Pico Mountain via Deer Leap Overlook, Long Trail, & Sherburne Pass Trail (Green Mountain National Forest)

Pico Mountain via Deer Leap Overlook, Long Trail, & Sherburne Pass Trail (Green Mountain National Forest)

Hike Type: Loop

Distance: 10.82 miles

Elevation: 3,120 feet

My Time: 4 hours, 49 minutes (4 hours, 42 minutes moving)

Book Time: 6 hours, 58 minutes

Parking: Parking for plenty of cars at Sherburne Pass/Deer Leap trailhead.
Hiking Challenges: New England 50 Finest, Long Trail Side-to-Side

The Hike 

First Day of Summer!

I didn't realize it was the first day of summer until I got here and thought "huh the sun sure is up?" Emma, Sarah, and I got lunch at Martells at The Red Fox near Smuggs, and then I had a scenic (but painfully slow) drive (behind a confused Tesla) through Smuggler's Notch. I wasn't sure what my hiking plans would be, but after scouring the weather I ultimately decided on Pico - a mountain I grew to love this past ski season and one I'd been interested in hiking since I had so much fun skiing it (and it's on the New England Hundred Highest list!). 

I drove past a fox near Stowe and had a shockingly easy drive on I-89. There were some moody skies between Exits 6 and 3 with showers clearly in the distance, but they all seemed to be north of Pico, so I should be fine? I wasn't going to let myself talk myself out of it regardless. Once I was near I drove through a veil of rain that slowly revealed Pico in it's sunny, green glory! I parked at the Sherburne Pass trailhead right at the height of land on Sherburne Pass. It took exactly two episodes of "Love Trapped," the podcast to arrive (I am HOOKED). There were a few other cars (and a van) at the trailhead. It was breezy out with temperatures in the low 70s - I was manifesting dry skies, but I was also accepting that I'd likely get rained on. I got suited up, read the historical marker right at the trailhead, and got my hike started!

"LONG TRAIL LODGE

Long Trail Lodge was built on the south side of Sherburne Pass in 1923 as a gift to the Green Mountain Club by Mortimer Proctor, former club president and later governor of Vermont. The rustic-style clubhouse, built of timber and stone from the site, privided overnight accommodation for members and guests. Managed by Treadway Inns since 1933, it first welcomed skiers for the 1938-39 season and added Deer Leap Chalet as a winter annex in 1938. The lodge remained a popular destination until destroyed by fire in 1968. The Long Trail, conceived by the Green Mountain Club in 1910 and completed in 1930, follows the spine o fthe Green Mountains from Massachusetts to the Canadian broder. The original route of the trail passed dthrough the lodge.

Vermont Division for Historic Preservation - 2024" from Historical Sign on US-4

[2:48pm - Start of Hike]

[2:49pm - Sherburne Pass Trail]

I started by RUNNING across US-4 towards the Long Trail Lodge and entered the woods on the right toward the Sherburne Pass Trail and Deer Leap. There was a split in the trail, with a climber's route on the left and the hiking trail on the right. I entered the woods, relieved myself, realized I hadn't started my watch, and almost followed an old section of abandoned trail - doing great! The Sherbune Pass Trail was pretty rugged without gaining much elevation with super steep cliffs up on the left. I hiked past a bunch of really cool looking rocks and descended slightly. US-4 was super loud even from the trail.

The recent storms had dome some damage to the woods in central Vermont, and there were some VERY recent blowdowns here to show for it! I passed a sign at a low point that encouraged hikers to stay on the trail and to avoid cutting switchbacks. The trail was wet but not nearly as wet as it could have been with recently storms. I crossed paths with a friendly hiking family as I climbed up a steeper and more rugged section, which led to the junction with the Appalachian Trail!

[3:02pm - Appalachian Trail]

[3:03pm - Deer Leap Trail]

I was only on the Appalachian Trail for a minute on a flat stretch and then the Deer Leap Trail started just after. I turned onto the Deer Leap Trail, listening to what I assume was a sportsmen's club in the distance (or at least I hope it was!), and smiled as the sun came out from behind the clouds. I could feel the humidity in the air, but overall it was pretty comfortable. On my journey, I heard what MUST have been a loud truck on US-4... or...

I did check my weather app and it did say that there were storms in the area, but it was looking okay near me? Onward!

The trail climbed a bit more and then leveled out in a wet, but not muddy, section. I heard the mysterious booming truck again, but also an airplane? Strange things were happening in Sherburne Pass! The trail slightly descended to cross some muddy boards before easily climbing again to the junction with the Overlook Spur.

[3:12pm - Deer Leap Overlook Spur]

[3:16pm - Deer Leap Overlook]

I crossed paths with a woman and her puppy at the junction, said my hello, and then continued hiking through some beautiful woods with tree views to Deer Leap Mountain on the right. The trail started to descend, and then descended more (I was being dramatic, it wasn't that much), crossed a couple of bridges, and then opened up to the overlook with truly a spectacular view of Pico! There was a blue "X" on the highet point and I couldn't help but notice a DARK cloud looming behind Pico... The dark cloud started to rumble, so I got myself right back into the woods. I thought I MIGHT get spared based on the wind direction... We'll see...

I had a nice and easy return to the Deer Leap Trail, which would lead 0.9 miles to Willard Gap, per the sign.

[3:21pm - Deer Leap Trail]

The Deer Leap Trail STEEPLY descended from here, and it was clear that most people hike the overlook as an out-and-back. There was a steep, slimy scramble that was a little confusing to follow. I was just happy that I decided to the hike in this direction, so I'll end with an easier descent off of Pico versus having to haul my tired body up this mess. The trail became narrower and buggier, traversing a super wet area and climbing up a little stream. I crossed paths with two... casual hikers, and gave death glares at some screaming blue jays that were yelling at me. 

