Mount Adams 10/22/16 – 4.8 RT
Last Saturday Brody and I met up with our friends Baxter and Carrie for another hiking session, despite poor weather forecasts. Sometimes you just have to get out there anyway, because there is so much to see and do and not enough time to do it all….
Belfry 9/17/16 – .8mi RT
This past weekend Chuck and I took a romantic weekend getaway to our family camp up in the Adirondacks. It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend that was just what we needed. While we were in the area we decided to hike Belfry Fire Tower since its part of the Fire Tower Challenge and close by. The short hike had a lovely reward with beautiful views of Lake Champlain Valley, and the High Peaks.
…
Killington 9/4/16 – 7.4 mi RT
This Sunday Brody and I woke up early and made our way up to Mendon, VT to hike Mount Killington. This mountain is one of Vermont’s 5 peaks that are over 4,000 ft. It is a popular ski resort in the winter and tends to maintain it’s popularity through summer as a site seeing destination, considering this and the fact that it was a holiday weekend and early start was a definite necessity.
We began the journey from the Brewers Corners parking lot on the Bucklin Trail. The first mile and a half or so was pretty easy, but after which it got steep quickly and stayed that way for the rest of the hike. At 3.3 miles the Bucklin Trail meets up with the Long Trail. Here Coopers Lodge is located as an overnight for the Long Trail hikers with access to water, the lodge itself and tent pads. After the lodge, .2 miles are spent on the log trail before turning off to head to the summit for the final .2 miles. This last portion of the trail to the top was a scramble with amazing views all the way up.
From the top the views were excellent. We were lucky enough to have a gorgeous and clear day which meant we could see the majority of the green mountains, as well as the Adirondacks in the distance. We didn’t stay at the top too long, however, there was plenty to explore if you are interested.
On the way down we ran into a lot of people and even some large groups, making the choice to head out early a good one. I think this is a great hike that a lot of people would enjoy, though it’s a little more strenuous for small children or older adults. If you are interested in the views, but not the hike the resort offers a gondola ride to the top also.
Black Mountain 8/20/16– 6.1 mi. RT
Brody and I set out for our second solo hike ever last Saturday. It was supposed to be gorgeous weather, so in order to avoid the crowds on this fairly popular hike we left the house early, arriving to the trail head by 8:00 am.
We hiked this mountain as part of the Fire Tower Challenge, making it mountain No. 5 out of 30. I realize we have a quite a way to go, but so much of my hiking time this year was thwarted by my busted shoulder. It feels really good to get out to the woods again and I can’t wait to get a few more under my belt in the coming weeks.
This hike was fairly easy and provided some great views. While the actual top of the mountain has limited views and an inaccessible fire tower there were plenty of stops on the way up and down to check out the gorgeous Adirondack Mountains and Lake George Below.
We chose to do the whole loop making the hike a little longer but allowing us to walk down by a small lake so Brody could cool off in the water. He seriously loves swimming, and was in the water before I was even able to get to the shoreline. While he was happy just swimming around on his own we took a short break from the hike to toss him some sticks in the water.
We made it back down to the car just before noon, making the whole hike, stops included a little under four hours.
I’m happy to say that even with months of being fairly inactive I wasn’t incredibly sore afterwards. I think this was a good trail to start back on and am looking forward to the next peak.
Owlshead Fire Tower 3/20/16 – 5.8 mi. RT
Last weekend Brody and I joined our friends Carrie & Baxter to hike Owlshead Mountain in Long lake. We did this as part of the Fire Tower Challenge. This is the 4th mountain that Brody and I have completed in this challenge.
With winter conditions we expected the trip to take longer than it did. It was so quick we considered doing Wakely Mountain nearby but with Brody’s foot still healing from a toe nail injury (he had to have most of the nail removed last Monday) we decided not to push it.
The trail itself was pretty easy. The first mile or so is a wide trail with little elevation gain. About half way the trail got steeper and a bit icy. This was my first hike using microspikes, and I’m pretty sure they are the greatest. The top was sunny, warm and clear with great views. The weather had predicted cold and rain so this was a pleasant surprise.
We did not go up the fire tower, because the bottom step was a little rickety and we decided the dogs didn’t need to go up with us. Besides Brody had already given me his standard scare before we even started the hike by getting his leg caught between the rails on the little bridge near the parking lot. I swear there isn’t a single trip where he doesn’t do something like that.
Overall a great little hike for the whole family.
