Zion Major & Minor, Moot Point, Japanese Garden, & Meadow Ramble (Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park)

Zion Major & Minor, Moot Point, Japanese Garden, & Meadow Ramble (Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park)

Hike Type: Spaghetti Loop

Distance: 2.49 miles

Elevation: 554 feet

My Time: 1 hour, 14 minutes (1 hour, 11 minutes moving)

Book Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Parking: Parking for 10-12 cars at Zen Garden Trailhead.
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er

The Hike 

And now for something COMPLETELY different! It had become a beautiful, hot, sunny day with minimal clouds and 75 degrees of warmth. The access road to the park felt a bit like a personal driveway, but signs were clear that I was correct. I was happy to see that even though it was a state park, there was no entry fee. The main parking area was at the end of the narrow access road. There were a couple of other cars and FRESH porta potties! There were lovely views to nearby peaks and down into the valley from the parking area. The required peak, Zion Hill, for the Taconic 12er patch was a super short hike, so I was open to exploring. I got my life together, and I was off!

"Welcome to Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park

This State Park was the generous gift of "Kit" and "Mickie" Davidson in 2016. After purchasing this property in 1966, they created a Japanese garden, hiking trails and other amenities and invited the public to share this Vermont landscape.

The property is comprised of 420 acres of former farmland and woodlands. The northern hardwood forest is a mix of maple, birch, beech, and ash, yielding brilliant fall foliage. The varied terrain includes wildflower meadows, fern groves, stands of white pine, steep cliffs, glaciated boulders and waterfalls. A hike to the top of Mt. Zion is rewarded with a sweeping view of Hubbardton Battlefield, the site of the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Vermont.

Carson "Kit" Davidson was born on June 24, 1924 in Washington, D.C. He served in the Army in World War II as a blood analysis technician. After attending Antioch College, he moved to New York City and found work at Dynamic Films. Using borrowed company equipment, he began a long, awward-winning career as an independent filmmaker, incluidng two Academy Award documentary nominations. 

Kit married Margaret "Mickie" Compere and together they lived in Greenwich Village. Mickie was a celebrated children's book author, with a specialty in biographies of inspirational historical figures, including Martin Luther King, Louis Braille, Jackie Robinson and Frederick Douglass, Annie Sullivan and Hellen Keller.

In the 1960's, the couple began looking for a place in the country to get away from the New York hustle. They purchased this 420-acre property in 1966 from farmer Clayton Calvin for $69 an acre.

Kit was inspired by Japanese gardens that he had visited eleven years earlier while on a film project. He created his own Japanese garden on the property, a preoccupation that lasted for more than forty years. In addition, they build an extensive trail network.

The couple moved to the proeprty full-time in 2002. They continued a tradition of opening the property to hikers and visitors that wanted to come and share the beauty of the place. This was made permanent just before Kit's death in 2016, when the property was transferred to the State of Vermont to become a new state park.

The State of Vermont ackowledges the contributions of Ellen Oppenheimer, a longtime family friend and Trustee of Kit's estate, for her assistance in making this wonderful donation possible."

[1:44pm - Start of Hike]

I walked past the trailhead kiosk which detailed the history of this park and turned right to backtrack on the access road. There was a lovely view across a meadow on the right, and I soon turned left to enter the woods on Alyssa Trail.

[1:45pm - Alyssa Trail]

Alyssa Trail followed light blue balzes that appeared to have been red in the past. This was by far the narrowest trail of the day, which rose gently and crossed a few wet spots on stepping stones, passing pretty pink flowers. Further into the woods, I began to pass beautiful mosses and ferns surrounding impressive boulders. I was especially enjoying this lesser-used trail because of how soft the footbed was on my tired feet!

My inner thighs were starting to chafe - I always forget how unnecessarily painful chafing is! The trail scrambled through a cool rockfall area and then turned under a cool rock overhang before crossing an Acadia-Beehive-like bridge with some short, steep scrambles up to the top of Zion Hill, listed on trail markings as Zion Major!

[1:57pm - Zion Major & Jan Trail]

I noticed some discrepencies between the PDF trail map I had and the actual trail layout, and then realized they must have done some reblazing and closing of redundant trails recently. The view from Zion Major was beautiful! Basically the parking lot view, but higher up, and with hazy views on the left to the Adirondacks! There were two friendly woman up there that were absolutely blown away by the view.

The Jan Trail led from Zion Major to the Top of the Ridge viewpoint, which was more of the same just a bit smaller. PeakFinder said I was basically looking at nothing of significance - pretty though!

[1:59pm - Springs Trail]

The Springs Trail led from the Top of the Ridge back into the woods. I passed a closed trail junction that seems to have gone over, around, or through the cliffs. I descended via short, easy switchbacks and crossed a few boards to get back down to the forest floor. 

[2:08pm - Kits Trail]

[2:10pm - Moot Point Trail]

[2:12pm - Zion Minor Loop]

I turned right onto Kits Trail to check out Zion Minor, which was accessed via a short uphill on the Moot Point Trail. The Zion Minor Loop was a little tricky to follow, but again had a nice, limited view to the meadows and the Japanese Garden down below. I passed some painted trillium near the end of the loop, and then decided to continue on the Moot Point Trail to Moot Point, which might have another view?

[2:17pm - Moot Point Trail]

[2:22pm - Moot Point]

The Moot Point Trail was pretty flat with a few gentle ups and downs, crossing a woods road in the middle. To my delight, there WAS a view from Moot Point! It looked down into the valley, which was really pretty. According to PeakFinder, they were still mountains that had no significance to me (yet!). There was a single red columbine flower, too. This hike was so different than the last two, I was really enjoying it (and little did I know, the best was yet to come!).

[2:28pm - Moot Point Trail/Zion Minor Loop]

[2:32pm - Kits Trail]

My return on the Moot Point Trail was nice and easy, passing the Zion Minor Loop soon. I continued onto the rest of Kits Trail, which descended along and through the rocks walls of Zion Minor, which was really cool! They were MASSIVE boulders. I wonder if they're erratics or if they've been eroded off the hill? Kits Trail terminated at the Japaneses Garden, which was...

[2:33pm - Japanese Garden]

Absolute insane?? There were Adirondack Chairs on dirt mounds with a few ponds that were fed by cascading water features off of tall boulders. I may or may not have held my head underneath one to cool off... (it felt so good). There was a series of sketchy ladders to a giant boulder that led to a hidden Adirondack chair, too?

In the main pond, a turtle was swimming around and when I got closer, I saw a salamander! Wait, no, at least 50 salamanders! This place was actually insane.

[2:41pm - Meadow Path]

After a few minutes I continued onto the Meadow Path, following signs for "to Eastern Trails." My only real goal here was to bring the hike to two miles. This trail went into the woods and then followed a cut path through the meadow, which was recently mowed, which did make following the trail a bit confusing. I could hear a tractor, but never saw it thankfully. It was significantly hotter in the sun, which was amplified by the slight uphill walk I was doing once I turned around. I decided that was enough fun, and I made my way back to the Japanese Garden.

[2:51pm - Japanese Garden]

[2:53pm - Garden Trail]

I gawked at the salamanders again before making the slightly steep climb uphill back to the car along the Garden Trail. This trail passed a private residence and a plaque dedicated to the former owners of the land.

[2:58pm - End of Hike]

Back at the car I changed my clothes and started my journey south to Manchester, where I would be staying the Brittany Motel. I was the ONLY person there when I arrived just after 4:00pm. The whole place was pretty interesting. It was basically an AirBnb/Motel hybrid. There was no front desk, just a LOT of emails detailing check in. One interesting thing was that one of the rooms was like a big living room with a kitchen and free snacks, yay?

I showered, got in a power nap, and then drove to the grocery store to pick up some snacks (and taquitos!) to round out my night. A few more people showed up to the motel, and I had a nice night's sleep before my next batch of adventures! 

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Alyssa trail.

- Summit Zion Major.

- Continue on Jan Trail.

- Summit Top of the Ridge.

- Continue on Spring Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Kits Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Moot Point Trail.

- At jct., hike Zion Minor Loop counter-clockwise.

- After loop, continue on Moot Point Trail.

- At Moot Point, turn around.

- At jct. with Kits Trail, turn right onto Kits Trail.

- Explore the Japanese Garden, then hike toward sign for "Eastern Trails."

- Follow trails around meadow, returning to Japenese Garden.

- At garden, follow Garden Trail back to car.

Map of Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park (outdated)

Photo Album

Ludlow Mountain via Healdville Trail (Okemo State Forest)

Ludlow Mountain via Healdville Trail (Okemo State Forest)

Hike Type: Out-and-Back

Distance: 6.25 miles

Elevation: 1,955 feet

My Time: 2 hours, 34 minutes (2 hours, 27 minutes moving)

Book Time: 4 hours, 6 minutes

Parking: Parking for 5-ish cars at trailhead.
Hiking Challenges: Vermont Fire Towers

The Hike 

The sun was shining and I was excited for my second hike of the day! The drive from Mt. Ascutney to Ludlow Mountain was very pretty. I loved watching all of the people fishing along VT-131. I got gas in Ludlow, which was a super cute mountain/ski town, and I loved driving past the main entrance to Okemo (someday I'm going to have to ski all of these mountains that I've been hiking). The trailhead was at the end of Station Road, just after the railroad tracks, on the left (it was a little unclear). 

There was one other car at the trailhead, and they were packing up to leave. My wrist was hurting from wringing out my shirt, which was a solid bummer. The bugs were out as I was getting ready, so I threw some hairspray on my extremities and in my hair. The sunshine was abundant, and I was soon off!