[3:35pm - Deer Leap Mountain summit area]

I worked my way over a few blowdowns as the trail steepened. I wrote in my notes "this little side quest of mine packs a punch!" The trail skirted the summit cone and left the National Forest Boundary. There were clouds overhead again, but it wasn't like, dark? I was feeling less worried. There WAS a lovely breeze, though!

There were some tree views on the left and cool rocks on the right before the descent really began, and I managed to accidentally follow a steep needly herd path which was NOT the trail. Thankfully, I noticed quickly and soon got back on the real trail. I entered a sea of hip-high ferns, but the footpath was clear. The trail became a muddy stream in a flatter spot, which provided me my first real boot-sucking mud experience of the year!

[3:49pm - Appalachian Trail]

I descended a little bit more and soon came to the Appalachian Trail, which I thought was still both the LT/AT, but nope! I turned left onto the AT right as my watch pinged two miles. Naturally, the trail was much wider now. I walked over a stream through this wonderuflly flat strech of trail, which was a nice break from the down.

[3:53pm - Willard Gap, Maine Junction, & Long Trail/Appalachian Trail]

Soon after, I came to "Maine Junction," which took me too long to realize why it was called that. This is the spot where the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail split! I continued straight onto the LT/AT, the Long Trail Northbound turned right, and there was a closed/abandoned trail on the right. This was also Willard Gap... I think. I noticed there was some construction going on at the junction, too. A gravel foundation bed with two boxes? Maybe a kiosk was going in? I also thought it would be a fun spot for a dual-privy, but probably not that. 

The LT/AT began to descend at very easy grades from this point before gently rising to cross some wet spots and streams. The forest here was really pretty with lush, low undergrowth filling in the space between trees. The trail crossed some form of property boundary before descending again, providing a glimpse through the trees to US-4. I almost stepped on an eft as I was trying to figure out what kind of undergrowth was surrounding me - turns out it was the wood nettle! I've only experienced nettle stings once before, and I do not want to deal with it again! Thankfully I escaped unscathed. 

I was sad that I forgot to bring chapstick with me, but I was happy that the knot in my hip belt was holding strong. I passed some form of a backpacker with an external frame pack in a super wet spot as I continued on into a shadier forest which featured the ROARS of US-4 as a soundtrack.

I passed a few signs (bear country warning, road crossing warning, and a trail relocation warning, even though the trail was relocated in 1999), a few slugs, and another backapcker as I prepared to cross US-4!

"YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR COUNTRY

This area has an active bear population. Bears have approached tents and shelters, eaten hikers' food, and destroyed hikers' equipment.

Observe these guidelines to keep your party safe: 

- Follow all food-storage procedures if staying at designated overnight sites

- Use bear boxes where provided to store food and scented items

- If primitive camping, prepare food and hang bear-bags at least 100 feet from campsites

- Pack out all garbage and food scraps

- Do not feed bears or approach bears

-  If you encounter a bear, do not corner it. Make noise to scare the bear away. Back away slowly.

Please report any bear encounters to the Green Mountain Club by calling (802) 244-7037."

"Caution: road crossing.

Cars on route 4 drive fast.

Wait for a break in traffic.

Walk across the road straight (not on a diagonal)."

"Notice of trail relocation

- The Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail hav ebeen relocated in this area. 

- This relocation puts trails on public land in a permanently proected corridor.

- The former route of the LT/AT remains open and will always be available to the hiking public. It is now called the Sherburne Pass Trail.

- The new LT/AT trailhead is on US 4 one mile west of Sherburne Pass."

[4:14pm - LT/AT crosses US-4]

I, again, SPRINTED across US-4 and got right back onto a trail, which first walked through a wildflower roadside area before turning right to pass more wildflowers (turning left led to a large parking area). I noticed I was also on the Catamount Ski Trail right here as I went back into the woods, passing a kiosk and crossing a bridge over a nice brook.

[4:18pm - LT/AT/Catamount Ski Trail Departs]

The Catamount Trail continued straight ahead as the LT/AT turned left, passing a porcupine warning!

"Dog Danger: Pico is operpopulated with prickly porcupines!

A local ceterinarian reports that he has de-quilled many dogs that were off leash and encountered porcupines on Pico. Apparently the porcupine population population has surged. If you aren't sure your dog knows to avoid porcupines and don't want your hike ruined by an encounter, please leash your dog."

I remembered seeing the same sign when I hiked up Killington last year! The LT/AT continued on flat ground, traversing some boards, and then began to easily gain elevation again. The trail had been really nicely graded at this point. I was back in a similar woods as the other side of US-4, but instead of nettles, it was filled with ferns. There was a nice breeze with many birds singing all around. The humidity was a lot, but thankfully it wasn't too hot out.

I started to catch some afternoon spiderwebs as I maneuvered some more wet spots, eventually crossing with a duo. One of the hikers was manhandling a blowdown off of the trail - thank you, stranger! I began to climb again, still at a reasonable grade. The trail turned with the contour of the mountain, zigging and zagging along. I passed another eft around a section of small streams before rambling through an area full of boulders. There was one spooky cave with room for a couple of folks laying down!

I hurt my own feelings when I checked my progress - I had SO MUCH more to climb! Oh well. I began to climb with steeper switchbacks in a wild area. I could hear running water off to the right as I zig zagged up the mountain, but never actually saw it. There was a nice walking break after a few minutes of climbing and I heard... an airplane? I think it actually was an airplane this time! I eventually crossed the stream that I had been hearing - a wobbly rock almost took me out! I wiggled around some more new blowdowns and then came up to the shelter that I had completely forgotten about!

[5:02pm - Churchill Scott Shelter spur]

I followed the blue blaze to the shelter, but I heard people at the shelter so I just swapped my water bottles at a tentside near the privy and then continued on my merry way! I didn't prepare any water for this hike, so I had to buy a gallon as I drove through Stowe, which was all fine, but I missed my Nuun!

