Mt Cushman VT, Tin Can Trail Question

[AntlerPeak]

The 1995 edition of the GMC Day Hikers Guide describes trails up Mt Cushman in Rochester VT. The newer edition of the guide omits this mountain.

Does anyone know if the trail, Tin Can trail is still there? Is it acessable or is it closed, private property, posted? The 1995 guide says the Randolph Gap route is abandoned but at least back then the Tin Can was open. Any current info would be helpful. Thanks to anyone who knows what is up with this mountain.

 

[RoySwkr]

I believe the whole area is private property but was not posted when I did a ridge traverse ~20 years ago. There were woods roads most of the way along the ridge.

I think the Tin Can Trail may be the former access route to the fire tower and hence may not vanish as quickly as other trails, have no clue whether it is posted or just no longer maintained.

 

[AntlerPeak]

I believe the whole area is private property but was not posted when I did a ridge traverse ~20 years ago. There were woods roads most of the way along the ridge.

I think the Tin Can Trail may be the former access route to the fire tower and hence may not vanish as quickly as other trails, have no clue whether it is posted or just no longer maintained.

Will dredge this old thread up to clarify things. I called the Forest Service office in Rochester VT yesterday. They told me they were not sure if the mountain was private property or not. But the route from Randolph Gap was not posted and you can hike there.

The road, ( Bethel Mt Road ) signed on rte 100 at the north end of the village common leads 1.2 miles east where it makes a sharp right turn. Go straight leaving the Bethel Road for.2 miles on unsigned paved road. A right turn on a gravel road marked (Mt Cushman) leads a half mile or so to a fork in the road. Can't drive any further! There is room to park about three cars on side of road at this point.

Hike straight ahead on the narrower fork following this uphill staying on what appears to be the most used fork all the way up to Randolph Gap. To this point you hiked about one mile and gained seven hundred feet. In the gap a second road follows the top of the ridge all the way to the clearing for the old fire tower on the summit. The road continues north toward yet another summit on the ridge. The views to the East are excellent from the site of the tower, now dismantled.

This turned out to be a surprizingly nice hike with 1100' gain under three miles one way. No trail markers or signs the entire distance. But a fine hike with nice views.