[10:10am - Healdville Trail]

Temps were in the upper 60s now and I started my hike on the Healdville Trail. The trail entered the woods at the trailhead kiosk and immediately crossed a bridge, following blue balzes. The trail was on a super green old road with a decent amount of grass - not enough to be a problem, but enough to cause some high-stepping on my part. The ferns were growing in strong, too. I could see some logging equipment to the right of the trail just before crossing a well-signed very recently used logging road. A sign detailed the logging:

"Why log along the Healdville Trail?

The forest along the Healdville Trail is comprised of many native tree species, including a large composition of White Ash Trees. White ash trees are the preferred host for the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).

EAB is an introduced, non-native insect which kills up to 99% of ash trees in a stand and has been detected nearby. Once EAB kills ash trees, removing the trees to protect human safety becomes significantly more hazardous and expensive.

To address this risk, white ash trees which will succumb to the EAB in the next few years are being preemptively harvested along the trail corridor to reduce future hazards to hikers and avoid potential trail closures if many dead trees are left standing.

By harvesting these trees before they die, they can be felled much more safely, and utilized for wood products such as flooring, baseball bats, and tool handles.

This action is taken reluctantly. Unfortunately, forest managers don't have many options in the face of the rapidly advancing infestation. There are no other practical options for this stand to reduce the threat to human safety.

Once the harvesting is complete, the trail will be restored and reopened. Expect the forest around the trail to look different after the removals. Over time new native tree saplings will establish and mature into the next generation of this forest.

In the meantime, the young forest habitat created in pockets along the trail through this harvesting will support a diversity of wildlife, from birds using the shrubland habitat to deer and moose browsing on the young sugar maple saplings and bear eating the raspberries."

The Healdville Trail navigated the logged area, crossing over a wide bridge before going back onto the main trail, paralleling a brook in a sea of newly bloomed trout lily. The trail climbed at a reasonable grade before steepening at some cascades. The route was comically well-blazed which did prove helpful in some of the logged areas. 

I hiked past some more cascades and a bunch of past-peak red trillium before a little walking break at the 0.75 mile mark, which also featured a life-altering breeze. The trail climbed a bit more afterwards and began to veer away from the stream on what felt like a newer portion of the trail.

[10:33am - Healdville Trail/Catamount Ski Trail Joins]

The Catamount X-C Ski Trail joined in this area, whic was followed by a series of lovely, easy, realtively flat switchbacks. The sky above was turning bluer and bluer and I worked my way up before the Catamount Trail departed on the left.

[10:38am - Healdville Trail/Catamount Ski Trail Departs]

The trail moderated and steepened after the Catamount Trail departed, but some white flowers were cheering me on as I suffered up the side of this sub-peak. I passed some big older red trillium and eventually began to follow the contour line for a nice, long walking break with just a few muddy and grassy sections. This was basically the halfway point in both mileage and elevation. I kept thinking "this is lovely, what a shame there's still another 1,000 feet to climb!"

The terrifying farts started to arrive as the trail began to gently gain elevation again. Really nothing on this hike was overly challenging so far, but my legs were tired from Ascutney and the first part of this climb.

[11:02am - Healdville Trail/Sign]

There was a seemingly random sign right at the two mile mark (turns out it used to be a junction with an older trail according to the Vermont Fire Towers book, published in 2005) and then the trail descended a little to two rocky stream crossings before ascending again.

[11:13am - Healdville Trail/View]

The trail flattened one more time before starting to climb more intensely - the kind of grade that sneaks up on you. On the plus, there was a surprise little view on the way up! Someone had left non-wild flowers there, maybe as a memorial of sorts? 

The trillium were still alive up here and the trail soon turned to climb right up the contour. I could see the sky! I was worried that I might die before I got there, but I could sure see it! The trail neared a false summit and flattened again before another push that almost took my life from me (in fairness, I was hiking quickly). I caught some tree views on the left and painted trillium on the right as the trail rounded a knob before the final final push.

[11:31am - Healdville Trail/CCC Cabin]

[11:32am - Ludlow Mountain Summit & Tower]

After seeing God, the trail descended slightly to the ruins of an old CCC Cabin, which was cool to see! On the right was the remainder of the trail to the tower, and on the left was a spur to the ski area. There was a baby snake on the final trail to the tower that nearly scared the life out of me, and when I didn't die (again), I was at the tower!

There was no disc at the summit area, but the tower was in wonderful shape and looked recently repainted with a reflective silver. There was a great view to the backside of Killington. I loved seeing Ascutney, Stratton, and Equinox! I especially loved just getting familiar with this area of mountains - the "video game"-style map in my head is becoming clearer and clearer! I looked down into the town of Ludlow, but didn't stay up there for long as it was SUPER windy, which made me cool down rapidly with my soaking wet shirt. I decided I'd hike the little spur to the ski area for funsies.

[11:39am - Spur to Ski Area]

The spur was... lackluster. Wet, muddy, buggy, and short. It ended at a ski trail and I simply did not feel inspired enough to wander to the end terminals. I'm sure I could have gotten a nice view if I had, but oh well! I turned around and got back onto the Headldville Trail at the CCC Cabin to start my trip down.

[11:41am - Return to Healdville Trail]

I started my blast-off on the Healdville Trail feeling good! I zoned out in the upper portion and passed my first person of the hike near the viewpoint, and we both spooked each other! I descended to cross those two rocky streams and then rose up to the sign.

[12:04pm - Healdville Trail/Sign]

A child later came barreling down the trail, which in turn also scared the life out of me. His father was a minute after him and asked me how far the top was, the conversation went like this:

Me: "Hey how's it going."

Dad: "How far to the top [in a British accent]?"

Me: "Just about over a mile?"

Dad: "But how far?"

Me: "Yeah there's a sign a little that way and it's a mile from there."

Dad: "So like 20, 30 minutes?"

Me: "That depends on your pace, it's flat for a bit but then gets steep."

Dad: "So 30 minutes?"

Me: "Again I don't know it depends on your pace, could be 30-45 or even an hour."

Dad: "Hmm."

...and then I walked away. They were in soccer jersey t-shirts and the dad was wearing his phone on a lanyard. Hope they had fun! I also realized later that he probably had no idea how far a mile was based on his accent and tourist-like appearance.

A few minutes later I passed a woman and her wonderful dog as I followed the contour on the wonderfully flat trail. Slowly, I began to descend again, eventually landing where the Catamount Ski Trail joined at the delightful switchbacks.

[12:23pm - Healdville Trail/Catamount Ski Trail Joins]

I saw the littlest toad that ever lived and then managed to step on a stick with one foot, kick it with the side of my other foot, which twisted my knee in a truly heinous-feeling way. Thankfully, no injuries, but it sure felt horrible!

[12:28pm - Healdville Trail/Catamount Ski Trail Departs]

The Catamount Trail left the Healdville Trail at the last switchback and then descended a little more moderately to the land of logging, which was sunny and warm! I was back to dripping sweat. I made my way across the logging roads, through the grassy bit, and then I was back at the car!

[12:44pm - End of Hike]

I did a quick change into dry clothes at the car and then started a bit of a longer drive to the amazingly-named Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park for my final hike of the day! I almost forgot that the main purpose of this mini hiking trip was to finish my Taconic list!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Healdville Trail.

- At jct. near top, turn right to summit Ludlow Mountain.

- At summit, turn around and follow path to ski area.

- At ski slope, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Healdville Trail.

- Return to car.

Map of Okemo State Forest

Photo Album

Mt. Ascutney via Weathersfield Trail & Summit Loop (Mt. Ascutney State Park)

Mt. Ascutney via Weathersfield Trail & Summit Loop (Mt. Ascutney State Park)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 7.15 miles

Elevation: 2,385 feet

My Time: 3 hours, 32 minutes (3 hours, 23 minutes moving)

Book Time: 4 hours, 46 minutes

Parking: Large parking lot at Weathersfield Trailhead.
Hiking Challenges: Vermont Fire Towers, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, Mt. Ascutney State Park Redline

The Hike 

Oh no! I'm sick! I simply had to take a sick day after working for one day yesterday. I talked to my doctor and she said the only way to cure myself is to go back to Southern Vermont. I had to listen! I had a super sleepy drive, but I had the distinct pleasure of passing the Chicken Farmer Rock in New Hampshire! The sunrise was full of beautiful cotton-candy colors and in my last 15 minutes of driving, I had a wonderful changing view of Mt. Ascutney. 

I made it to the large trailhead at 5:36am with an aching lower back (which has been happening more and more with these longer drives) and an upset tummy (the morning ritual had not yet been performed). It was a little cloudy with temperatures around 53 degrees. There was one other car in the parking lot and while getting ready I nearly crushed a poor red eft! I got myself put together, craving a nap, but pushed onward and got to my hike!

[5:47am - Weathersfield Trail]

The Weathersfield, the most popular trail to climb the mountain according to the trailhead kiosk, climbed a stairs bridge and entered the woods, following white blazes. The trail was nice and relatively gentle with good footing in it's beginning, and just wide enough where I was not swimming through a sea of spider webs. I crossed over a cute mossy stream, passed the tiniest eft, and enjoyed a well-constructed switchback before coming to Little Cascade Falls.

[5:57am - Weathersfield Trail/Little Cascade Falls]

Little Cascade Falls were an absolute delight. On the left, the water from the stream was cascading down a chopped up slab. The water then ran over the trail and went over a steep dropoff on the left, maybe 20-30 feet down? The water wasn't trickling nor running heavily, but just enough for a beautiful, peaceful sight.

The trail climbed a bit more moderately before zigging and zagging at an impressive rock wall. It almost reminded me of the walls that make the Flume Gorge. I climbed more switchbacks, nearing the impressive wall again, then climbed more switchbacks and got a great view into the upper reaches of this wall, which formed a little canyon with a waterfall further back.