[5:07pm - LT/AT]

Continuing on, I lamented about my climb not even being halfway done, but I think the problem was less that I was tired or bored, but more than my internal hiking clock is not used to hikingin the late afternoon. I did find myself enjoying drinking actual water versus electrolytes... The LT/AT continued to zig zag up the mountain, passing a sunny, overgrown spot with the occasional peek-a-view to who knows what. It was still very hazy outside, but significantly less cloudy. Will I make it out dry? The answer is no, but because I'm sweaty. Rain? We'll see!

I said hello to my third eft of the day as I climbed more consistently toward a false peak-ish area that provided views to the sky through the trees, but I still had a ways to go. The trail passed an overgrown viewpoint and a downy woodpecker before rambling through an area of overgrowth. I was growing impatient/tired as I continued climbing via zig-zags with occasional walking breaks. My watch pinged six miles and I entered a more mixed forest that smelled simply wonderful. The trail leveled out for a bit here - the flat dirt felt amazing on my tired feet. 

I could just barely make out Killington through the trees as the trail began to undulate. I heard either a crow or raven absolutely screaming through the trees. I scraped my way through an area of thin pines with scratchy undergworth (fir wave??) before flattening, descending, flattening again... I was REALLY getting tired of the endlessness! I had to physically crawl under a blowdown and just as I complained about another flat/down, I hit the junction with the Sherburne Pass Trail! Thank goodness.

[5:57pm - Sherburne Pass Trail]

This junction gave me a whole lot of information on a bunch of different signs! It was 0.3 miles to the Pico Camp, 0.7 miles to the Pico Summit, and 3.2 to Sherburne Pass - the three bits I cared about! I could just barely see the top of Pico through the trees and I accepted that I might have to race the sun down the mountain. 

The Sherburne Pass Trail was a narrower blue-blazed trail. To my dismay, I continued to descend through what felt like a wild jungle. 

[6:03pm - Sherbune Pass Trail/Killington-Pico Interconnect]

After a few minutes of descending, the Sherburne Pass Trail crossed the Killington-Pico Interconnect, which was really cool! It's just a wide gravel road, but it felt like I was somewhere where I shouldn't have been, even though it was totally okay! The trail went back into the woods, which were exceptionally moody. I soon passed a "water source down trail" sign, and then I arrived at Pico Camp!

[6:08pm - Pico Camp & Pico Link]

Pico Camp was a small cabin with a closed door, but it didn't looked locked. I was not going to f- around and find out, so I left it alone! There was a privy out in the woods a bit on the same contour. From here, it would be 0.4 miles to the summit!

[6:12pm - Pico Link/Killington-Pico Interconnect]

I climbed up through a rocky stream and then a short, steeper push to cross the Interconnect for a second time, providing a view to Killington through the trees. Back in the woods, the trail continued to be steeper and wet. This push felt like the final push up Killington, even though it was less steep (still steep, to be clear, but the push to Killington was STEEP steep). I crossed paths with a human - the first in a while - and I wrote in my notes that "this climb is a Grade-A doozy."

[6:20pm - Pico Link/Ski Area]

After some questioning of my life choices, I popped out onto the Fourty-Niner ski trail, which I had skied before! I briefly hiked through the woods again before opening up onto the other fork of Fourty-Niner. It was fun to be somewhere I had been before! I worked my way up on the footpath between the tall grasses, which led right to the top of the Sherburne Express Quad, providing a magnificent view. 

[6:24pm - Pico Mountain Summit]

Behind the patrol shack, I spooked a snowshoe hare and found the true summit, marked by a grassy cairn. On a nearby communications tower, some ravens were having a wild conversation. The bugs slowly moved in, surrounding my head in a way that made me feel like I was being swallowed by the air around me. Unpleasant! I throught about skiing the old Poma line and worked my way back to the lift. I loved seeing Abraham, Ellen, Camel's Hump, and Mansfield, and I could see Killington behind me!

[6:36pm - Pico Link]

[6:37pm - Pico Link enters woods]

[6:42pm - Pico Link/Killington-Pico Interconnect]

The bugs quickly went from bad to worse, so I BOOKED it back into the woods. I almost died on some wet spots of the Pico Link, but soon I was running through the Interconnect and back safe at the Pico Camp. I turned left to finish the last bit of the Sherburne Pass Trail.

[6:45pm - Sherburne Pass Trail]

[6:54pm - Sherburne Pass Trail/Summit Glades View]

I passed the water source from a previous trail sign and then the Sherburne Pass Trail began a lovely ramble around the contour. This ramble brought me to one of my favorite trails on Pico - Summit Glades! The view from here was just delightful, especially in the late afternoon sun. The trail actually started descending at this point, and I was thrilled to remember that becuase of how I did this loop, I would be descending significantly less than what I climbed. 

I was feeling an immense sense of joy and gratitude when I realized that not only did I not get struck by lightning on this hike, but I didn't get rained on, AND it turned out to be a stunning afternoon! I hiked down a series of long switchbacks at a reasonable grade and per tradition, the trail then flattened out and crossed 50 streams (more like 5-6). I hiked over a big, bright eft and hurt my own feelings (again) by checking the map (again).

Thankfully a breeze brought me back to life. I was having truly a wonderful time, but I was so upset that it was 7:15pm on a Sunday and I was dreadfully far from home. I then said to myself "don't Monday my Sunday," and I felt better! I crossed a little spur onto the Bushwhacker ski trail, but I didn't bother with it and kept my sights set on the car. 

The trail got wet and slippery afterwards, and after some more hiking turned a corner and I could hear US-4! Naturally, this was the worst section of trail I had hiked all day. I wondered if the upper bit had been relocated, because this was a wet, eroded mess (and I'd later learn that this used to be the Appalachian Trail!). 

