Mt. Abraham & Mt. Ellen (Green Mountain National Forest)
Distance: 11.88 miles
Elevation: 3,097 feet
Time: 7 hours, 17 minutes (6 hours, 35 minutes moving)
Elevation: 3,097 feet
Time: 7 hours, 17 minutes (6 hours, 35 minutes moving)
Hike Type: Out-and-Back
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge, Vermont 4000 Footers, Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge
The Hike
I was up in Vermont, but unfortunately Emma was working, so I decided to head down and hike my first (and second) Vermont 4000-footer! The drive between Fairfax and Lincoln Gap was absolutely beautiful, even when I had to completely destroy a Maple Fields' bathroom on the way. The skies were completely clear and the sun was shining on all the mountains, hills, and farmlands. The drive got a little more interesting once on Lincoln Gap Road - the pavement ended once on National Forest lands, but at one point it turned back into pavement and I thought "oh boy here we go," and the road got STEEP as it winded up to Lincoln Gap. My car made it beautifully, but not without some white nuckles.
"Together, the Green Mountain Club and the U.S. Forest Service manage the Long Trail. The Green Mountain Club was founded in 1910 to build the Long Trail and they maintain it to this day with seasonal trail crews and backcountry caretakers. They are a premier source for hiking information in Vermont, and seek to foster a community of engaged, responsible, and inclusive hikers" - from the trailhead kiosk.
There is a good amount of parking at the height of land on Lincoln Gap on both sides of the road. I took my sweet time (shockingly) getting ready in the crisp 50-degree morning. There were a few other cars around, but no other people. I reminded myself to be bold and start cold, crossed the road, and got my hike started!
"Leaving Lincoln Gap the Long trail north begins it's ascent of Mount Abraham. The trail climbs moderately from Lincoln Gap and intersects the Battell Trail at 1.7 miles. The Battell Shelter operated by the Green Mountain Club (GMC) is nearby. From the shelter the trail climbs steeply over exposed ledges reaching the summit of Mount Abe, the fifth highest peak in Vermont at 4016 feet and 2.6 miles from Lincoln Gap. The view from the summit is stunning and one of the best panoramas along the Long Trail. From the peak there are views of the Adirondack Mountains in NY, the White Mountains in NH, and both the southern and northern Green Mountains. Mount Abe is also home to one of only three alpine plant communities in Vermont. These rare communities have survived here for over 10,000 years and dispite their biological resilency, they are extremely fragile and do not tolerate foot traffic. Please stay on the trail, the exposed rocks, and be sure to keep your dog on a leash" - from the trailhead kiosk.
The trail began as a small roller coaster with a few mud pits, passing some really neat, mossy geological features. My hip was still bothering me, but I was hoping that it would soon pass. After skirting around some impressive rocks, the trail dips into what I have dubbed "Lincoln's Fake Gap," which I knew I would come to despise on my return trip! I wrote in my notes about how beautiful the rocks were and how the trail was "decently, but not paralyzingly wet."
The Long Trail continued along following the west side of the ridge where I passed a hiker and his dog, who was incredibly uninterested in me and ready to be back in the car where he could sleep while the human drove him home. The hiking here was on the slower side due to the moisture and general ruggedness of the trail, but nothing too crazy.
To no one's surprise, I was sweating pretty good here, but I did notice that the crisp early-autumnal air was working with me, and for once my shirt was not fully saturated in the first 20 minutes. The trail continued past two massive glacial erratics (named "The Carpenters") and began to steepen to a beautiful mossy plateau at 1.32 miles, where there was one particularly annoying fly, one midly upset tummy, and some beautiful streams. It was also here where I began to wonder, who came up with the white blazes first? The Long Trail or Appalachian Trail?
The junction with the Battell Trail arrived at 1.65 miles, and the trail continued to moderately climb through a beautiful mossy forest to the Battell Shelter, where most of the flies live. There was a shockingly glamorous privy that I decided to avoid due to the flies, but overall a really nice camping area.
As the trail continued it became rockier, but never less beautiful. I found myself hungry for some views, and after a blowdown patch, I was about to get them! The trail steepends dramatically onto a series of two rock slab sections, with each providing better and higher views. My ears popped partway up these, and even though they were a little sketchy, I was never worried.
The final push was a doozy - continuing the steep slab climb, but it began to open to incredible views southward. The trail passed a beatiful, massive marble(?) rock, officially entered the Alpine Zone, and then provided stunning 360-degree views. To the north was Mt. Ellen, Camel's Hump, and Mt. Mansfield. To the south were the southern Green Mountains. To the west was the Lake Champlain valley and the Adirondack Mountains. To the east in the distance were the White Mountains. Absolutely stunning!