The Weathersfield Trail crossed the little canyon area and climbed up rock steps followed by wooden stairs. At the top of this mini climb was a grown-in view, but there was a slightly better view just a bit further down. 

The woods smelled like summer as I hopped across another small stream. The trail descended easily for a minute past a few efts and then after a short uphill moment came to the junction with the Falls Bypass Trail.

[6:15am - Weathersfield Trail/Falls Bypass]

I was excited to see these falls, so I did not take the bypass. The trail began to descend again as it approached the water, then following the contour before making a steeper descent.

[6:18am - Cascade Falls]

The trail comes right up to the edge of the stream that makes up Cascade Falls. Looking upstream on the right, the water was cascading down over rocks and slabs. Straight ahead the water was rushing over the slabs, and on the left the water basically ran over the edge into oblivion. Apparently the falls are 84 feet in height (compared to Little Cascade at 60 feet, which I just learned from https://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/vt-cascadefalls.html), and I couldn't help myself to not follow herd paths around to the base of the falls.

I saw the herd paths on the left side of the falls, so I figured I'd follow them for as long as I safely could. I had to go slow and watch my footing on mossy boulders, but the trip down was more than worth it! The water created a fine mist as it hit broken slabs on it's descent, making for a really beautiful view. The forest was pretty grown-in down there, so I had to explore a bit to get a good vantage point. 

The climb up was much easier, as I simply blasted off and upward. I took one last view of the falls and then continued my climb up on the Weathersfield Trail.

[6:32am - Weathersfield Trail]

[6:36am - Weathersfield Trail/Falls Bypass]

The Weathersfield Trail climbed along the brook and had another lovely zig zag to turn away into a lovely forest full of soft pine needles. I hiked back into the hardwoods, joining and crossing a stream, and then started a longer moderate push with the stream on the right - my heart rate was up and I was sweaty! 

[6:51am - Weathersfield Trail/Halfway Brooks]

I climbed up to the sign for the Halfway Brooks (more than halfway up, mind you!), which looked like a series of slabby streams that I was simply not feeling adventerous enough to investigate. After a switchback, I could see the communications tower on the south peak through the trees, and my legs were really starting to feel the climb! I think I might have still been a little sore from Saturday's big day of Stratton and Equinox - I hadn't been that sore after a hike in a while.

More switchbacks led me back into a coniferous forest, where I'd stay for a while now. I saw my first person in this area, which was wildly eroded down to roots and bedrock. There were posts to hold rope to keep people on-trail, but they must have taken it down for winter. 

[7:05am - Weathersfield Trail/Harry's Lookout]

I hiked past Harry's Lookout, which was basically a fully grown-in viewpoint with a sign: "Dedicated to Harry Edward Temple of Perkinsville, VT. January 9, 1941 - March 8, 2020. Longtime hiker, trail maintainer, and active ATA member." The trail rounded a corner, revealing a wonderful breeze. I took this moment to wring out my shirt, which was apparently a huge mistake? I hurt my wrist weeks ago either skiing or doing strength training, took like six weeks off, got back into it for a week, and then it started hurting again this week. Wringing out my shirt would be the straw that broke the camel's back, apparently, because that HURT. Writing this a little over a week later and my wrist is still upset. Something around the ulnar nerve or tendonitis on the outside of my left hand? I'm going to lay off strength probably through the summer and see if that helps (aka, avoid doctors at all costs).

On the plus, my shirt felt much better! I conitnued hiking up to the signed turn to Gus's Lookout.

[7:11am - Weathersfield Trail/Gus's Lookout]

Gus's Lookout was much nicer with a great view to the lowlands and a unique perspective looking down to Monadnock. It was still pretty cloudy out, so views weren't distant or clear, but still nice! Old blazes made a mini-loop of Gus's Lookout, rejoining the Weathersfield Trail a few dozen feet past where I entered.

I hiked over a few boards and made friends with a photogenic squirrel before climbing again over short, steep switchbacks to the West Peak.

[7:18am - West Peak Lookout]

West Peak was basically divided into two spurs: the summit/lookout and the vista. First, I turned left to hike to the summit/lookout. Naturally, I slipped on a wet rock and landed on my hip and bad wrist... nice! This view was the best yet - I loved getting to see what I thought was Stratton (I will soon learn that it was Okemo) and Killington off to the far right. 

[7:22am - West Peak Vista]

The trail to the vista was just a bit further down the trail and shared a junction with the Hang Glider Trail. The muddy spur trail led to a wonderful view of the nearby mountains with Killington as it's centerpiece. There was a wooden ramp and wooden deck at the main view, which I'd later learn/realize is for hang gliding! This mountain is really winning me over!

[7:26am - Weathersfield Trail]

I made my way back to the Weathersfield Trail and was ready to climb the final 0.4 miles (according to the sign) to the summit. There were plenty of pre-flowering trout lilies and eventually just a few painted trillium. There was what appeared to be an abandoned yellow-blazed trail leading left out of a flatter area, and then some rock stairs led to the top! The observation tower was over on the left and the summit was on the right - I followed the trail to the summiti first.

[7:34am - Summit Spur]

[7:35am - Mt. Ascutney Summit]

There were two communication towers that were absolutely howling in the wind at the true summit area! There wasn't much for a view, but there were what seemed to be multiple footings for old fire towers. There was also a summit disc - yay! I found another one at the base of the higher communication tower. I poked around this clearing for a little bit and then worked my way over to the observation tower, nearly dying (read as: slipping on a wet rock) in the process.

"The Fire Tower is part of our history. 

The first fire lookout tower on Mt. Ascutney was built from wood in the early 1920s. The Civilian Conservation Corps later replaced the wooden tower with a steel structure from 1938-1940. They also brought 3.5 miles of phone line up the mountain to the tower. The fire lookout climbed 72 stairs to reach the small cabin at the top of the tower. (By the 1950s, this job was performed instead by airplane pilots on weather patrols.) At 56 feet high, the steel fire tower was more than twice as tall as the current observation tower, but that did not deter visitors from climbing up to take in the view, and parts of the 1940 tower have been recycled to build the 24 foot tower that stands here today." from Parking Lot Kiosk.

[7:41am - Mt. Ascutney Observation Tower]

The tower was delightful! Not too tall, which was nice, and plenty windy up top. Each side of the railing had a view guide, which I loved. The mountain I thought was Stratton was actually Okemo - my next stop! Killington was standing proudly above everything else, plus plenty of other mountains in all directions. The signs said the whites would be visible on a clear day, which would be really fun to see. The clouds were starting to clear up, but they were going nowhere fast!

[7:45am - Brownsville Trail]

Time to start the lollipop portion of my lollipop loop! I continued onto the Brownsville Trail, which first followed yellow blazes and soon white blazes as the Slot/Slab Trails left on the right. The trail was a little wet, but overall wonderful - somewhat reminiscent of the upper wooded sections on Monadnock.

[7:50am - Brownsville Rock]

The spur for Brownsville Rock was just after a gentle rise in the trail, which provided yet another wonderful view of Killington. The trail and viewpoint had some old graffiti, which as long as it's old, I enjoy seeing!

[7:54am - Brownsville Trail]

Back on the Brownsville Trail, I passed the foundations of the "Stone Hut Site." Not much more info, but I did find a disc! I gasped! Then another disc! I gasped again! Then ANOTHER disc! I gasped again! Two arrows and a summit disc - I was absolutely shocked and delighted - what a fun surprise! It was at this point that I decided I'd have to come back four more times to make the discs "count" and at that point I might as well make it a goal to hike all of the trails on the mountain.

[7:58am - Windsor Trail]

[7:58am - Castle Rock Trail]

[7:59am - Castle Rock]

The Brownsville Trail descended for just a minute afterwards to the junction with the Windsor Trail, which was also blazed in white. Just after that was the Castle Rock Trail, and just after that was Castle Rock proper! There was a partially grown-in view from the rock, but nice nonetheless. I could see Monadnock! The forest around Castle Rock felt prehistoric, which I just loved. 

After the viewpoint, the trail began to descent on a very narrow footbed, soon joining the Summit Trail at the junction with the Slab/Slot Trail (it's confusing on the map and signs what is specifically what around the summit, but the collection of trails that are blazed with yellow diamonds make up the "Summit Trail" in addition to whatever their official names may or may not be).

[8:01am - Summit Trail]

I descended on narrow rock stairs and had an annoying crawl-under blowdown to navigate. I reentered a deciduous forest and saw some leaf views towards the South Peak and New Hampshire. The Futures Link and Slab Trails eventually joined before the trail crossed some power lines and came to a junction with the Hang Glider Trail on the left. I stayed right, making a little side-visit to the parking lot, which was signed as 0.1 miles away.

[8:12am - Parking Lot]

The parking lot had plenty of room and a nice view of the South Peak. There was the world's cutest porta potty and a kiosk with a little bit of information on the mountain:

"Is Mount Ascutney a volcano? Not quite! There was a volcano here (possibly 5,000 feet above the current summit!) but it has since eroded away. Mount Ascutney was formed underneath the volcano, and has stood up to the water, wind, and ice that weathered away the surrounding volcanic rock and schist bedrock" from Parking Lot Kiosk.

[8:14am - Summit Trail]

[8:17am - Hang Glider Trail]

I didn't stay for long and got right back on the trail, soon continuing onto the blue-blazed Hang Glider Trail. I hiked back into the conifers and past some flowering hobblebush, gently descending with rugged, piney footing. It was a really beautiful area, like the Halfway House area of Monadnock. The Hang Glider Trail passed a grassy meadow (that was not yet overgrown) and then rose gently to the Weathersfield Trail, concluding my lollipop!