[7:35pm - Sherburne Pass Trail/Trail Register]

I arrived at a trail register at a junction with an old, grassy road. I turned left and basically ran out of the woods to the parking area. This was a FANTASTIC hike!

[7:38pm - End of Hike]

As I packed up the car, I noticed someone rock climbing onto Deer Leap! That was fun to see.

I worked my way home, and noticed a lot of damage in the Woodstock area, and then I realized I was driving right through the tornado path! I got a few pictures along the river - the damage was intense. 

I eventually got home just before 11pm. I was TIRED, but what a great day.

Step-by-Step

- Park at Sherbune Pass/Deer Leap trailhead.

- Cross US-4 and start hike on Sherburne Pass Trail (N).

- At terminus, turn left onto Appalachian Trail.

- At jct. just after, turn left onto Deer Leap Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Deer Leap Overlook.

- At overlook, turn around.

- At terminus, turn left onto Deer Leap Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Appalachian Trail.

- At Maine Junction, continue onto Long Trail/Appalachian Trail.

- Cross US-4, continue on LT/AT.

- At jct., turn left onto Sherburne Pass Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Pico Link.

- Summit Pico Mountain, turn around.

- At terminus of Pico Link, turn left onto Sherburne Pass Trail.

- Follow Sherburne Pass Trail to car.

Map of Coolidge Range

Photo Album

Skiing Pico Mountain (Day 32)

Skiing Pico Mountain

Sunday, March 8th, 2026

Runs: 17

Distance: 16.99 miles

Elevation: 19,613 feet

Max Speed: 36.7 mph

Avg. Speed: 13.1 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes, 55 seconds

Total Time: 5 hours, 40 minutes, 38 seconds

Back to Pico for post-wedding celebrations! Sarah and I were up around 8:00am (having a wedding the night of Daylight Savings Time is CRIMINAL) against our better wishes, and we SLOWLY started getting out of bed, packed up, and dressed. Alec left earlier in the morning, so Sarah was back to being MY wife for the day! We eventually got out of the resort around 9:00am, landed at Pico around 9:25am (the parking lot was almost full!), and were booted up and ready to ski around 10:00am! It was a SLOW morning, but thankfully most of the cars were there for racing on Little Pico, which left most of the mountain uncrowded. We got breakfast burritos (delicious), and were ready to rumble! We were a few hours ahead of the rest of the wedding crew, which was a nice quiet way to start the day.

Snow Report

March 8, 2026 - 5:55am

Good morning, Pico family,

We had an amazing day of skiing and riding here yesterday. The sun popped out for much of the day, softening things up and making for some really fun, carve-friendly turns. It's really comfortable on the slopes and we're pretty excited to be making the most of it with every trail to choose from.

Cloudy skies will start the day before gradually clearing by late morning, with temperatures falling to around the mid-40s by the afternoon. Expect a windy day on the mountain, with west winds of 29 to 38 mph and gusts keeping things feeling a little brisk.

The slopes skied and rode really well yesterday, with light, soft snow that was easy to edge into and was moving quickly. With conditions like this, it's safe to say spring is starting to make its way onto the hill. The bumps were a joy on Upper Sunset 71 and Birch Grades and we can expect more of that today as the air stays warm and the snow stays soft across the mountain.

Our grooming team stayed off any trails that didn't see snowmaking to help preserve the depths there. Runs that are smooth and will provide a great ride are Mid and Lower Pike, Expressway, A Slope, and more. Be sure to check the Lifts & Trails Report for the full rundown.

The Summit Express Quad, Golden Express Quad, Little Pico Triple, and Bonanza Carpet are all scheduled to spin at 8:30 a.m. The Knomes Knoll Triple will join at 9:00 a.m. The Outpost Double remains closed as we look to source and repair a new drive component for the lift.

It's about time to think about getting your Spring Pass for unlimited skiing and riding from March 13, 2026, through the very last day of the season. Plus, your Spring Pass is also valid at Killington until it closes for the season.

Have a fun day of shredding! - Evan

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Golden Express Quad - Fool's Gold

[0.57 mi; 2:33; 499 ft; 31.3 mph max; 13.4 mph avg]

Run 2: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Mid Pike

[1.13 mi; 5:12; 1,585 ft; 26.5 mph max; 15.1 mph avg]

Run 3: Summit Express Quad - Upper K.A. - Mid K.A. - Mid Pike - Lower K.A. - C Slope - Lower Pike

[1.71 mi; 11:03; 1,995 ft; 32.5 mph max; 9.3 mph avg]

I IMMEDIATELY noticed how much snow had melted over the past two days! There was pretty full coverage on Friday, with the only bare spots being on cliffs. Today was a WHOLE different story! Groomers were looking good, but natural trails had melted a ton! Our first run was up the Golden Express Quad (up and over the newly flowing river!) and down Fool's Gold. We were nervous about sticky snow (especially after my day yesterday), so we hoped the upper mountain would have the goods! Run #2 was up the Summit Express and down Forty Niner and Mid Pike, which actually skied wonderfully. There wasn't a refreeze overnight, so the snow was soft and almost corny. 

Run #3 was down the entirety of the K.A.'s. Upper K.A. was closed on Friday, so I was eager to ski it today, and it was fun! Similar to Forty Niner, but narrower and steeper. It would have been BAD on Friday, so it makes sense to have had it closed. Mid K.A. was open on Friday, but I did not ski it after my tough time on Sunset 71, so I was happy to be on that lovely cruiser today! We had a brief stint on Mid Pike before turning onto Lower K.A., which is a lovely narrower run through the woods with... COMICALLY low tide. Some dirt spots were so big we had to ski on the banks and hope for the best! We continued onto C Slope, which was slow but in much better shape than Lower K.A. Lower Pike was also in good shape, and not sticky! We hopped inside after this one for a quick bathroom and hydration break - we weren't in rough shape per say, but we also were not in the best of shape (I was actually blown away by how not-horrible I was feeling. Again, I wasn't feeling great, but I should have been feeling MUCH worse based on how much wine I had!). 