I shared the summit with one particularly chatty hiker who told me about how it was his first time using hiking poles, and how nice the summit of Mt. Ellen is, and how he didn't even catch himself going over Abe... We then realized that he thought he was on Mt. Ellen quite a few miles early. He was greatful that another hiker and I corrected him - that would have been a bummer! He also complained about "flatlanders," but at least this flatlander knew which mountain he was on! The other hiker told us it was his birthday and he was doing a "gap to gap" hike, which made me jealous. They both took off, I took a few more photos, found the two USGS discs, ate my first of three pizza slices, and eventually forced myself to continue on.
The Long Trail dips back into the woods right after the summit into some more beautiful, mossy woods with a muddy ground, and then re-ascends to "Little Abe."
Clouds passed above as I descended from Little Abe and then climbed back up to Lincoln Peak (which took me WAY too long to make the connection with "Mt. Abraham" and "Lincoln Peak"), which had an observation platform with a great view back to Mt. Abraham. A bit further down the Long Trail, the trail opens up to the first of three "peaks" at Sugarbush Resort (Lincoln Peak on their map), which provided more great views.
Following Lincoln Peak, the trail descends on the west side of the ridge, providing another great view back to Abraham, and I couldn't help but notice how far Mt. Ellen still looked. It was also in this section where I learned where the "VerMud" nickname came from. I was truly impressed with how muddy the trail was, especially with how dry it had been!
The trail gently climbed up to my favorite peak of the day, the wooded "Nancy Hanks Peak," who apparenly was the mother of Abraham Lincoln, not the wife of Tom Hanks. The trail descends slightly to a great ledge view over Sugarbush Resort, and eventually came to another open ski area (Castlerock on the Sugarbush Map).
There were loud, but not bothersome flies all around this area, and of course, lovely views into the valley below. There was a warming hut that said "Welcome to the Rock" - something that I read as a call to "Come from Away" - and when I went to get a photo of it disaster struct... my camera was dead! I spent at least 5 minutes going through literally every stage of grief before I reminded myself it was simply okay, and that iPhones take fine photos too. I was sad, nonetheless.
From Castlerock, the trail veers left and follows the "Middle Earth" ski trail, with a nice view of the next sub-peak, before turning left back into the woods to a sign that points to water, over land that was comically flooded. The humor was not lost on me!
This next section was the toughest mentally, as there were few landmarks. Many ups and downs, and I couldn't help but think that I had to do it all again on the way back. It definitely felt like a slog, but I did enjoy being up on the ridge. I did pass the original hiker I met on Abraham on his return trip, and he told me that there weren't too many views from Ellen, but you could find some if you looked around (I truly think he made it to a knob about 0.5 miles from Ellen and thought he made it, as Ellen was a FULLY wooded summit).
I eventually made it to the knob that I believe my chatty friend was talking about, and it did have obstructed standing views. The trail continued on from there, up and down, until finally reaching the muddy, wooded summit of Mt. Ellen! I was incredibly underwhelmed, BUT somehow my camera came back to life!
I went about 50 more feet down the trail, which led to a beautiful clearing, the third and final Sugarbush peak, Mt. Ellen. I stopped here for pizza slice #2 and a long hydration break, sitting on a concrete piling for the ski lift. I don't think my chatty friend made it this far, which is a bummer. It was a beautiful resting spot. Two power-hikers made it to the top of Ellen in "50 minutes," and once they took their break I got up for my return trip.
I managed to tweak my back putting my pack back on, which was a huge bummer, but I climbed back to Mt. Ellen, and then started my rollercoaster of PUDs. My brain was able to turn off for a lot of this, as it was all generally easier (or at least felt easier) on the return. I noticed that I was beginning to pass more people, and it wasn't until I came back to Lincoln Peak where I really started passing the afternoon folks.
I took a few quick breaks to take a few more photos, and then made the final push back up to Mount Abraham, where I took one final break next to the "Potato Hill" disc and had my final slice of pizza. Here, I also met the most interesting, and concerning person of the day. This man must have been plucked straight out of Napoleon Dynamite. He had cowboy boots on, fitted jeans, a Carhart button-down, and most impressively, a fully stocked gun holster - like the one cops use. As someone who is terrified of guns, I was incredibly uncomfortable, and didn't even realize he didn't have food, water, or a pack until he left. He asked how far away Mt. Ellen was, and when I told him 4ish miles, he turned around to descend Abraham. I rarely hate interactions with other hikers, but I really hated that one.
I finished up the last of my water (booo) on top of Abe, took my final photos, and started my descent. The first part over the slabs was brutal, as expected, but soon mellowed out once I hit the shelter. I passed a class "how far are we?" lady, who was DISPLEASED with my response of "not close." I passed more and more people the closer I got to Lincoln Gap, three of which were 1) the most beautiful hiker I've ever seen, 2) a man hiking in sandals, and 3) someone who was clearly dragged along for the hike.
My final two moments of note are noticing a weird sensation in my left foot, stepping weridly, and hearing a "pop" and a shooting pain on my left pinky toe that dissipated after a minute (and has not bothered me since), and cursing the world at the last bit of uphill leading back to Lincoln Gap. I was beat when I got back to the car, but wow, what a beautiful day in the mountains! Hike #3 for the weekend, and Vermont 4000 Footers #1 and #2 = complete!