[8:24am - Weathersfield Trail]

[8:29am - Weathersfield Trail/Gus's Lookout]

I got greeted by the first screaming squirrel of the day once back on the Weathersfield Trail. My tummy was feeling WERID. I hiked down past an enormous boulder that I somehow missed on the way up, waved to Gus, nodded to Harry, and had to take my boots off to remove that simply had to have been the world's sharpest pine needle. I enjoyed the abundance of switchbacks as I made my way down, soon passing the Halfway Brooks.

[8:43am - Weathersfield Trail/Halfway Brooks]

I made my way back in to the world of Efts as I paralleled the brooks. The air was warmer and more humid down here.

[8:54am - Falls Bypass]

After a bit of mindless hiking, I turned left ont othe comically short Falls Bypass, which was delightfully flat with faded blue blazes. 

[8:56am - Weathersfield Trail]

The Falls Bypass brought me back to the Weathersfield Trail in a bright deciduous forest. This stretch of trail was truly a lovely, flat ramble with just a touch of uphill. I descended the wooden stairs into the canyon area, catching some rays of sun around 9am! The canyon area was cooler than the surrounding forest, which was nice. 

[9:11am - Weathersfield Trail/Little Cascade Falls]

I made my way across Little Cascade Falls, reluctantly going off-trail and downhill to get another view (medium worth it) and then wandered along the rest of the trail, passing a few older logging roads in a lush, green forest back to the parking area!

[9:19am - End of Hike]

There was a new car at the trailhead, but I did not see any new people. I was running 35 minutes ahead of schedule - yay! I got a map for Mt. Ascutney at the trailhead kiosk for a suggested donation of $1 with full intentions of starting a redline on this mountain - it was a fantastic hike!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Weathersfield Trail.

- At jct., stay left on Weathersfield Trail to falls.

- At jct., continue left on Weathersfield Trail.

- Hike spurs to Harry's Lookout, Gus's Lookout, West Summit, and West Vista, then continue on Weathersfield Trail.

- At terminus, turn left to summit Mt. Ascutney.

- At summit, turn around and hike to tower.

- From tower, turn left onto Slab Trail.

- Soon, continue left onto Brownsville Trail.

- At jct, turn left onto Brownsville Rock spur.

- At Brownsville Rock, turn around.

- At jct., turn left onto Brownsville Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Windsor Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Castle Rock Trail.

- At terminus, continue straight on Summit Trail.

- Follow Summit Trail to parking lot.

- At parking lot, turn around.

- At jct., continue straight onto Hang Glider Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Weathersfield Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Falls Bypass.

- At jct., turn left onto Weathersfield Trail.

- Follow Weathersfield Trail to car.

Map of Mt. Ascutney State Park

Photo Album

Braintree Triangle (Blue Hills Reservation)

Braintree Triangle (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop w/ Loop

Distance: 1.62  miles

Elevation: 46 feet

My Time: 29 minutes

Book Time: 49 minutes

Parking: Room for 4-5 cars at trailhead.
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

Now it's 5:40pm the day after Memorial Day. I just had a very successful hike of the quarries, and I'm officially on my final hike of my Trail Trace the Blue Hills Patch! I hiked the bit of Old 128 to the right of the parking area, and then worked my way onto the Hemlock Path, where the robins were cheering me on. I was feeling slightly miserable from the wet cotton as I collected more and more spiderwebs, but there was a nice breeze keeping an ounce of life in me. 

On the return from Hemlock, I noticed that my watch was frozen? I had to do a soft reset (for the first time) to get it to unfreeze. When it was back on, I restarted my activity, but it wasn't tracking distnace or elevation... Naturally the final hike of my map wouldn't have a Garmin map... Literally fine, just annoying!

I made my way onto the Braintree Pass Path and enjoyed seeing across the highway to the other side - I always love imaginging what it was like pre-93. I finished the little loop and had a nice walk back along Old Route 128. I noticed 5614 was still marked in-person for the Laurel Path, but it is not on the most recent DCR map. Just when I was getting mopey about still walking, I remembered that I officially completed my map! This marks the fourth time I've hiked all the trails (twice for the Friends of Blue Hills patches and once for a Winter Trace). I'll definitely be taking a sick day tomorrow to celebrate...!

Step-by-Step

- Park at 5620.

- Start hike turning right on Old Route 128.

- At West Street, turn around.

- At 5620, turn right onto Hemlock Path.

- At terminus, turn around.

- At 5620, turn right onto Old Route 128.

- At 5611, turn right onto Braintree Pass Path.

- At 5610, turn left onto Winnemoiset Path.

- At 5600, turn left onto Old Route 128.

- Follow Old Route 128 to car: Trail Trace complete!

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Quarries Foot Path & Quincy Quarries (Blue Hills Reservation)

Quarries Foot Path & Quincy Quarries (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Spaghetti Loop

Distance: 4.13 miles

Elevation: 449 feet

My Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Book Time: 2 hours, 17 minutes

Parking: Room for one car at pull-off at 4223.
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

'Twas the Tuesday after Memorial Day and I only had a few trails left of the Blue Hills to hike for my patch, so I took a deep breath and had a dreadfully sleepy drive to the Quarries after school. I was simply not excited about this hike, but this and Braintree Triangle were all I had left! It was a warm day in the low 80s, I forgot to bring a wicking t-shrit so I was stuck in an awful cotton shirt, I applied my bug spray, and got to work!

Things actually got off to a wonderful start when I saw blazes! I remembered reading that the Friends of the Blue Hills got approval to blaze the trail - I was hoping for paint blazes, but instead they blazed the trail with laminated papers with a geometric "Q" stapled to trees.

One minute in and I was already fully covered in spiderwebs. I hiked past some yellow star grass (thank you, Seek!) and made my way into the woods, up and over a longtime annoying blowdown, and soon approached the famous confusing slabby part. There was some nice stone work leading up to the scramble. The blazes had been clear up until this point, but it was again unclear of how to get up. I went up the way that I always have, and it seems that I had been doing it the right way?

There was a lull in the blazing for a minute with only a few traces of flagging tape (which is why I think paint blazes would have been a better move). This whole area is so cool. If they could clean it up, maintain the trail, and somehow change the culture around partying in this area, it would be a really wonderful area.

I learned that the way to stay on-route is to just follow the high ridge until a viewpoint, and then veer left to descend (there was a blaze on a tree here). I successfully got the spur to Adams Path and then the spur that looped back upon the Quarries Foot Path. I was actually feeling good!

I was feeling very good except for the hellscape that was the soaking wet cardboard-esc cotton on my skin. I made my way over to that awfully grown-in meadow, and was rewarded with a deer! There were also a comical amount of orange moths simply... making love. I made my way back to the Quarries Foot Path and then the final loopty loop nearest 4238, which was mostly marked with flagging tape (thankfully). I finished out the Quarries Foot Path, which appeared to now cross Riccuiti Drive, which had a sign! The sign on the opposite side of Riccuiti Drive read: "The Quarry Trail winds through an area previously dotted with granite quarries. Between 1815 and 1956, numerous quarry pits operated in this area. The Quincy granite industry led to innovations in quarrying techniques. Famous for its quality, Quincy granite was shipped throughout the United States and the world. Laborers came to Quincy from northern New England and from Europe to work in the quarries, transforming Quincy from an agricultural community to a major industrial center. From 1997 to 2001, the largest quarries were filled with dirt from the Big Dig project in Boston."

I hit the bits of trail on the western edge of this side and then worked my along toward the spur path that led to the main Quincy Quarries parking area, passing some interesting looking folks on the way. The main quarry area was super cool per usual - the graffiti has transformed from "crime" to real art, and the view from the top is really cool! There was a guy at the tippy top, so I left him alone. I had to be careful, though, because the paint-covered granite was slippery. 

Now I was going to work my way around this area clockwise, starting by following the path around the flooded quarry near the road, which had a spray-painted metal sign with the geometric "Q" on it! There were a few mallards on the algae-filled pool. I worked my way up the trail, passing another metal "Q" and a small green sign high up on a tree - it's clear they've put some work into this area. 

The trails in the northeast corner were almost painfully overgrown, but I got them done! I followed the trail around the flooded tall quarry in the northeast corner of the park, enjoying the views on the way! The trail turned left off of the high wall just before a slight uphill to the highest point.

In the back section, I am always interested in the trails that are not on the map, but I was not ready to be exploring! I made my way down to the Incline Railway and read the following message:

"Quarry Museum Open June

The Quincy Quarry and granite Workers Museum will be open on Saturday, June 6th and Sunday, June 7th from 11 to 4 for a self-guided walking tour at the Lyons Turning Mill and museum located on 20 Quarry Hills Drive, West Quincy. Historic pictures of the granite industry and interpretive information can be viewed at each stop around the mill. The museum will be open to view pictures and artifacts from Quincy's granite industry. Come visit our indoor, outdoor and geology museums. Museum members will be on hand to answer questions and Quarry Museum T-Shirts will be on sale to help support the museum. The quarry museum, Lyons Turning Mill and geology building is open the first full weekend and 3rd Saturday each month through November. Come visit an learn Quincy's granite history Free admission"

I wrapped up this upper portion of the quarries, crossed Riccuiti Drive again, and continued my journey, circling around another quarry and hitting the unfortunately overgrown loop near Douglas Street. For the last couple of minutes in this loop, I also had the distinct pleasure of following a turkey that simply would not get off of the trail. It gobbled at me initially, but wouldn't do it again for the camera. It eventually ducked out right at the close of the loop to join it's turkey friends, and then I made my way onto the Adams Path and then Bunker Hill Lane! This was the most successful trip to the quarries ever! I decided I'd reluctantly drive to the Braintree Triangle to finish out my map. It was a nice day, and I think I'm calling out sick tomorrow...