Runs 4-6

Run 4: Golden Express Goad - Fool's Gold

[0.56 mi; 1:51; 499 ft; 31.4 mph max; 18.0 mph avg]

Run 5: Summit Express Quad - Upper Pike - Mid Pike

[1.19 mi; 5:28; 1,627 ft; 28.3 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

Run 6: Summit Express Quad - Upper Giant Killer - Lower Giant Killer - Fool's Gold

[1.27 mi; 7:44; 1,621 ft; 26.0 mph max; 9.8 mph avg]

Once back out, we got back onto the Golden Express and zoomed down Fool's Gold. There were a lot of Vermont Adaptive folks out today, which was awesome! There was one physically impared skier though that nearly took Sarah and I both out - exciting! We got back on the Summit Express and did a run down Upper and Mid Pike, which were a blast! The bumps on Upper Pike were big and soft, and Mid Pike carved nicely. Only complaint was that about 1,000 other people were also on it (this was the ONLY time it felt crowded over the two days I was there!). 

Run #6 was our adventure run down Upper and Lower Giant Killer! We skied onto Upper Pike and turned past the "MOST DIFFICULT EXTREMELY STEEP DIFFICULT TERRAIN EXPERTS ONLY!" sign and were immediately greeted by a giant patch of grass, smaller but similar to the one on Jay's closing day last year. This was fully covered on Friday! Sarah popped her skis off but I just carefully side-stepped to the skier's left side. There were two kids ahead of us and one behind us - the two ahead were truly made of rubber and alternated flying through the air, scraping over rocks, and falling. The poor one higher up simply sat down and gave up. 

Once we made it to the snow we could finally make some turns, and it was super fun! A few sections were super narrow, but we made it without TOO much damage to our bases! Once lower down, the trail mellowed out in pitch but stayed nice and bumpy. Skier's left was the better side, as simply more people had been skiing it. The right side was basically made of cement - our skis would both stick and sink if we got too far right. 

We eventually made it onto Lower Giant Killer, which was just a delightful groomer with a little bit of grab due to the warm temperatures. We continued onto Fool's Gold, and then back onto the Summit Express!

Runs 7-8

Run 7: Summit Express Quad - Summit Glades - Summit Glades East - Bushwhacker

[1.52 mi; 10:01; 1,621 ft; 28.5 mph max; 9.1 mph avg]

Run 8: Summit Express Quad - Upper Pike - Poma Loop - Birch Glades - Mid Pike - Lower Pike

[1.62 mi; 8:32; 1,973 ft; 24.7 mph max; 11.4 mph avg]

Run #7 soon became our favorite du jour! We got off the Summit Express and went onto Summit Glades, which is like Birch Glades, which is like Kokomo at Jay Peak, but with pitch. They're not true glades, but a series of winding lattices around tree islands - and FUN! These were bumpy, too, which made for some fun skiing! There was a 15 year old boy ZOOMING down with crazy arms, then us, and then his Dad behind us, basically playing leap frog the whole way down. There were some parts of thinner cover than others, but otherwise it was generally in great shape! The trail splits further down into east and west - we went east, which was a beautiful cruise through birch-lined trails and a few small bumps here and there. We eventually landed on Bushwhacker, which we followed over back to the Summit Express.

We both had to pee at this point, so we hopped back on the lift for one more. We went down Upper Pike to Poma Loop to Birch Glade - which was a favorite of mine and Gen's on Friday. Today, it was unpleasant! There was a groomed path on skier's right which was fine, but sticky, and everything else was dreadful cement. On well! We followed Mid Pike to Lower Pike all the way down to the bathrooms, and then we saw the text that the wedding crew had arrived!

Runs 9-11

Run 9: Golden Express Quad - Fool's Gold

[0.57 mi; 2:13; 502 ft; 29.9 mph max; 15.4 mph avg]

Run 10: Summit Express Quad - Sunset 71 - Lower Sunset 71 - Forty Niner - Mid Pike

[1.31 mi; 5:42; 1,585 ft; 26.7 mph max; 13.8 mph avg]

Run 11: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Mid Pike

[1.22 mi; 4:24; 1,549 ft; 29.3 mph max; 16.6 mph avg]

Sarah and I were a couple minutes behind them - when we got to the lodge we got the "we're heading to the quad" text. We did a FAST pee and got right back on the Golden Express and took Fool's Gold to the Summit Express! We were the last ones to make it to the top, but everyone waited for us, and there were A LOT of people! More than I was emotionally prepared for! The main crew of my friends were me, Sarah, Emma, Linnea, and Andrew, with a light extended family of Devon who I met at the wedding last night, a bunch of groomsmen, and a few other folks who were DEFINITELY ex-ski racers - 15 people total! I was intrigued how this was going to go, the most I've ever skied with was probably 6-8 at Jay. 

Most of the crew went down Forty Niner. A few tried out the woods (and provided BAD reports). Sarah and I wanted to hit the one run off the top we hadn't yet - Sunset 71. It was fun! Bumps were reasonable in the upper stretch and the lower stretch was nice and soft. MUCH better than Friday! There were some patches of exposed grass that varied from small to huge, but overall it was great! We all congregated back at the Summit Express Quad and shuttled up for another run.

Run #11 was a nice run down Forty Niner. The social dynamic of skiing in a massive group is interesting. A lot of stopping and chatting, which I'm never much a fan of, especially since more than half of skiing is sitting on chair lifts with plenty of time to chat. Either way, the run was great! We got a nice group pole picture at the top of the trail, where Emma really had to engage her teacher crowd-control strategies, but she made it happen! 

