I managed to get out earlier than the crowds this previous Columbus Day weekend (not that there are crowds within the Inexperienced Mountain Nationwide Forest like those within the White Mountain Nationwide Forest) to backpack a number of the longer trails to Stratton Pond and within the Lye Brook Wilderness Space. This space abuts the Lengthy Path between the Stratton Mountain Ski Resort and Manchester, Vermont. The realm is peppered with ponds and bogs stuffed with migrating birds, and the mountain climbing is comparatively flat, with few huge hills to climb. Situations have been good for having fun with the autumn splendor in a wilderness space and mountain climbing some quick miles.
Should you’ve been following my adventures this summer time and autumn, my mountain climbing miles have focused on ending the Inexperienced Mountain Membership’s Aspect-to-Aspect path record. This record comprises all the aspect trails, often known as blue blaze trails, resulting in the Lengthy Path, which I hiked manner again in 2008. My buddy Ryan, often known as “Guthook,” hiked the aspect trails when he labored on the GMC path crew way back, and he was my inspiration for this enterprise. It’s been a beautiful undertaking to this point, taking me to many areas of Vermont as I ponder a transfer to the state. If you would like a difficult and rewarding path record in Vermont to sink your tooth into, I’d extremely suggest it.
However the early arrival of colder temperatures, snow at larger elevations (primarily Mt Mansfield), and fewer hours of daylight means the race is on to see whether or not I can end the record this autumn or if I’ll nonetheless be engaged on it within the winter months. If we get important chilly and snowfall, there’s an actual likelihood I could need to postpone the completion till subsequent yr. However till then, I’m making full use of the respectable climate days wanted to shine off the above-treeline and extra distant trails I want to complete.
That entails sequencing my remaining hikes to cut back the variety of days and journeys wanted to finish the required miles. I’m no stranger to this course of, having hiked all the paths within the White Mountains twice, a listing generally known as “Redlining the Whites.” The local weather and entry limitations between these two areas are related, though the Redline is a a lot bigger path record with over 650 trails.
This rationalization justifies the seemingly whacky route I took on this newest backpacking journey, which concerned mountain climbing out-and-backs and partial trails to keep away from subsequent journeys or hikes in darkness with the shorter days of autumn and winter. Whereas following a less-maintained path by way of a wilderness space with minimal blazing is difficult when the tread is obscured by leaves, doing it when it’s coated in snow with fewer hours of daylight is lots sketchier and greatest prevented. Why not simply spend extra days to cowl all of the required trails? I’ve different private and business-related commitments that require my consideration, too. Hopefully, there can be extra information on that entrance quickly.
Day 1
- Stratton Pond Path 3.7 (miles)
- Lye Brook Path West 2.4
- Department Pond North 4.0
- Department Pond South 4.0
- Camp at North Bourn Pond Tenting Space or thereabouts
Day 2
- Lye Brook Tr East 2.8
- Lye Brook Tr West 2.8
- Department Pond South 4.7
- Highway Stroll West to Automobile 1.2
The primary day concerned driving to the Stratton Pond Trailhead, which ate up just a few hours of the morning, limiting the quantity of daylight I needed to 8 hours (sundown is now 6:30 pm). I solely acquired on the path at 9:30 am and knew I’d need to hunker all the way down to get the miles I wished. The plan was to hike up the Stratton Pond Path to its junction with the Lengthy Path, then double again to the Lye Brook Path junction and observe it to the Department Pond Path. From there, I’d hike the higher half of the Department Pond Path to its junction with the Lengthy Path for 4 miles earlier than doubling again and mountain climbing the identical path 4 miles south.
The subsequent day, I’d hike West alongside the Lye Brook Path once more for two.8 miles (about an hour) earlier than doubling again once more. The Lye Brook Path is 9.3 miles in its entirety, and I knew I didn’t have time to complete the complete factor, so my purpose was to hike sufficient of it on this journey that I may come again and end the remaining as a day hike, slightly than requiring an in a single day backpack to shine off the remaining miles. Day hikes are lots simpler to suit into my schedule than overnights.
Stratton Pond Path
The Stratton Pond Path is without doubt one of the hottest trails in Vermont, however my automobile was the one one parked on the trailhead that morning. That all the time offers me pause and I hoped it wouldn’t be vandalized in a single day. Nothing to be accomplished, so I put it out of my thoughts and acquired on the path.
The leaves on the encompassing bushes had principally dropped, which was shocking because the foliage farther north was nonetheless pre-peak. The path was effectively traveled, although, judging by the leaf litter, which was extra pulverized than on the path and alongside the sides. I needn’t have nervous as a result of the path was well-blazed with blue paint on the bushes.
The path follows low rolling hills with little elevation acquire, making for quick mountain climbing. All of the sudden, I heard a commotion and noticed a small gray bobcat racing towards me on the path, solely veering off on the final second into the adjoining woods. 5 seconds later, a a lot bigger and darker bobcat gave chase, racing up a tree when it noticed me earlier than leaping off and heading again the best way it’d come. I can’t clarify it, however the phrases to Jimi Hendrix’s model of All Alongside the Watchtower instantly got here to thoughts, although bastardized, “two bobcats approaching, and the wind started to howl.” Humorous what involves thoughts if you’re strolling and never interested by a lot.