Step-by-Step

- Park at 4223.

- Start hike on Quarries Foot Path (blazed with Q).

- Round the wide corner by the "t" on the map, and hike the. mini loop.

- After, hike the trail that connects to Adams Path.

- At Adams Path, turn around.

- Continue on Quarries Foot Path, hiking next mini loop and spur to 4236.

- At 4236, turn left.

- At terminus, turn around.

- Return to Quarries Foot Path.

- At second junction (before 4238), turn right.

- Follow flagging and AllTrails to hike path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Quarries Foot Path.

- At 4238, hike triangle and turn right.

- At terminus, turn left.

- At terminus, turn around.

- At Ricciuti Drive, turn around.

- At jct., turn left.

- At 4238, turn left onto Quarries Foot Path.

- At Ricciuti Drive, turn around.

- At 4238, turn left.

- At jct., turn left and cross Riccuiti Drive.

- First, hike to top of Bunker Hill Quarry (easternmost).

- Then, go back to pavement and hike Quarry Trail around pond.

- Hike trails on west side, then hike to 4229.

- At 4229, turn left.

- At terminus at Granite Railway Museum, turn around.

- Return to Riccuiti Drive and cross at same spot.

- At terminus, turn left.

- At jct., turn left onto Adams Path.

- At road, turn around and then turn left.

- Hike mini loop near Douglas St.

- At end of loop, turn left onto Adams Path.

- Follow Adams Path to 4235.

- Continue onto Bunker Hill Lane.

- Turn right onto Furnace Brook Parkway to end hike.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Equinox Mountain, Lookout Rock, Deer Knoll, & Equinox Pond (Equinox Preservation Trust)

Equinox Mountain, Lookout Rock, Deer Knoll, & Equinox Pond (Equinox Preservation Trust)

Hike Type: ----O- Loop

Distance: 9.06 miles

Elevation: 3,278 feet

My Time: 3 hours, 51 minutes (3 hours, 45 minutes moving)

Book Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes

Parking: Parking for <10 cars at red gate. Parking for many many cars at Blue Trailhead (outside of school hours)
Hiking Challenges: Taconic 12er, New England 100 Highest, New England 50 Finest

The Hike 

My drive from Stratton Mountain to Equinox Mountain was nothing short of delightful! I followed Kelly Stream Road through the Green Mountain National Forest (over just a few sketchy bridges), which was a beautiful, winding, gravel road. I continued along, following a brook/river, and eventually landing on VT-7a, passing the Skyline Drive to Equinox Mountain, which was fun to see (and I definitely thought about just driving up, but nooooooo...). 

The parking area at the Red Gate of the Equinox Preservation was full, but there was ample parking down at the student parking area. I was in the parking lot at 11:30am and had to really psych myself up to hike with all the people, since it was noontime on a relatively nice Saturday. I had to artfully apply some chafing/diaper rash ointment on areas where the sun don't shine and slowly got ready. The real driving force to get me going wasn't necessarily the Taconic 12er patch, but just that this had been a bucket list hike for me since college when a friend drove me to her hometown of Manchester, VT after I told her I had not been to Vermont before - it's cool to be finally climbing this mountian!

[11:45am - Start of Hike]

I blasted off from my car toward the Blue Summit Trail right at 11:45am, trying to get past a family that was also getting started. My body was definitely feeling a little mad, but all things considered, I was feeling good!

[11:49am - Blue Summit Trail]

I soon passed a gate and entered the woods at the official trailhead for the Blue Summit Trail. I was continuing to prepare for a very different social experience from my last hike. I caught up to and passed an unfriendly solo hiker ahead of me and heard more kids screaming up ahead. I passed another duo and then the screaming family in an area with many trail junctions.

[11:53am - Blue Summit Trail/Red Gate Trail]

[11:54am - Blue Summit Trail/Flatlanders Trail]

[11:54am - Blue Summit Trail/The Snicket]

[11:57am - Blue Summit Trail/Red Gate Departs]

To my delight, most hikers were taking these trails on the left to the Equinox Pond area - horray! The Blue Summit Trail continued ahead on a very wide old roadbed that reminded me of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. I forced myself to slow down a few times becuase I knew it was going to be a much harder climb than Stratton, but I was still on "get away from these people" mode. I also found myself wondering about a little loop around the pond post-hike... one thing at a time.

The Blue Summit Trail entered an interesting area of private land, marked by a sign that read: "You are now leaving the Mount Equinox Preserve and entering private land. Please respect our neighbors when hiking across their property- Use of these hiking trails is dependent on our neighbor's generosity & willingness to leave their land open. Thank you for your cooperation!" followed by another sign that read "Thompson Acres" - maybe the family that owns the land?

The trail wiggled up and down slightly, passing another sign for "Thomppson Flats" with a driveway/trail. Just after was an old cabin on the left named "Thompson Camp II." I crossed paths with a downhill hiker right at the cabin, so I did not get a photo of it. 

While hiking the Thompson Flats, I heard a loud siren coming from town. I was worried this was a warning of weather, so I momentarily broke my airplane mode rules to check the weather, and it did say chance of rain (which was brand new). It was also noon on the dot, so maybe the sirens were just a time check? Who knows!

[12:04pm - Blue Summit Trail/Maidenhair Trail]

I crossed paths with another solo hiker at the Maidenhair Trail junction (fun name!). Afterwards, the trail narrowed to the width of about one ATV and began to steepen. I couldn't help but admire how seriously the Equinox Preserve takes their waterbars, they were aggressively well-defined and cleared. I was fully dripping in sweat at the one mile mark and slowly caught up to and passed a duo after a particularly steep section.

The trail briefly mellowed but I (correctly) feared that that was only the beginning. I wish I had a lighter shirt on - I was still in a long sleeve since it wasn't overly warm out, but I was COOKING. The first mile of this hike was more difficult than all 13 miles of Stratton!

I climbed up the relentlessly steep trail, daydreaming of what would probably be quite lovely tree views in the winter. There were "significantly fewer flowers on this dreadful climb than Stratton" (as I wrote in my notes). I crossed paths with an unfriendly duo at the 1.5 mile mark, where there was a slight reprieve in grade. The trail contoured along the steep slope with hardwoods on the left and softwoods on the right, which was a fun dichotomy.

[12:34pm - Blue Summit Trail/Upper Spring Trail]

I came to an unmapped but clearly signed junction with the Upper Spring Trail, which looked flat ahead, so I decided to go on a short side quest. The Upper Spring Trail was indeed nice and flat and followed the old road that the Blue Summit Trail had been following until this point. At the terminus, there was a 12" diameter pipe draining a spring into a series of mossy cascades down below - quite lovely! I was tempted to put my head under the torrent, but didn't want to tempt fate. I could also just barely make out the tiniest peekaview to Stratton Ridge and the fire tower!

[12:38pm - Blue Summit Trail]

Back at the junction, the Blue Summit Trail veered off and up onto a footpath that was much narrower and more characteristic of a hiking trail. I could hear the hum of VT-7a down below as I crossed paths with another duo and I got the ping for hitting two miles - almost there (kind of)! I will say, this hike was not as awfully social as I was emotionally prepared for. I crossed paths with a solo hiker who said "good morning" at 12:50pm, which gave me a good giggle (usually I'm the one to make that mistake!).

While flirting with a heart attack, my lower GI tract was also flirting with a different kind of attack... 

I could start to see Manchester through the trees down below as I crossed paths with a tourist couple hiking with just one water bottle just before I turned a corner to start the final segement of this climb. There was a duo weirdly off-trail on the right, but they clearly saw me, so maybe there were on a side quest of sorts? The woods here was of a different character, and more importantly, featured painted trillium and a sea of pre-flowering trout lilies!

The grade was also easier up here, but still not easy. I was fighting the urge to check the map - I didn't want to hurt my own feelings. The temperature started to cool down and I could start to see the sky through the trees, so I knew I was making positive progress. The forest slowly densified (is that a word?) and there were a few red squirrels running around like menaces - a good sign. I passed an abandoned-looking trail/path and began to hear a hum of a communication tower and voila! I made it to the ridge! (EDIT FROM THE FUTURE: It looks like the abandoned trail I passed used to be a yellow-blazed trail, which was a part of a series of trails in the summit area. Not sure when or why they were abandoned).

[1:16pm - Lookout Rock Trail]

I was greeted by a large man who, respectfully, clearly drove to the top peeing on a fence blocking off the communication tower before turning right onto the Lookout Rock Trail. I opted to go to the Lookout Rock first just so I don't lose steam after hitting the summit. I hiked past a unique area with a memorial bench for a cow(?) and across from it was a tombstone for a dog. The bench for the cow(?) had a poem:

"In Loving Memory of Creamer

1989 - 1997

I come to this sacred place -

Where, 40 years ago, the love of man and beast intersected

Boundless, timeless

Across genetic space

Knowing only one language

But spoken by both

Now I stand here where stood another so long ago

Fresh in grief, inconsolable" - left side of trail.

Here lies Barbo

Loved by master unknown

Whose grief 40 years ago

strikes again

Like a virulent germ, long-dormant

Now infected

Grief-stricken

Benefit of understanding, I ask

Why nature, inconsonant with the sentiment of man

Uncaring, unthinking, 

Turns to love to grief

Milk to sour?

Creamer...