Runs 12-13

Run 12: Summit Express Quad - Upper K.A. - Mid Pike - Lower Pike

[1.63 mi; 9:05; 1,926 ft; 31.3 mph max; 10.7 mph avg]

Run 13: Little Pico Triple - A Slope Cutoff - A Slope

[0.52 mi; 2:14; 640 ft; 31.4 mph max; 13.9 mph avg]

We got back on the chair with Emma, Sarah, and Devon and chatted a bunch. Devon is from New England but lives in Colorado now and had so much more energy than the rest of us, it was impressive! At the top Emma desperately needed a social break and Sarah and I desperately needed food, so the three of said "bye bye for now!" and skied down Upper K.A. (scrapier than it was before) to Mid and Lower Pike all the way down to the lodge for some lunch and quiet time. At this point of the day, the sun was out and it felt WARM. We all got chicken tenders and friends with a few extra snacks, sat outside, and had a nice debrief on the weekends' festivities. We were all a little socially drained at this point, so it was nice to have time with just the three of us, who are all low-social-battery friends with one another.

But after a while, it was time to rally again! The main party was now on Little Pico, where Linnea grew up racing. The primary goal was to get a photo of them holding up a "JUST MARRIED" banner on the chairlift, so we got to work! They were all finishing up their ski day after this run, but the three muskateers (Sarah, Emma, and I) wanted to get some more low-key runs in. The massive group made our way down A Slope Cutoff and A Slope, and we said "see you soon!" to the main crew as we got back on the Little Pico Triple.

Runs 14-17

Run 14: Little Pico Triple - B Slope

[0.55 mi; 1:49; 676 ft; 36.7 mph max; 18.2 mph avg]

Run 15: Golden Express Quad - Expressway - Swinger - Triple Slope

[0.86 mi; 3:09; 856 ft; 31.7 mph max; 16.4 mph avg]

Run 16: Knomes Knoll Triple - Triple Slope (Mid)

[0.40 mi; 1:59; 349 ft; 30.6 mph max; 12.2 mph avg]

Run 17: Bonanza Carpet - Bonanza 1

[0.20 mi; 1:55; 72 ft; 13.2 mph max; 6.1 mph avg]

This next batch of runs were so delightfully low-key. Little Pico Triple onto B Slope was just a treat with soft turns and a nice pitch. The slight skate towards the carpet nearly killed us, so we got on the Golden Express Quad to work our way over. We giggled down Expressway, Swinger, and Triple Slope to hit the Knomes Knoll Triple next. We went back down Triple Slope (the middle stretch) and finally made it onto the Bonanza Carpet, where we got to hold hands as we skied down the upper half of Bonanza 1 (I had to let go becuase I dropped a pole... oops!). A LOVELY way to end the weekend!

We went up to the bar first to say our goodbyes and more congratulations, and naturally Sarah and I ran into a kid (now adult) we both taught at the high school... Afterwards, we debooted and made our way back to our respective cars, traversing the mud pit that was the parking lot (the ruts were DEEP!). Spring is here!

Emma and I decided that when we get married, our community ski day will be the day before the festivities in lieu of a welcome party so everyone is fresh and full of energy.

Map of Pico Mountain

Skiing Pico Mountain (Day 30)

Skiing Pico Mountain

Friday, March 6th, 2026

Runs: 24

Distance: 20.88 miles

Elevation: 22,336 feet

Max Speed: 36.2 mph

Avg. Speed: 14.7 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes, 7 seconds

Total Time: 5 hours, 26 minutes, 22 seconds

If there is one thing I've been excelling at this winter is skiing on weekdays! Linnea & Andrew are geting married tomorrow, so I took a personal day to head up a little early and get the festivities starte! The OFFICIAL plan was to ski at Pico on Sunday post-wedding, but I figured that we wouldn't explore too much of the mountain with a giant crew, so I bought a lift ticket for today (Friday), too! I mentioned it to Gen and she joined! She ended up Getting a hotel in Queeche yesterday night, but I wasn't going to join since I was going to have parent teacher conferences until 8pm, but then I was told that I wouldn't have to stay since I had no conferences and the weather was going to be bad, so I HAPPILY joined! Gen and I flirted with skiing McIntyre on the way up, but it was on/off raining and we didn't want wet gear for Pico, so we met at the Sierra and then Chilis in West Lebanon, NH for dinner before checking into the Align Inn (LOVELY!). We got a good night's rest and then had an easy (albeit slightly slushy) 45 minute drive to Pico Mountain the next morning! We made it to the lodge around 8:30am, slowly got booted up, and made our way out a little after 9:00am to start exploring!

Current Conditions

March 6th, 2026 - 06:04am

Good morning, Pico family,

It was another sunny and pleasant day on the mountain with great snow to shred. After a couple days off, it feels good to be back open and shredding here.

An inch of snow moved in last night along with sleet and freezing rain. There's another chance of snow early today, then mostly cloudy with highs around 29°F at the base and 33°F at the top, and a breezy southeast wind to keep things feelin glike midwinter.

Our grooming team went after the same plan with Knomes Knoll terrain added back into the mix, including The Draw, Ace of Clubs, and Triple Slope. Ace of Clubs should be skiing and riding strongs as well as Fools Gold after receiving fresh corduroy.

The Summit Express Quad, Golden Express Quad, Little Pico Triple, Knomes Knoll Triple, and Bonanza Carpet will all be spinning at 9:00am.

It's time to think about getting your Spring Pass for unlimited skiing and riding from March 13, 2026, through the very last day of the season. Plus, your Spring Pass is also valid at Killington until it closes for the season. 