As I approached Stratton Pond, I blew proper by the Lye Brook Path Junction signal, which I’d need to seek for later, and got here to some fairly complicated path signage in regards to the location of the Stratton Pond Shelter and caretaker’s tent. I wanted to refill my water and figured there can be a water supply close to the Shelter, however there wasn’t. The shelter was additionally far smaller than I remembered from my final go to in 2008. So I hiked again the best way I’d come and all the way down to the Pond itself, the place there was speculated to be a spring alongside the shore. It was dry, so I retrieved water from the pond and filtered it.
A chilly wind blew throughout the water, so I placed on my windshirt, cameled up, stuffed my bottle once more, and set off in search of the Lye Brook Path Junction. I used to be on the verge of asking the caretaker for assist, once I noticed an indication for the Stratton Pond Connector, which I’d additionally walked previous. It’s an extension of the Stratton Pond Path I’d hiked in on, connecting it to the Lengthy Path. Chagrinned, I hiked up it to the Lengthy Path junction after which again earlier than retracing my steps down the Stratton Pond Path to the Lye Brook Path Junction, which I subsequently discovered.
None of those trails are clearly marked on the GMC’s digital Avenza Map, both as a result of the map lacks the mandatory decision, it’s outdated, or it emphasizes the Lengthy Path and never the aspect trails. If I turn out to be extra concerned with the GMC, I feel I’ll advocate elevating the profile of the aspect trails within the halls of energy as a result of I’ve gotten a lot satisfaction from mountain climbing them. They represent about 40% of the path miles that the GMC maintains and so they in all probability want an advocate.
Now on the Lye Brook Path, I headed west once more over rolling hills. It follows the shoreline of Stratton Pond, and I loved the beautiful surroundings on the opposite aspect of the pond. I crossed over a boardwalk and handed a spur to a tenting space, which I didn’t examine however hope to sooner or later. That is an space price a repeat go to.
The path continues alongside a brook earlier than weaving by way of a maze of low spruce and dense woods abutting a lavatory. I crossed a stream on the Lye Brook Wilderness boundary and finally got here to a different tenting space on the Department Pond path junction. I hopped onto the Department Pond Path and headed north for 4 miles to its junction with the Lengthy Path, uncertain how straightforward it could be to observe because it travels by way of a wilderness space. Trails in designated Wilderness Areas are often far much less blazed to reinforce the wilderness expertise. I wanted not have nervous because the path follows an outdated logging highway a lot of the best way that’s straightforward to observe.
I flew up up this part of path, admiring the stream alongside it which can be a future fly fishing vacation spot. The streams in Vermont have been fairly low this yr, which is simply as effectively, as I’ve been targeted extra on mountain climbing than fly fishing. However I’ve been cataloging nice Tenkara fishing locations and this can be one in every of them.
I handed by the seldom-used Douglas Shelter. It’s a half mile south of the Lengthy Path, so it’s unsurprising that folks skip previous it. I continued to the Lengthy Path junction, filtered some water, and turned again round heading south alongside the identical path for one more 4 miles. I actually wished to get again to the tenting space close to the Lye Brook junction earlier than darkish to settle in, cook dinner dinner, and loosen up.
The nice campsites have been all gone by the point I arrived again on the tenting space, so I used a pre-existing tent website close to the pond that I’d sped earlier. I arrange my Durston silpoly X-mid (my favourite tent), which I haven’t had an opportunity to make use of all yr, filtered water, and cooked dinner. It was chilly, so I slipped underneath my quilt, warmed up, and shortly fell asleep.
Lye Brook Path
After a scorching breakfast of Cream of Wheat fortified with pecans and cranberries, I headed west once more alongside the Lye Brook Path to additional scale back the mileage I’d need to day hike on a return journey to complete the path. This part of the path will get far much less use than the others within the space, although, and following it was far more troublesome. Along with being coated with leaves, components of the path are fairly overgrown, and it may actually use a superb brushing. Whereas blazed, the blazes have been much more sporadic.
Whereas the path was more difficult to hike, I loved myself and the problem-solving required to observe it. However I acquired to pondering, “why is that this path even on the side-to-side record?” It by no means intersects the Lengthy Path, which is meant to be the standards for inclusion. There are different trails on the record that don’t meet that commonplace as effectively, like:
- Frost Path
- Cantilever Path
- Butler Lodge Path
- CCC Highway
- Wampahoofus Path
- South Hyperlink
- Haselton Path
- Rock Backyard Path
- Bald Mountain Path
- Wanderer Path
- Beaver Meadow Path
- Black Swamp Path
There are additionally trails that ought to clearly be on the record, just like the Outdated Rootville Highway Path however aren’t. Certainly one of nowadays, I plan to get an evidence from the GMC. Within the meantime, I’m completely completely happy to hike the paths on the side-to-side record, if just for custom’s sake.
I continued for about an hour west earlier than turning again round and mountain climbing again to the Department Pond Path Junction, this time turning south to hike one other 4.7 miles again to Kelly Stand Rd. This part of the path is sort of straightforward to observe and will get far more use. I met a number of teams of hikers and backpackers heading up the path, having parked off a aspect path at Department Pond. I continued previous that time, climbing the one important hill of this hike earlier than hitting the highway and following it 1.2 miles to my automobile. The car parking zone was now jammed with automobiles, and my automobile had weathered the evening unmolested.
This was a brief journey however a superb one. I’d met all my objectives with time to spare and stay up for mountain climbing extra trails on the GMC side-to-side record.
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