The mystery of life deepened now

I burnish your memory daily

Now; carefully

I reach down - one final time

And scoop you up

Your fire against my face

Your tail held

High

***

In tribute to the love which knows no end no time to space

June 28, 1997"

The headstone for Barbo the dog read:

"Mr. Barbo

Born April 20, 1943

We loved him and he repaid that love with an adoring devotion that only a dog could give."

Interesting! From here, the trail easily descended and I crossed paths with a family of four that also clearly drove up. The trail was actually super pretty and partway down had some rock graffiti from 1883. There were occasional patches of super soft dirt that felt amazing on my tired feet and a few herd paths on the left to grown-in views. 

[1:24pm - Beartown Gap/Lookout Rock Split]

[1:25pm - Lookout Rock]

The trail came to a sign pointing to Beartown Gap on the left and Lookout Rock on the right, and Lookout Rock was just after the split! The views very small but lovely and featured a bench (and MANY people). I could see Manchester and Stratton from the lookout, but I took my photo and got out of there due to the number of people in a small area. 

I chose to follow a little herd path that paralleled the main trail but hugged the ridgeline on the return path, which in hindsight was likely the same abandoned yellow trail from before. Once it got too overgrown for my taste I hopped back on the main trail and cracked another Two Chicks canned cocktail for some civilized hiking to the summit.

[1:36pm - Equinox Mountain Summit]

I crossed paths with at least 20 folks on this trail, which was a bummer, but also totally fine. The trail easily rose to a clearing with another communication tower and soon to the summit area, which was fascinating! Surrounded by grass, the primary summit feature was a building with some biblical-looking stained glass? 

I took a counter-clockwise route around the building first. I enjoyed seeing a cloudy/hazy view up toward the Adirondacks, Killington, and Ellen. Then I walked through the parking lot toward what appeared to be the true summit, which was really just a grassy knob. Below there were two (or three) old towers that were posted as private property, so I turend around.

Next, I checked out the building, the "Saint Bruno Scenic Viewing Center." There are viewing decks around the building and inside the main doors is a history of the mountain and little snack/gift shop on the right, some sort of chapel in the middle, and a history of the Order of Carthusians, who are apparently the monks that make Chartreuse and have their only monestary in the USA on Equinox? It was FASTCINATING. They also had bathrooms, which I made use of nearly immediately.

[1:52pm - Lookout Rock Trail]

I looked around the summit area one last time for and discs, found none, and started my trip back! I grabbed a bag of salted cashews I had for a snack and noshed on them on the short walk back to the Blue Summit Trail.

[1:54pm - Blue Summit Trail]

I darted back into the woods and started my descent. The woods up here were so pretty. I was delighted to see that it was officially after the rain window was supposed to end and I was still dry, even though some fresh water sprinkled on me would have felt nice... I slowly began to catch up to a trio of hikers that all seemed to be hiking at different paces? The first guy I passed had an ADK 46er patch on, the second guy was flying down the trail but stopped when he realized I wasn't his buddy - he was actually super kind. He asked me about my 48 patch and we chatted a bit about the Maine peaks (he has only 8 more to get the 115). The third had headphones in and was surprised to see me behind her. 

My pace picked up after this group and WOOF my quads were FEELING it. This is the first time I hit true wobbly-leg in a WHILE. 

[2:16pm - Blue Summit Trail/Upper Spring Trail]

I scooted past the junction for the Upper Spring Trail and passed two seperate families of four, both unfriendly and didn't seem to be overly enjoying themselves. I crossed paths with a women running UP the mountain, which was CRAZY. It was then that I decided to add in the pond loop. I was hoping to find a herd path that connected the Blue Summit Trail or Maidenhair with the Mt. Bluff Trail to add in one last viewpoint, but I'd also be happy with just a pond loop, too.

I hiked past a young couple passionately making out over a water bar runout (incredible) and I began to near the stream I wanted to cut across, but didn't see a herd path or easy bushwhack... I continued on, accepting defeat.

[2:33pm - Maidenhair Trail]

[2:34pm - Herd Path]

I turned onto the Maidenhair Trail and the second I accepted defeat, I found a well-beaten herd path connecting to the Mt. Bluff Trail! I was so excited to easily walk through maybe 50 feet of woods, easily cross a stream, and then hop onto the Mt. Bluff Trail. So easy!

[2:35pm - Mt. Bluff Trail]

Only bummer was that now I needed to club up, which felt greuling on my exhausted legs. There were also bugs on this side. I followed the cascading stream (maybe the one fed by the spring?) with a slight exhaustion headache until the trail made a left turn at a laminated sign. I crossed paths with a couple that were dressed like they were from NYC visiting Vermont, and then landed in the wonderful land of flat dirt!

The flat dirt really brought me back to life, but then I decided to go up Deer Knoll, which beat it back out of me. There are two herd paths up - I skipped the first one and took the second, which was shared with th ejunction for the Trout Lily Trail.

[2:47pm - Deer Knoll Herd Path]

The herd path was easy to follow and nice and steep - I was going to die. I passed a red eft and some red columbine flowers, which was nice! The two paths joined near the top, and while fighting for my actual life, I made it to the top!

[2:50pm - Deer Knoll]

The top had a nice view of the pond, the valley, and the shoulder of Equinox. There were a few more columbine flowers around, which I enjoyed. I could have/should have taken a break here, but I was so ready to be done, so I drank some water and turned around to return to the Mt. Bluff Trail.

[2:55pm - Mt. Bluff Trail]

I opted to go on the slightly longer Mt. Bluff Trail versus the more direct Trout Lily Trail simply becasue I didn't want to do another steeper descent. I crossed into Nature Conservancy Land and almost cried when I read a sign that said the trail was steep ahead, but thankfully the sign and I had different definitions on what "steep" actually is. There were a couple "sharp left turn ahead" signs which brought me to the spring house, which was pretty cool. A building with caged-in lattice contained the head of the spring. 

[3:05pm - Mt. Bluff Trail/Spring House]

I passed a bushel of yellow flowers that were new-to-me for the day, Golden Ragwort (thanks, Seek!) and then ANOTHER bushel of yellow flowers, Golden Alexanders (thanks again, Seek!). Finidng some new flowers was a wonderful treat. There were also more red columbines on the trail. I continued along, and nearly started running when I saw the pond through the trees! The nearby woodpeckers cheered me on!

[3:12pm - Pond Trail]

I think I audibly said "thank god" when I made it to the pond trail, even though it was FULL of people. The trailbed was wide and soft, which was a delight. It looked like an unofficial trail went more directly around the lake while the Pond Trail proper took a wider path. The trail became a gravel road and continued to a little lunch-looking boat-house-type restaurant? It was cute! I chose to walk along the dike afterwards to enjoy the view to Mt. Equinox, which was the same view I had when I saw this mountian for the first time back in 2015.

I passed some information at the trailhead kiosk before continuing onto the Flatlanders Trail.

"About the Preserve

The Equinox Preserve covers 914 acres of forest lands on the eastern slopes of Mount Equinox in Manchester, Vermont. It is open to the public for year-round, non-motorized recreation. Over 11 miles of marked and maintained trails provide access to these unique mountainous woodlands.

The land's owner, the Equinox Resort & Spa, first donated conservation easements on 850 acres to the Vermont Land Trust & The Nature Conservancy of Vermont in 1993. An additional 64 acres of conservved lands were placed under the protection of the Vermont Land Trust in 2006. The Equinox Preservation Trust was formed in 1996 to oversee the management of these protected lands. Land and trail maintenance and educational programs in the Preserve are managed by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS).

Private land surrounds the Preserve and several trails cross through privately owned areas. Only through individual landowner generosity are the EPT trails allowed to cross their lands. Please respect the rights of these landowners, do not litter, and stay on the marked trails." from Trailhead Kiosk at Black Gate.

"Ecology of Mount Equinox

Naturalists have long held Mt. Equinox in high esteem for its beauty and natural diversity, a valued source of study by botanists and ecologists since the late 1800s.

It is the home to rare plants and varied wildlife, diversisifed woodlands, marble ledges, springs, wetlands and a pond. And from the upper slopes, there are exceptional views.

The Preserve, extending over a large elevation range, encompasses varied forest types:

- Young hardwood and pines at the lowest elevations once cleared for agriculture.

- Spruce and fir, stunted by harsh climate, at the highest points of land.

- Mid-elevation forests of yellow birch and red spruce, with a lush understory of ferns and mosses (between 2600 and 3000 ft. elevation).

- Rich northern harwood forests (below 2600 ft. elevation).

The northern hardwood forests are perhaps the  most significant forest community on Equinox. This rich mix of forest may well be the largest and best example of its type in New England, attributable to both its typography and geology and the large tract undisturbed by roadways or human development.

Ferns and wildflowers also flourish here. There is an abundance of early spring wildflowers known as spring ephemerals, and naturalists have cataloged a number of rare and unusual species throughout the Preserve.

Early settlers cleared much of Equinox Mountain, and grazing extended high up on the mountain. Old stone walls deep within the fofrest are remnants of that agricultural era. The forest is now recovering from that disturbance, and natural processes are again determining the forest's growth.

The dedication of these lands to permanent protection will insure that this very important forest environment will long provide a natural example of a mature northern hardwood forest for many generations to come, mad eaccessible through a maintainted trail network and by careful management of these lands."

[3:23pm - Flatlanders Trail]

This was another wide trail and right away I noticed lots of logging. Turns out it was due to the Emerald Ash Borer. Thankfully they had a sign describing it right away!

"Attention Trail Users:

In early March 2025, the first ash trees showing symptoms of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation were discovered on the Preserve. EAB is a non-native introduced species, the large of which live and grow in the vascular tissues underneath the bark, creating s-shaped tunnels. As an infestation spreads within an ash tree the  tunneling eventually girdles the tree, choking off nutrient  movement and killing the tree.