Have a good Friday! - Evan

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Golden Express Quad - Expressway - Swinger

[0.87 mi; 3:23; 896 ft; 28.6 mph max; 13.9 mph avg]

Run 2: Golden Express Quad - Fool's Gold

[0.59 mi; 2:15; 519 ft; 30.2 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]

Run 3: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Mid Pike - Lower Pike

[1.75 mi; 6:17; 1,969 ft; 35.0 mph max; 16.3 mph avg]

We were cautious with our snow quality expectations due to the rain last night and the refreeze, but we were delighted with our first run! We hopped onto the Golden Express Quad (which had a fun chair shape - the chairs were normal but the bracing around it were shaped like little houses) and followed Expressway to Swinger down. Expressway followed the lift line and had some nice, hard corduroy. Not the "vibrates my whole body" hard, but the kind that's fun to ski! Swinger mellowed out but was still lovely. This was a great start!

Run #2 was the Pico equivalent of Green Weaver at Saddleback, a busy transit route between the two main lifts down Fool's Gold. The difference between Fool's Gold and Green Weaver is definitely snow quality (it was GOOD on Fool's Gold), difficulty (Green Weaver isn't too difficult until the headwall before the Kennebago Lift), and width (Fool's Gold is a WIDE trail, which was great becuase there were folks of ALL abilities on it). 

Run #3 brought us up the Summit Express Quad, which had Hershey Kiss-shaped chair bracings, and we went down Forty Niner - the main blue groomer from the summit. The snow was similarly in fantastic shape - I was delighted! The run was overall just a favorite - a nice true intermediate run with a few steeper spots and a slight New England-style wind to it. We popped out on Mid Pike and skied right on past the Summit Express Quad to Lower Pike. 

Runs 4-5 

Run 4: Little Pico Triple - A Slope Cutoff - A Slope

[0.49 mi; 1:36; 673 ft; 32.3 mph max; 17.2 mph avg]

Run 5: Little Pico Triple - Bushwahcker - Swinger - Triple Slope

[0.95 mi; 3:20; 656 ft; 28.9 mph max; 17.0 mph avg]

We skied right along to the Little Pico Triple to do some exploring on the lower mountain. This was an adorable lift with a low-key vibe to it. Run #4 brought us down A Slope Cutoff, which started wide and then narrowed to a little steep chute before opening up again at the end for some nice, wide turns on A Slope proper. The upper part of A Slope was double-black rated with natural snow, and the natural snow was sounding FROZEN at this point in the day.

Run #5 brought us down the back side of Little Pico on Bushwhacker, which quickly became a favorite! It was just a mellow tree-lined run that was visually a delight. We followed that all the way to Swinger and ultimately Triple Slope to continue our exploration.

Runs 6-7

Run 6: Knomes Knoll Triple - Sundowner

[0.36 mi; 2:19; 390 ft; 24.4 mph max; 8.6 mph avg]

Run 7: Knomes Knoll Triple - Ace of Clubs

[0.35 mi; 1:23; 351 ft; 24.8 mph max; 14.9 mph avg]

Now we were at the Knomes Knoll Triple, another adorable, althought slightly less adorable triple near the Golden Express Quad. Run #6 was down Sundowner, which was ungroomed. I pointed that out to Gen and noted that there were some bumps, but she was down to explore! That was a mistake... With the snow, rain, and refreeze the snow on this run had about 3" of soft underneath about 3cm of hard crust, which made turning virtually impossible. At one point we were both down on the ground (I tried to come to stop but my downhill ski caught an edge and I went FLYING - landed smack on my butt which was a pain I hadn't felt before!). We recovered, got back on the triple, and solemly swore to hit a groomer next. We followed Ace of Clubs back to the Golden Express Quad.

Runs 8-10

Run 8: Golden Express Quad - Fool's Gold

[0.59 mi; 1:43; 522 ft; 36.2 mph max; 19.6 mph avg]

Run 9: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Sunset 71 - Lower Sunset 71 - Forty Niner - Mid Pike - Lower Pike

[1.63 mi; 7:03; 1,969 ft; 30.1 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

Run 10: Golden Express Quad - Gold Rush - Lower Pike

[1.01 mi; 4:11; 906 ft; 32.7 mph max; 14.3 mph avg]

Run #8 was another lap down Fool's Gold - my favorite part about this run was that it had a few fun rollers after the only steeper pitch - so fun!

We were back on the Summit Express Quad for Run #9. We were interested in the other blue from the top, Sunset 71. There was a headwall at the start of it listed as black, but it became a blue just after. We skied down Forty Niner to check it out. It was bumpy, but Gen was feeling down for the challenge again! It... sucked! Bulletproof! We scraped down, for better or for worse, and at the first bail out point Gen hopped back onto Forty Niner. I decided to keep my sense of adventure going, and suffered down the rest of the bumps. My legs were cooked by the end of the upper half, not becuase the bumps were big, but becuase I was constantly braced for impact. Lower Sunset 71 was groomed, but similarly bulletproof. It wasn't full Tokyo Drift (like how Goat gets at Jay in the afternoon), but it also wasn't pleasant. I was thrilled to get back onto Forty Niner, and Mid Pike and Lower Pike were both dreams! We also noticed a few groups with Vermont Adapative Sports helping skiers with physical and visual impairments navigate the mountain, which was really cool!

Run #10 was a much easier run with the only goal of skiing trail we hadn't yet. We took the Golden Express Quad to Gold Rush and Lower Pike, a lovely run! 

Runs 11-12

Run 11: Little Pico Triple - B Slope

[0.45 mi; 1:29; 636 ft; 28.3 mph max; 17.5 mph avg]

Run 12: Little Pico Triple - Bushwhacker - C Slope - Lower Pike

[0.79 mi; 3:46; 669 ft; 34.1 mph max; 11.6 mph avg]

Run #11 was back onto the Little Pico Triple and we followed B Slope, which was in pretty good shape! The snow was finally getting chopped up, providing some much welcomed grip. The slope was a fun pitch, too! Steep at first, then flattens out partway down, and then a nice wide pitch to end. Definitely a favorite!

