, trail became more clear on the ascent to Abe, but there were still several places where large branches blocked the trail. This may be easier to follow in the summer since I know the 'Bush got about 37" about a week ago and the trailbed was much higher from the snowpack.
The terrain is not difficult at all, in that I was able to skin the entire way without issue, even the steepest part back up to the Lincoln Peak observation platform. It's just poorly marked and vague. I said to myself--"The 'bushwack' to Owl's Head is easier to follow than this!!" Choose your layers wisely to prevent tearing your best stuff on the branches.
The view from Abe was incredible. Killington to the South, Mansfield to the North, Champlain and the ADK's to the West, and Lafayette/Washington and rest of the Whites to the East. Perfectly clear, but windy. I shell'd up and sat down for a peaceful lunch while cursing my camera batteries for dying and not allowing me to take any pictures up there.
The return to Lincoln Peak was easy since I had marked the trail (or...A trail) with my skis already. I stripped the skins, donned the helmet, and headed down "Organgrinder" thinking to myself "I may be the only person lucky enough to ski these bumps on the upper mountain today". It was a sea of mashed potatoes, and when I hit the first trail crossing, 3 guys stopped and said "how did you get up there?!?!" The obvious response came right out--"I hiked up and earned my turns!" They laughed, then I excused myself and raced to the bottom on extremely slow snow to catch the 1330 Mad Bus back to my car at Ellen.
A beautiful day, a couple of lessons learned the hard way, and failure in bagging Ellen, but the recon is now done so I will have to save that winter ascent for next year as today is the Vernal Equinox.
Trails: Sugarbush's "Gondolier" to "Organgrinder" to Lincoln Peak; Long Trail (out and back) to Mt. Abe.
Summit(s): Lincoln Peak (3975'), Little Abe (3900'), Mt. Abraham (4006')
Hiker(s): solo
My plan to bag Abe & Ellen via their connecting ridge was thwarted by several factors on Friday:
a) Warren Mt. Rd/Roxbury Mt. Rd. (between VT-12A and VT-100) was absolutely terrible and I did a nice job burying my AWD car in mud,
b) The branches and trees across the Long Trail makes for super rough going with so much snow (or no snow, but it is much worse w/ so much snow as the "floor" is higher), and
c) I had to be home, showered, and down to Boston for a 1830 dinner rez w/ friends.
I left home at 0500 but did not spot my car at the Mt. Ellen parking lot until just before 0915. After turning around on Warren Mt. Rd because I didn't like sliding my rocker panels on the road, I got stuck, then unstuck, then back down to VT-12A. My Google map printout showed another road, further North, that had the same yellow road marking as VT-100 did. Turns out, they are not the same class of road. Cox Brook Rd to Moretown Mt. Rd. was awfully muddy, but I was able to get through. I'm sure any VT'ers that read this are laughing at my ignorance. For the rest of you "tourists", just take VT-100B down from Exit 9 on I-89 and stay out of the mud pits!
I caught the 0915 Mad Bus to Sugarbush Village and headed up the "Organgrinder" trail (shortest route to Lincoln Peak). The high temperature allowed me to skin up in a T-shirt even with the hefty wind gusts. The warm snow provided great traction, even on the steepest parts of the trail. All of the upper mountain lifts were closed due to wind, so I had the mountain to myself above the "Domino" trail. No activity at the top other than one patroller that I avoided behind some trees (due to what I have heard about Sugarbush's less-than-friendly attitude to uphill skiers like me). I made the ~2400' climb to the summit of Lincoln Peak (3975') in just under an hour and a half.
As with all of the other tidbits I've seen of the Long Trail, it was poorly marked and difficult to find--I wasted lots of time trying to find the trail by heading down "Jester" a hundred feet, and followed a few possible trails before turning back. Turns out, the Long Trail actually follows the edge of the "Paradise" trail at the top of the Heaven's Gate Chair, so if you head up to the observation platform (next to the antennas), bear to the right of the platform and start down the hill for the LT. I wasn't actually sure this I was on the LT until I found the sign for "Little Abe - 3900'". No blazes or obvious trail, especially in the sparse patch near Little Abe that is visible from the observation platform on Lincoln Peak. After going out and back, I concluded that the LT runs just below (Northern side, toward Ellen) of the ridgeline, and there were perhaps 2 white blazes that were visible above the snow. I basically just followed a compass heading of ~200 for fear that the summit of Abe could become obscured by clouds at any moment and I would have nothing to follow. Eventually, trail became more clear on the ascent to Abe, but there were still several places where large branches blocked the trail. This may be easier to follow in the summer since I know the 'Bush got about 37" about a week ago and the trailbed was much higher from the snowpack.
The terrain is not difficult at all, in that I was able to skin the entire way without issue, even the steepest part back up to the Lincoln Peak observation platform. It's just poorly marked and vague. I said to myself--"The 'bushwack' to Owl's Head is easier to follow than this!!" Choose your layers wisely to prevent tearing your best stuff on the branches.
The view from Abe was incredible. Killington to the South, Mansfield to the North, Champlain and the ADK's to the West, and Lafayette/Washington and rest of the Whites to the East. Perfectly clear, but windy. I shell'd up and sat down for a peaceful lunch while cursing my camera batteries for dying and not allowing me to take any pictures up there.
The return to Lincoln Peak was easy since I had marked the trail (or...A trail) with my skis already. I stripped the skins, donned the helmet, and headed down "Organgrinder" thinking to myself "I may be the only person lucky enough to ski these bumps on the upper mountain today". It was a sea of mashed potatoes, and when I hit the first trail crossing, 3 guys stopped and said "how did you get up there?!?!" The obvious response came right out--"I hiked up and earned my turns!" They laughed, then I excused myself and raced to the bottom on extremely slow snow to catch the 1330 Mad Bus back to my car at Ellen.
A beautiful day, a couple of lessons learned the hard way, and failure in bagging Ellen, but the recon is now done so I will have to save that winter ascent for next year as today is the Vernal Equinox.