- As a non-native invasive species, EAB has no local predators that will curtail its infestation and destruction of ash trees.

- Ash trees infested with EAB become brittle and often come apart in large pieces.

- To reduce the threat to visitors of the Preserve, all ash trees showing symptoms of EAB infestation within 50 ft of a trail will be felled over the next few years.

- While we are removing infested ash trees with the safety of trail users in mind, visitors to the Preserve are adviced that some Preserve trails cross lands that are privately owned, not managed by the EPT, and therefore not subject to this work. Ultimately is it the responsibility of all trail users to ensure their own safety anywhere on the Preserve trail system.

- Visitors to the Preserve should learn to recognize ash trees, identify the symptoms of EAB infestation, be aware of trail conditions, and make a wise choice for their personal safety.

For further background on the Emerald Ash Borer, please consult the VT Invasives website here: https://www.vtinvasives.org/."

I passed my final new flower of the day - the fascinatingly named Herb Robert - a beautiful pink flower with 5-6 pedals. I was meandering, nearing the Blue Summit/Red Gate Trails, when a man asked me if the pond was close - it was! Just after, I kept walking past the rest of his group and heard something I never wanted to hear... "Hi Mr. Thomas?" - ONE OF MY KINDERGARTENERS. Oh my goodness. I said "Hi...? What are you doing here?!" They were on vacation for the long weekend in Manchester and were doing a little hike to Equinox Pond. I was on mile 21.5 of the day, covered in dirt, and absolutely disgusting. I was horrified. The parents were like "so you are...?" Awful. I broke my airplane mode rule afterwards to tell every teacher friend.

[3:32pm - Blue Summit/Red Gate Trails]

[3:33pm - Blue Summit Trail]

[3:36pm - End of Trail]

Thankfully my horror got me back to the car in one piece! The Flatlander Trail turned right onto the Blue/Red, and then the Blue Summit Trail turned left to the terminus. The terminus led into the parking lot, and then I was officially done!

[3:39pm - End of Hike]

I de-booted and changed at the car and mentally wasn't feeling as awful as I thought I'd be! My immediate post-hike assessment of my body was that my legs were absolute cooked but I did NOT want to die. My feet were hurting and I was hyper aware that my ankles existed. My larger leg muscles were tingly and I was a bit wobbly untying my shoes. The weakest I felt all day was that faster descent off of Equinox! 

I had a nice, long drive home and more importantly, I got KFC AND Taco Bell. 

Step-by-Step

- Park at Blue Summit Trail trailhead (off-school hours only).

- At jct. higher up, turn right onto Upper Spring trail.

- At Upper Spring, turn around.

- At jct., turn left onto Blue Summit Trail.

- At jct., near summit, turn right onto Lookout Rock spur (unblazed).

- At Lookout Rock, turn around.

- Summit Mt. Equinox

- At summit, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Blue Summit Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Maidenhair Trail (orange).

- When trail turns left to descent, continue straight on herd path and cross stream.

- At terminus of herd path, turn right onto Mt. Bluff Trail (white).

- At Lily Trout jct., turn left onto herd path to Deer Knoll.

- At Deer Knoll, turn around.

- Continue on Mt. Bluff Trail.

- At terminus, turn right onto Pond Trail (teal).

- At terminus, continue onto Flatlander Trail (yellow).

- At terminus, turn right onto Blue Summit Trail.

- Follow back to car.

Map of Equinox Preservation Trust

Photo Album

Stratton Mountain & Stratton Pond Loop (Green Mountain National Forest)

Stratton Mountain & Stratton Pond Loop (Green Mountain National Forest)

Hike Type: Loop

Distance: 13.22 miles

Elevation: 2,379 feet

My Time: 5 hours, 2 minutes (4 hours, 53 minutes moving)

Book Time: 7 hours, 47 minutes

Parking: Parking for 10-15 cars at AT/LT Trailhead on Stratton-Arlington Road.
Hiking Challenges: New England 100 Highest, Vermont Firetowers, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge, New England 50 Finest, Long Trail Side to Side

The Hike 

I had just finished my week from hell and I desperately needed to pack up the car and drive to the mountains and talk to NOBODY for the day. Instead of my usual drive up I-93, though, I wiggled my way over to the Southern Green Mountains - an area that I have barely scratched the surface of. The plan for the day was to do two hikes: Stratton Mountain (for funsies) and Equinox Mountain (for the Taconic 12er patch). Really, I only planned on Equinox, but then I saw how close Stratton was. Stratton was going to be the easier hike, so I planned to hit that first. I my alarm went of at the silly hour of 2:25am, I was out the door at 2:40m, and I was off!

My drive on Route 2 was dark and boring, but once I stopped for breakfast at the Cumberland Farms in Greenfield, the sun began to rise and really put on a show! The colors reached their peak in Wilmington, VT, where the sky simply looked to be on fire. I gasped when I drove past Mt. Snow, which was fully illuminated in the dark morning orange light.

I made my way onto Stratton-Arlington Road, which at some point became Kelly Stream Road (and nothing online tells me where it changes). It started as a paved road and soon became gravel as it entered the Green Mountain National Forest - it was fun to be in a different National Forest! The trailhead had room for I'd say 15-20 cars in the main parking area and roadside parking was allowed for overflow. There were only two other cars in the parking area. It was a chilly 40 degree morning with now-cloudy skies. I put on my long sleeve base layer, fleece, and my Nano Puff, knowing that I'd soon shed the outer two layers likely for the rest of the day. This was also in innaugural hike for my new puff, which is a vibrant blaze orange curtosey of Emma (who lost my black one). I was a little nervous to get going because I hadn't used the bathroom yet, but I had to get going! I found myself flirting with the idea of doing a loop with Stratton Pond, even though that wasn't the plan, but I'd dwell on that more later.

[5:50am - Long Trail]

My hike started at 5:50am with the sounds of rushing water and a distant loon welcoming me into the woods. There was an illegal fire ring and campsite just inside of the woods. I was keeping a quicker pace to warm up. To my absolute joy, it was an EXCELLENT day for wildflowers! I immediately started passing painted trillium, starflowers, and to my ultimate delight, pink lady slippers! It was also a great morning for spider webs...

The hobblebush was growing in... strongly, with a few of the plants flowering, and I also passed these little, white orchid-shaped flowers in a boggy area (northern white violets, thanks, Seek!). Next up were flowers of a similar shape but purple (marsh blue violets!). I passed by some grown-in logging roads and eventually took my puff and fleece off at 0.5 miles/15 minutes. There was a small herd path/spur to a view of a little bog just after crossing the outflow stream on boards and many birds were singing (due to my rule of being on airplane mode all day, I did not utilize Merlin). 

My liner gloves came off at the one mile park. The hike so far had been delightfully mostly flat with occasional easy elevation gains. I passed more painted trillium and pink lady slippers and got cat-called by a distant turkey, or a sasquach. No way of knowing for sure. 

There was a very short uphill push that was on the easy side of moderate, and then the trail flattened out again. I found myself wondering why my hike on Crescent Mountain was all red trillium while this mountain has been painted trillium (no easy answer online, but I'm sure there's a reason, or maybe it's just by chance!). Flowering trout lilies began to appear as the Long Trail crossed a woods road - the junction was well-blazed.

[6:24am - Long Trail/IP Road]

This junction was with the "IP Road," also known as Forest Road 341. The Green Mountain National Forest website describes it as; "This road, also known as the International Paper or I.P. Road, can be accessed from the Stratton-Arlington Road to the south in Stratton or the Kendall Farm Road in Winhall to the north. This road is open to mountain biking and is an 18.6-mile out and back ride on a gravel road surface. There is some elevation gain and loss along this road totaling around 1,200 feet." I guess it was used/owned by International Paper for logging? Unclear if they still own/use it or not. 

The next flower I'd find is the smooth yellow violet - I'm noticing that violets (or at least these violets) all have five petals and are vaugely orchid-shaped. The Long Trail began to actually climb after this junction, but it truly never climbed at anything over a moderate pitch - it was actually pretty delightful. Next, I passed some creeping foamflowers and then some past-peak red trillium. Again, it was a great day for flowers!

The trail got a little wet in spots with a few easy stream crossings. I noticed a sound behind me, and it was another hiker hiking at a similar pace to me. I didn't pick up the pace, but I made my flower photography sessions a little smaller so we didn't end up engaging in a sad game of leap frog. 

There was a nonexitent tree view to Stratton ahead and more painted trillium at my feet. I crossed a few more streams as the trail became rockier and the climb became more steadily moderate. The footing was rockier and rougher, but overall it was not a bad hike in the slighest. I heard the thumping of the ruffted grouse as I ran out of farts (if you know, you know). 

The Long Trail eventually turned a corner and eased for a bit as it rounded a smaller sub-peak. It looked like the trail used to up and over the sub-peak. This stretch was absolutely delightful and there was a cool breeze that worked to dry me off! I stepped over a few blow downs (the second was an over-under-over) and enjoyed an even stronger breeze in the col between the main and sub-peak. 

The climbing resumed in a coniferous forest, eventually passing some flagging in a semi-cleared area. Maybe it was for a backcountry glade? No idea, and the internet is not overly helpful. There was a very partial view to a lake, though!

The trail zigged and zagged while getting rockier, but it really never got steeper. The last push did go on for a minute longer than I wanted, but the second I zoned out I was there! First, I passed an old cabin, and then I saw the tower!

[7:20am - Stratton Mountain Summit]

I spent some time wandering around the small summit area. I found the summit disc, took a few photos, admired the "maximum four people on tower at one time" sign, and then climbed on up!

