Oncoman
Active member
As opposed to my most pleasant laid back stroll on Camels Hump on 6th Aug. with wife, kids, friends & their kids, last wkd’s Vermont hiking was very tiring, much too so to my liking. Though I accomplished a lot in terms of peak bagging, I came home physically & mentally exhausted. Battle fatigue I guess. Must now take a break, or at least slow down the rhythm. No hiking for me this coming wkd.
Friday 11th Aug.
Equinox: Left off via Burr & Burton Tr. around 16h00. Took me 3½ hrs to get back to my car, which is slow for me. My legs felt heavier than usual. Was it the long car drive from Montréal, the extra hrs at work covering for colleagues on vacation, the farewell party the night before with a bit too much wine, the lack of sleep or most likely a combination of all the above. Then drove off to car camp on dirt rd for Dorset, next morning’s objective.
Sat. 12th Aug.
Dorset: Off at 04h45 by headlamp. Tired…not enough salutary sleep. Don’t take left branch of loop as suggested by Bob & Geri (½ m. of tr. now blowdown infested) despite much steeper grade up for right branch; but after all you just can’t have it all easy.
Mendon/Killington/Pico: Long 16 m. 9 hrs loop. Bushwhack up Mendon easy, thank God. Passed by right turn-off after cottage, such that I ended up following left bank of Eddy Brook instead of right one. This proved to be a good choice since I was 50-60’ higher up on ridge, thus having intermittent views of Mendon through the trees (but the real reason is that I didn’t want to turn back). At approx. 2500’ there is a right turn-off on ATV trail downhill 60’ joining parallel tr. along right bank of brook shortly before the 3rd brook crossing. Just before going downhill you have a very nice unobstructed view of Mendon due south. Superb clear views on summits though somewhat cool temps for mid-Aug. with 20-25 mph winds on top of Killington. NEHH #97 now reached. Pico summit is horrible. Had it not been for 2 workers repainting buildings, I would have cursed out loudly “Tha-bar-nack”. Indecent French swearing.
Sun. 13th Aug.
Ascutney: Again off by headlamp at 05h10 via Weathersfield tr. Felt somewhat better this morning, though still not my 100% usual self. Chilly, but again nice views on summit. Totally solitary 3 hrs hike.
Signal/Butterfield: 2 straight forward bwks as per Papa Bear’s suggested approaches. No bugs. Register log books on both pks now all filled up. Next hikers going up these 3K pks, please bring new log books. Also note that there is no sign for Gore Road. Instead watch out for post “Groton State Forest – Butterfield Mountain Block”.
Gore: Left off at 17h46. Signed log book in old cabin at 19h20 & was back to car at 20h25, barely 10 min. before total darkness. I thus covered 7.6 m. with 1970’ of ascension in 2h39. Now that’s fast, even for me. But I really pushed it. Forced marching all the way up with full pack equipped to spend night out if necessary. Slow jogging all the way down except for the last 10 min. when it became too dark to jog safely. No way was I going to let darkness catch up to me on this trail, which is not the easiest to moonshine (numerous high grassy stretches not well travelled, many open forest sections, trail not well blazed, all making for very slow pace by headlamp, definitely not a beginners trail & I didn’t want to come out at midnight). Lost a few lbs on this one. Met no one all day.
Pierre
Friday 11th Aug.
Equinox: Left off via Burr & Burton Tr. around 16h00. Took me 3½ hrs to get back to my car, which is slow for me. My legs felt heavier than usual. Was it the long car drive from Montréal, the extra hrs at work covering for colleagues on vacation, the farewell party the night before with a bit too much wine, the lack of sleep or most likely a combination of all the above. Then drove off to car camp on dirt rd for Dorset, next morning’s objective.
Sat. 12th Aug.
Dorset: Off at 04h45 by headlamp. Tired…not enough salutary sleep. Don’t take left branch of loop as suggested by Bob & Geri (½ m. of tr. now blowdown infested) despite much steeper grade up for right branch; but after all you just can’t have it all easy.
Mendon/Killington/Pico: Long 16 m. 9 hrs loop. Bushwhack up Mendon easy, thank God. Passed by right turn-off after cottage, such that I ended up following left bank of Eddy Brook instead of right one. This proved to be a good choice since I was 50-60’ higher up on ridge, thus having intermittent views of Mendon through the trees (but the real reason is that I didn’t want to turn back). At approx. 2500’ there is a right turn-off on ATV trail downhill 60’ joining parallel tr. along right bank of brook shortly before the 3rd brook crossing. Just before going downhill you have a very nice unobstructed view of Mendon due south. Superb clear views on summits though somewhat cool temps for mid-Aug. with 20-25 mph winds on top of Killington. NEHH #97 now reached. Pico summit is horrible. Had it not been for 2 workers repainting buildings, I would have cursed out loudly “Tha-bar-nack”. Indecent French swearing.
Sun. 13th Aug.
Ascutney: Again off by headlamp at 05h10 via Weathersfield tr. Felt somewhat better this morning, though still not my 100% usual self. Chilly, but again nice views on summit. Totally solitary 3 hrs hike.
Signal/Butterfield: 2 straight forward bwks as per Papa Bear’s suggested approaches. No bugs. Register log books on both pks now all filled up. Next hikers going up these 3K pks, please bring new log books. Also note that there is no sign for Gore Road. Instead watch out for post “Groton State Forest – Butterfield Mountain Block”.
Gore: Left off at 17h46. Signed log book in old cabin at 19h20 & was back to car at 20h25, barely 10 min. before total darkness. I thus covered 7.6 m. with 1970’ of ascension in 2h39. Now that’s fast, even for me. But I really pushed it. Forced marching all the way up with full pack equipped to spend night out if necessary. Slow jogging all the way down except for the last 10 min. when it became too dark to jog safely. No way was I going to let darkness catch up to me on this trail, which is not the easiest to moonshine (numerous high grassy stretches not well travelled, many open forest sections, trail not well blazed, all making for very slow pace by headlamp, definitely not a beginners trail & I didn’t want to come out at midnight). Lost a few lbs on this one. Met no one all day.
Pierre
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