Highpoint #24: Vermont

Atop Mt. Mansfield -- Finally!

With summer fast approaching, I was itching to get on the road again.  I strategically waited until the weekend AFTER Memorial day weekend, so I could avoid the traffic and crowds.  My first stop?  Vermont.  I had some unsettled business up there, and I was all too keen to resolve matters. 

See, back in February when I did my highpointing trip for Rhode Island and Massachusetts, I also tried my hand at Vermont.  Yes, February, right after the Nemo storm passed through the area.  There really could not have been more snow on the Mt. Mansfield when I visited then (what was I thinking?).  It ultimately did me in when I approached the final headwall, forcing me to come back another time if I ever wanted to lay claim to the summit.  Well, last Friday was the day!  There wouldn’t be any snowdrifts to swallow me up this time around.  The challenge was on!

I left my place in D.C. first thing in the morning, and I ultimately made it to the Stowe ski resort in upstate Vermont late in the afternoon.  I wanted to take the exact same route that I did in February, so I could see how close I really got to the summit and figure out where I went wrong.  So, for me, that meant taking the Long Trail south and connecting to the Profanity trail, which is a recommended approach in prime winter, when it’s passable anyway. 

Road:  Summer

Road:  Winter

I parked in the small hiker’s lot next to the gate just off the road from the uphill entrance to the ski resort and well before Smuggler’s notch.  The first difference that I noticed was that the gate was open and the road was pristine.  In the winter, that gate is as far as you can get by car as they close the rest of the road until late spring. 

Trailhead:  Winter

Trailhead:  Summer

After a little bit of a walk, I crossed over the road into the woods at the trailhead for Long Trail South.  From there, it is a 1.7 mile hike all uphill to the Taft Lodge.  In the winter, the route was a very popular one with backcountry skiers and the occasional person on snowshoes, like me.  There are plenty of switchbacks, interrupted by a few stream crossings.  In the snow, there was a very clear, smooth path made by skiers in the prior days.  I was able to snowshoe right along that path with no problem at all.  I, thankfully, had heel lifts on my snowshoes which helped with the elevation gain considerably.  In summer though, the path was definitely very rocky and not so smooth.  There were plenty of tiny obstacles to be negotiated, but it was still a pretty straightforward hike. 

It's Easier to Snowshoe...

...Than it is to Hike!

In the winter, the route went direct to the Taft Lodge!  Evidently, skiers are pretty efficient at getting where they need to go.  In the summer, the path meandered and came back around to it, making for a gentler approach. 

Taft Lodge:  Winter

Taft Lodge:  Summer

On both hikes, I opted for the Profanity Trail to go straight up the mountain with less danger of rockfall and exposure.  Look at the signs though from the two trips!  This really tells you how much snow they get here in the winter!!  The smaller sign underneath the main sign was completely covered by snow; I didn’t know it existed!

Sign for Profanity Trail:  Winter

Sign for Profanity Trail:  Summer

Going up from here was definitely tricky in the winter.  I think most of the skiers just stop at the lodge and either take the moguls down for some good backcountry skiing, or they just wander over to the Chin Clip run at the ski resort and ski down the black diamond route.  Why do I say this?  Because routefinding became quite a bit more difficult after I passed the lodge.  The Profanity Trail is marked with blue blazes, but it seems a little harder to follow, at least initially. 

Profanity Trail, Earlier On

Profanity Trail, Near the End

Last time, I made my own path, and proceeded up the mountain the best I could, but I had enormous difficulty.  Every once in awhile, I would just fall into a snowdrift up to my stomach, and sometimes up to my neck!  These were, I later learned, called “spruce traps”.  They can be kind of dangerous, especially if you are climbing solo.  I eventually had to pull out the ice ax.  With two hands, I plunged it horizontally in front of me, and pulled myself farther up the mountain, again and again.  It was intense.  Ultimately, I reached a spot a bit in front of the headwall that I could not get past.  Everything I tried with my snowshoes, ice ax, grabbing a random spruce branch, or finding an alternative route just failed.  I was stuck!  I eventually had to accept that I was not going to get the summit, and resolved to return another day. 

DEEP Snow!!

To be Continued Another Day!

Well, this time, the story was much better.  The Profanity Trail is MUCH easier to follow when there is no snow.  It also goes a bit to the left of where I was climbing in February.  I clearly was off-route, and when I looked over to it in the summer, I was surprised I could get through any of it at all.  The snow hides a lot!  No, this time the path was narrow and filled with straightforward scrambling.  It did not take long for me to reach the alpine zone. 

Yay!  The Difficult Portion is Over!

From there it is a piece of cake to finish.  Just follow the boarded off trail portion to the true summit.

It's Pretty Easy Going From Here to the Summit!

At the top, the view is incredible.  A 360-degree panoramic field of vision is available to you, allowing for a keen view of Stowe ski valley and points beyond.  I was the last hiker of the day there, so I had the whole place to myself.  It was so beautiful.  I took my usual photos. 

View of Stowe from the Summit

There was a USGS marker to denote the summit, but it looks like it was kind of beat up.   I eventually decided to head down, before the sun beat me to it. 

Vanity Shot at Summit USGS Marker

Detail of Beat Up USGS Marker at Summit

I made great time back to the Taft Lodge, but now it was starting to get dusk.  I was like, “oh I am pretty close to the car now; Just smooth sailing from here.”  Ugh.  Sure enough, I messed up on one of the stream crossings, and kept following the stream instead of the trail.  Rapid current, wet rocks, and darkness made for a treacherous combination.  I kept descending, trying to lose elevation, but there was no sign of the Long Trail or the highway that I walked in on.  Luckily I had a headlamp and GPS, but still this was quickly becoming bad by the minute.  I tried wandering away from the ravine, but it was dense and not yielding me anything useful.  After a good half hour of this, I finally stumbled onto a clearing next to the rapid.  Sure enough, it put me right back on the Long Trail.  I couldn’t believe it!! I signed out at the trailhead, and walked back to my car. 

It’s funny because I also had trouble following the trail back in February on the way down.  I got lost in the moguls and eventually made my way over to Chin Clip and walked down the ski run to the Stowe parking lot.  I am sure ski patrol loved the idea of a guy emerging from the woods onto one of their ski runs holding an ice ax in his hands.  Oh well, so it goes in this highpointing business.  The skiers could not have been friendlier though, with one going so far as to cheer me on.  

View of Mt. Mansfield, by way of Chin Clip, from Stowe Ski Resort Parking Lot

In truth, this mountain was just not going to give up its highpoint easily to me.  I never had so many problems before with such a seemingly simple hike.  Oh well, it’s off the list, and I could not be happier.  Honestly though, this is a beautiful hike anytime of the year.  I am glad it turned me on to a pretty cool ski resort too. 

Are there other ways up the mountain?  Yes, several of varying difficulty.  There is even an auto road that goes up to the lower summit in the summer, but you still have to hike a nontrivial distance from there to the true highpoint, so it’s not exactly a drive-up.  It also feels like cheating, since it is a private (read: expensive toll road) road up the mountain.  There is also a gondola available at the ski resort, but I am not privy to the details.  Good luck though on any approach; you likely will not be disappointed.  Just be careful coming down.  Complacency can lead to adventure rather quickly. 

Beautiful Parting Shot from the Summit