Stannard Lookout (Steam Mill Brook WMA)
Hike Type: Out-and-Back
Distance: 3.69 miles
Elevation: 413 feet
Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: Northeast Kingdom Mountain Challenge
Distance: 3.69 miles
Elevation: 413 feet
Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: Northeast Kingdom Mountain Challenge
The Hike
Another long drive through Vermont's Northeast Kingdom had us back in the clouds on Stannard Mountain Road, ready for our next hike (more or less...). It had gotten chilly and misty outside, but we had already driven all this way so we pushed on! The trailhead had a community kiosk with no information about the hike, which I later learned is not on an official trail at all - just a snowmobile trail. There was one other car at the trailhead (with a beautiful canoe strapped to the top) that we walked past, and the hike has begun!
We should have taken it as a sign for whats to come, but literally 10 feet after entering the woods there is a stream crossing, and on the other side of the stream... was a... decomposing sheep?? Still very intact, just fully rotting. Mostly just a skeleton with some skin left... absolutely wild. The worst part was that it was right at the easiest part to cross the stream, so the options were to get wet or stare the skeleton in the eye (sockets). We coached ourselves through it, made it to the other side, and were SHAKEN for a bit. A commenter on the NEK Mountain Challenge Facebook group said it's been there since at least 5/31, and an AllTrails review reads "Quite muddy in spots. There was also a dead sheep right at the entrance, so be ready for that?" which sums it up truly perfectly.
Now with the... smelliest... part of the hike behind us, we continued on what we thought was going to be a super easy hike. We were wrong. The trail was a constant battle between being overgrown and being flooded. Emma joked that she didn't realize there were so many ponds on this hike! To add to the fun, all the overgrown vegetation was also soaking wet since we were still in the clouds. Oof.
There was a spur herd path to the lake which provided a cool, spooky view or the cloud-covered lake. There was also what appeared to be a campsite and a bouquet of Lady Slippers! I've never seen so many growing out of the same plant before!
Continuing on our hike, the trail meandered up and down through streams, puddles, and mud pits. There were a few lovely frogs chilling in the puddles, which was a slight win. The cloudy air also made all the spiderwebs ultra-visible.
The trail gently climbed to a VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) junction that pointed left to the scenic overlook. Soon after there was another junction, and soon after there was our view... of the clouds! The couple (unrealted to each other, we think) with the canoe were up at the view and were surprised to see us. "Oh look! People!" the woman, Sylvia, said. They immedaitely apologized for being "bad people" and drinking their beers, to which Emma and I laughed and pulled out our summit drinks - White Mountain Lemonade! We chatted for a while - they were lovely people. They grew up in the NEK and hike frequently. We compared stories of our hikes in the area and all leapt up when the cloud celing lifted to show a small view. Emma and I ate our leftover pizza, chatted some more, learned about how they used to go to the casino at Coles Pond, fill their frappes up with vodka, and drive all around, and eventually parted ways to slog back to the car.
The return trip was... quicker? Not by much. Somehow, the trail didn't dry up in the 20 minutes we spent chit chatting with Sylvia and the man. The hard lemonades definitely helped us not care about the mud as much, but the sound of ripping our feet out of the mud still haunts me as I am writing this. We accidentally turned onto the wrong trail near the end, but realized our mistake soon after and got back onto our trail. Our final hurdle was the sheep... We decided to avoid the sheep and walk through the stream instead to... clean our boots! This was definitely an interesting hike - high highs and low lows, but we made it!
Step-By-Step
- Park at parking area on Stannard Mountain Road, slightly NW of Stannard Pond, on the south side of the road.
- Start hike along unblazed trail, immediately crossing a stream.
- Follow unblazed, unmaintained trail to height of land just before outlook.
- At VAST junction, turn left toward outlook.
- At intersection, continue straight to outlook.
- Retrace steps back to car.
"Stannard Lookout" from Hiking the Northeast Kingdom Pamphlet
"In the Town of Stannard (USGS Stannard) within the Steam Mill Brook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) the Stannard Lookout (2560 ft.), situated between Stannard Mountain and Wheelock Mountain, provides an impressive view. The woods trail, used by snowmobiles in the winter, begins on the south side of the Stannard Mountain Road near the height of land and the Wheelock/Stannard Town Line. From the pull-off, go east for a short distance and look for the trail on the right. The trail climbs easily along an old woods road and soon reaches Stannard Pond where it turns and skirts the eastern edge. After rounding Stannard Pond, the trail turns southward again, climbing moderately to a VAST trail junction. At the junction, follow the trail eastward where it climbs a short distance and soon reaches a wooded knoll and lookout. Extensive local views of Burke Mountain and the Lyndon area are evident to the east. Please note this has not been designated as a hiking trail by the VT Department of Fish and Wildlife and therefore has not been blazed or maintained for this purpose."
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