Run #12 was back down Bushwahcker and onto C Slope, which was equally as delightful! Just a nice groomed woodsy cruise. We spat out onto Lower Pike and rode it back down to the lodge. We went in for a quick water/snack break after this one. We both agreed we didn't need to ski the full day until 4:00pm, but we did want to see how many different trails we could ski without getting too miserable.

Runs 13-15

Run 13: Golden Express Quad - Fool's Gold

[0.57 mi; 1:36; 509 ft; 32.5 mph max; 20.4 mph avg]

Run 14: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner

[1.34 mi; 5:11; 1,696 ft; 30.6 mph max; 14.8 mph avg]

Run 15: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Sunset Schuss - C Slope - Lower Pike

[1.81 mi; 7:55; 2,014 ft; 30.9 mph max; 13.2 mph avg]

After our break, we were back on the Golden Express Quad for a quick run down Fool's Gold and then onto the Summit Express Quad for a redemption run down Forty Niner! Forty Niner was nicely chopped up, likely because it was the only enjoyable run from the top. It was the kind of snow that you need to dig your edges in, but once you get them in you can really ride the turn nicely!

Run #15 was my favorite run of the day! We got back up the Summit Express and onto Forty Niner. Near the end of Forty Niner, we turned onto Sunset Schuss, which was a fun, relatively gentle narrow trail with occasional thin cover and a bump here and there. We followed Sunset Schuss to our beloved C Slope, which we followed back to Lower Pike to finish out a truly lovely fun!

Runs 16-19

Run 16: Golden Express Quad - Expressway - Outpost Run - The Draw - Swinger - Triple Slope

[0.95 mi; 3:53; 876 ft; 25.7 mph max; 14.1 mph avg]

Run 17: Knomes Knoll Triple - Triple Slope (Mid)

[0.31 mi; 1:09; 384 ft; 22.9 mph max; 14.9 mph avg]

Run 18: Knomes Knoll Triple - Triple Slope (R)

[0.29 mi; 1:02; 387 ft; 23.9 mph max; 17.1 mph avg]

Run 19: Knomes Knoll Triple - Ace of Clubs - The Draw - Swinger

[0.47 mi; 2:19; 390 ft; 28.0 mph max; 12.3 mph avg]

Our next batch of runs helped fill in our map some more. We took the Golden Express up for Run #16 and then down Expressway to Outpost Run, which was a weird mix of styrofoam/ice/concrete snow. It was neat and spooky to see the quiet Outpost Double, which I guess has been down for some mechanical issue. From there, we skated over to The Draw, Swinger, and then Triple Slope, landing back at the Knomes Knoll Triple.

Runs #17 and #18 were both down Triple Slope. Run #17 was down the middle of the three routes while #18 was down the right side - both were fun! Short, but fun! I flirted with the left side, but it was more of that ungodly awful natural snow that neither of us wanted to mess with.

Our final run over here was down the top of Ace of Clubs to The Draw and then Swinger, just to connect some dots we hadn't yet!

Runs 20-22

Run 20: Golden Express Quad - Fool's Gold

[0.55 mi; 1:51; 505 ft; 32.8 mph max; 17.8 mph avg]

Run 21: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Easy Street - Birch Glades - Mid Pike 

[1.27 mi; 6:57, 1,640 ft; 26.0 mph max; 11.0 mph avg]

Run 22: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Easy Street - Lower Giant Killer - Fool's Gold

[1.52 mi; 6:23; 1,640 ft; 28.0 mph max; 14.3 mph avg]

We noticed there were a few more blues on the map's right side off of the Summit Express/Easy Street, so that's where we were headed next! Run #20 was another lap down Fool's Gold, and #21 brought us down Forty Niner to Easy Street. We traversed the glacier that was Pike, and found ourselves at Birch Glades, which were a DREAM. Skier's left was medium-recently groomed while the middle and left-hand sides were like a tree lattice with bumps and a few woodsy spots. It reminded me of Kokomo at Jay if it had any pitch at all. I was being a little adventerous with my bumps, and unfortunately Gen followed and simply did not turn at one point and ended up smacking into two skinny trees and landing on the ground. Thankfully, it sounded a lot worse than it actually was. Yikes! This would become my new favorite trail of the day (favorite run is still the one with Sunset Schuss).

Run #22 was back up the Summit Express and back down Forty Niner to Easy Street. We went all the way over to Lower Giant Killer, which was delightfully mellow and scenic! Just another nice cruiser lined with trees - a delight! We ended up back at Fool's Gold and went over to the Summit Express again.

Runs 23-24

Run 23: Summit Express Quad - Forty Niner - Mid Pike - Lower Pike

[1.78 mi; 7:06; 1,959 ft; 30.0 mph max; 15.0 mph avg]

Run 24: Bonanza Carpet - GLM

[0.18 mi; 1:12; 66 ft; 18.6 mph max; 8.9 mph avg]

It was now around 2:00pm, Gen and I were feeling satisfied with what we were able to ski, and we were HUNGRY. We decided to call three more skip the last. I told her I wanted to get a zoomy run down Forty Niner, so I ZOOMED on down with super big, wide turns that were so much fun. I followed Mid and Lower Pike all the way down to the lodge, but we still had two more runs to skip the last! I wanted a minute or two for Gen to get down, and then we skated over to the Bonanza Carpet! The tube looked and felt very new, and it was long! Turns out two seasons ago it was a double chair that was replaced in partnership with Vermont Adaptive, which is awesome! We went up the carpet and down GLM back to the lodge for a little teehee run!

We debooted and changed our clothes before getting lunch and an apres drink upstairs at the Last Run Lounge, where they had a little bit of live music, too. I managed to run into an old coworker, which was crazy! We hit the gift shop, and then had a wonderfully short drive to the Mountain Top Inn and Resort, where I'd be spending the next two nights! We relaxed for a bit, found Emma, took a nap, and then had a nice time at the wedding's welcome party before calling it a night.

Map of Pico Mountain