Step-By-Step
- Park at Lincoln Gap Parking.
- Start hike on Long Trail North.
- Stay on Long Trail North all the way to Mt. Ellen.
- At Mt. Ellen, turn around and follow Long Trail to car.
"Mt. Abraham - History" from Wikipedia
Chartered in 1780, the town of Lincoln is named after American Revolutionary War hero Benjamin Lincoln, not Abraham Lincoln as might be expected. Nearby Lincoln Peak is also named after Benjamin Lincoln. In Addison County, all place names containing the word “Lincoln” pre-date the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
At various times, Mount Abraham has been known as Lincoln Mountain or Potato Hill. The latter name, which dates back to at least 1875, may have coexisted with the current name for decades. In 1897, a Coast and Geodetic Survey team wrote "Potato Hill is sometimes called Mount Abraham Lincoln but it is better known by the former name." The latter name, which clashes with local usage of the surname "Lincoln," was eventually abbreviated to "Mount Abraham," a name that dates back to at least 1921 when the USGS began using that name on various maps. Those maps show Lincoln Mountain to be the range of peaks from Mount Abraham to Mount Ellen.
On June 28, 1973, a pilot flying from Twin Mountain, New Hampshire to Newburgh, New York was maneuvering to avoid clouds when he hit trees on the north ridge of Mount Abraham. He and two passengers survived the plane crash. However, parts of the plane (a Cessna 182N, registration number N92431) are still on the mountain today."
"Mt. Ellen - History" from Wikipedia
The origin of the mountain's name is unclear. One theory is that Joseph Battell, a publisher, environmentalist, and philanthropist from Middlebury, Vermont, named Mount Ellen after the fictional character in his book "Ellen, or the Whisperings of an Old Pine" published in 1903. Another theory is that the mountain was named for Ellen Douglas, the heroine in Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake published in 1810.
"Long Trail: Lincoln Gap (Lincoln Gap Road) to Appalachain Gap (Vt. 17)" from Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont, 6th Ed. (2011)
The trail climbs north out of Lincoln Gap (0.0 mi., 2,424 ft.), bears to the west of a knoll, and begins a steady ascend, passing en route the Carpenters (1.2 mi.), two huge boulders named after a pair of trail workers. Soon after crossing a brook, the trail reaches a junction where the Battell Trail (1,7 mi.) descends west 2.0 mi. to USFS Road 350. The trail turns right and ascends to Battell Shelter (1.8 mi., 3,240 ft.).
This shelter, a frame structure built by Farm and Wilderness Camp volunteers in 1967, sleeps eight. Water is from a small spring 100 ft. to the east. A caretaker may be in seasonal residence during the hiking season to help protect the alpine plants on Mt. Abraham, assist and educate hikers, help maintain trails and campsites, and compost sewage to protect water quality. A fee is charged for overnight use. Wood fires are not allowed within 500 ft. of this high-elevation site. Tenting neat Battell Shelter is very limited.
From the shelter, the trail bears north and follows an old road for the initially gradual, then steep, ascent of Mt. Abraham. The trail scrambled up bare ledge in places - use extra care in wet weather. The trail reaches the alpine summit of Mt. Abraham (2.6 mi., 4,006 ft.), the south peak of Lincoln Mtn.
Mt. Abraham offers one of the best panoramas on the entire LT, ranging from nearby valley farms to New Hampshire's White Mountains, 80 miles east. Due west is Mt. Marcy and its Adironadck neighbors. To the south, the Green Mountains may be visible as far south as Killington Peak. To the north, though partly hidden by nearby higher peaks, the Greens may be visible as far as Belvidere Mtn.
The summit of this mountain is above tree line and supports a small community of alpine vegetation, one of only three such communities along the LT. These plants do not tolerate foot traffic; they have been damaged by hikers straying from the trail.
From the summit, the trail enters the woods, crosses a sag, and ascends Little Abe (3.3 mi.), a minor summit, just beyond which is Lincoln Peak (3.4 mi.). A spur leads east to an observation platform just USFS, it offers wide views.
The trail enters a ski trail clearing, then bears left to reenter the woods and head north, following the wooded ridge of Lincoln Mtn. After passing over Nancy Hanks Peak (4.0 mi.), the trail continues along the ridge to the upper station of the Castlerock chairlift (4.7 mi.). The trail turns left and passes behind the lift station, following a ski trail to Holt Hollow (4.8 mi.), where water may be found on a spur leading 200 ft. west.
Following the skyline, the trail gradually ascends to Cutts Peak (5.9 mi.), where there are views, and then reaches the wooded summit of Mt. Ellen (6.3 mi., 4,083 ft.), which is tied with Camel's Hump as the third-highest mountain in Vermont. The trail leaves the summit and enters a chairlift clearing at the upper station of the Sugarbush North summit chairlift, [...].
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