The tower sounded WINDY, and it sure was! The views started at the second landing, and the wind was simply howling up in the cabin, which had a mixture of broken and in-tact windows. I whipped out PeakFinder to find out what I was looking at (it's fun to me to be in an area where I don't know the surrounding peaks!). I was surprised and excited to see the jagged Adirondack high peaks! Of course, I loved seeing my beloved Mt. Monadnock, too. I was able to identify some nearby ski mountains, and ahead I could see the top of the Stratton Ski Resort, my next stop! To the left I could make out Mt. Equinox and Stratton Pond... maybe I will do the loop?

[7:27am - Stratton Ridge Trail]

The Stratton Ridge Trail continued straight ahead (unsigned but more-traveled than the Long Trail on the left. The flower game was not nearly as strong, with only a few trout lilies and one red trillium. I did pass just a few painted trillium nearer the ski area, though! There was a lovely stretch of boards over a wet/grassy area, which led to a cut ski/access/something path and a slight uphill to a knob. Just before the top of the knob read a sign: "This trail leads to the Stratton Mountain Fire Tower, erected by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. The tower is on the Long Trail, which was built starting in 1920 by the Green Mountain Club. The "LT" is th enation's oldest long-distance hiking trail. Benton McKaye was on Stratton Mountain in 1921 when he envisioned the Appalachian Trail. Completed in 1937, the "AT" now spans 2,175 miles from Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, includin gthe southern 105 miles of the Long Trail."

[7:40am - Stratton Ski Area Summit]

After the knob, the Stratton Ridge Trail opens up to the MASSIVE summit area of Stratton Mountain. I explored a bit, admiring their extensive lift infastructure, and then followed a ski trail on the left to make a mini loop with that cut ski/access/something path. I comically started choking on my water as I high-stepped through wet grass to get back on the trail.

 

My return hike to the summit was quick and easy. I noticed a little survey pipe just off-trail right before the summit, which was fun!

[7:57am - Long Trail/Stratton Mountain Summit]

Okay FINE I'll hike the loop! I knew this would be adding miles to my day, but it wasn't even 8:00am yet! I had all day! I turned onto the Long Trail to continue my journey. It was visibly less-traveled than any trail I'd been on so far, but it was nothing terrible. The grade steepened to the steepest thing I hiked all day! It wasn't ridiculous, but some care was needed in wetter spots. There were also occasional green flagging tape around trees? They were always along the Long Trail, maybe for winter navigation? Unsure.

[8:02am - Long Trail/Water Spur]

The trail zig-zagged down, passing a presumably illegal firepit, and then passed a sign to a spring. I followed it out of curiousity, and it soon led to a cute tiny little spring, almost just as promised! The Long Trail was more wet and more slippery after the spring, but again, still nothing too arduous. I passed a pile of dry moose poop and then a little peek-a-view toward Stratton Pond and Mt. Equinox!

The painted trillium and green flagging were both going strong as I descent back into the land of windflowers. The steeper descent mellowed out to cross a little stream (I think the same stream that the spring fed) and then I unloced another flower! It was a fuzzy white/pink ball (dwarf ginseng, thanks, Seek!). 

The Long Trail crossed a very old roadbed followed by another one that was mostly flooded, which led to another junction with the IP Road!

[8:43am - Long Trail/IP Road]

After crossing the IP Road, the bugs started making themselves known. Thankfully, they only were annoying when I was not moving. I hiked past a fresh, mid-sized mamallian poop as I bug-sprayed my hair for good measure. I crossed a bridge over a larger stream that appeared to flow into a meadow (I initially thought into Stratton Pond, but I was not as close as I had hoped to be). The trail rose again (to my dismay) with a little bit of sunshine through the trees. There was a gentle breeze that felt good on my sweating-again skin, and then I descended to the junction with the Stratton Pond Trail!

[9:03am - Stratton Pond Trail]

The Long Trail turned right here as the Stratton Pond Trail turned left, running cocurrent with the Catamount X-C Ski Trail. It was a nice change of pace to see blue blazes! Just afer turning onto the Stratton Pond Trail, the spur path to the pond proper turned right.

"The trail to Stratton Pond gradually ascends through a forest of mixed hardwood and softwood species. Several areas are wet and particularly susceptible to erosion, so planking, known as puncheon, is set over soft ground to minimize damage to the trail and surrounding ecosystem. The trail is managed for foot travel only. Stratton Pond is the most heavily used location on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. The potential for recreation use to impact the pond's ecosystem is serious. Camping is restricted to designated sites only. Shelter and tent platforms are available near the pond on a first come, first serve basis." from Trailhead Kiosk.

[9:05am - Stratton Pond Spur]

The spur felt recently relocated as it easily descended past an AMC canoe to a picturesque view of the pond proper. I passed a hiking duo, the first of the day, that looked like they were backpacking and not overly friendly. The pond was calm with just a few ducks and songbirds wandering about. It looked like there used to be a trail or herd path around the pond, but it was signed as closed:

"Trail Restoration Project! Stratton Pond is home to loons, beavers, brook trout and a variety of unique wetland plants. In order to allow our natural communities to thrive and to maintain the water quality of Stratton Pond, some sections of trail have been relocated away from the shoreline. Please help us in preserving this ecologically sensitive area and stay on designated trails!"

To my shock and delight, I found a USGS disc right where the sign was! I took some photos and then sat down for a snack, but the bugs fully activated once I sat down so I had my protein bar to-go and started to hike back to the Stratton Pond Trail.

[9:16am - Stratton Pond Trail]

[9:17am - Stratton Pond Trail/Stratton Pond Shelter Spur]

I passed the tent platform for the Stratton Pond Shelter caretaker and worked my way along the trail, which was luciously green and gentle.

[9:20am - Stratton Pond Trail/Lye Brook Trail]

Next up was the Lye Brook Trail, which led to a campsite called "Stratton View," but I was not overly interested in adding MORE miles to this hike when I had an even more difficult mountain to climb next - another day! The trail sign said the parking area was three miles away, but someone used a pencil to add a ".8" to that "3," which hurt but made more sense. I cracked open a "two chicks" canned cocktail and started some civilized hiking!

The trail meandered gently up and down for a while through pretty forests with birches standing high and evergreens down low at hip-height. I comically wrote in my notes "thank goodness no one's been on this trail today I'm so glad to have more webs." I hiked over a huge pile of bear poop and entered a true sea of hobblebush. I was really enjoying my civilized hiking - it was passing the time on a rather mundane trail really well. There was nothing wrong with the trail, it was actually prettty wonderful with easy grades and good footing! I was just a little tired and a little secretly bored after a bit. I conitnued onto a lovely boardwalk section as I approached a junction with an old woods road. Here, the Catamount Trail turned left.

[9:46am - Stratton Pond Trail/Catamount Ski Trail turns left]

I continued on, eventually hitting a longer stretch of lovely boardwalks. I found myself instinctively reaching for my phone due to boredom, but I held onto my airplane-mode rule for the day, which I'm glad and proud of. My next note also made me laugh: "just vibes and painted trillium."

I hiked over a swamp on more boards and spooked a family of deer, which in turn spooked me back. They stopped for photos, though, so I forgave them! I was thinking that if I were to suggest this hike, which I would, I'd suggest it in reverse. Still park in the same area, but do the road walk and the Stratton Pond Trail first, then a steeper climb, and then a relatively easy descent back to the car directly. I followed deer prints as I began my final descent - yay! My legs and body were tired, but I was hellbent on still hiking Equinox! I was hoping a nice sit in the car and a Celsius would bring me back and I got into the mindset that today is a training/conditioning day for my trip to Maine in a month! I see the road!

[10:29am - Kelly Stream Road]

There was one car at the Stratton Pond trailhead, presumably for the duo I saw at the pond. I turned left to start my road walk back to the car! I initially crossed paths with a few bikers and spent some time admiring the abundance of dandelions. There was an obstructed tree view ahead to Stratton, which would probably have been photo-worthy if there were no leaves. 

The dandelions began to intermingle with some lesser periwinkle as I midlyless dragged my body along the road (that was so dramatic-sounding). There was an unfortunate amount of empty beer cans along the road. I walked over a stream/culvert and then an unmarked woods road on the left.

[10:44am - Kelly Stream Road/FR 384]

After a few minutes of nothing, I passed Forest Road 384 on the right and then some virginia strawberry flowers (thanks, Seek!). Soon after was where the Catamount Trail joined the road (exactly at my watch's 13-mile park). Just a few minutes of walking and I passed the Long Trail/Catamount Trail's turn on the right and then I was back to my car after the bridge over the East Branch Deerfield River!

[10:51am - End of Hike]

This hike ended up being MUCH longer than planned... oops! No regrets, though. I was surprised to see how FULL the parking area was now, especially after seeing hardly anyone for so long! I changed my clothes at the car and got what I needed ready for a drive over to Equinox - thank goodness I downloaded the offline Google Maps beforehand! I also heard a weird buzzing/hissing sound from under my car, but couldn't figure out what it was... hopefully it'll go away?

Step-by-Step

- Park at AT/LT trailhead on Stratton Arlington Road.

- Start hike on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail.

- At summit, continue onto Stratton Ridge Trail.

- At terminus, explore top of ski area and turn left onto ski trail.

- At jct., turn left onto grassy road.

- At jct., turn right onto Stratton Ridge Trail.

- At summit, turn right onto Long Trail/Appalachian Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Stratton Pond Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Stratton Pond Access.

- At Stratton Pond, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Stratton Pond Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Stratton Arlington Road/Kelly Stream Road (same road).

- Return to car.

Photo Album