To mix things up a little bit on this Christmas weekend, we headed over to Vermont to climb Camel's Hump. This was the first time for Leesa. We arrived at 10 AM and were treated to blue skies, even though the forecast called for mostly cloudy.
I decided we would climb via the Burroughs Trail and then decide whether we would come back on the same trail or take the Long Trail to the Forest City trail.
The parking lot was about half full when we got there, and we expected more people to arrive. I kept Rev on the leash due to the number of people on the trail.
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| Leaving the hardwoods and entering the softwoods |
Camel's Hump is one of the most popular peaks in VT and it is visible from much of the Champlain Valley. The trail was wet down low, but there was minimal ice and no snow.
We saw several groups on the way and and on the way down, but we had the summit to ourselves for the first five minutes after we arrived before a group of three showed up.
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| Just a little rime ice. |
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| Mount Mansfield in the distance to the north. |
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| Leesa on Camel's Hump. |
On the summit, I asked Leesa how she wanted to proceed. She opted to continue on the Long Trail to the Forest City Trail so that is what we did. It turned out to be a great choice. We got to have the warm sun in our faces as we walked south. We got back down into the woods and I let Rev off the leash. There were not many people on this route. The crowds were taking the Burroughs Trail both ways.
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| Starting to head south on the Long Trail |
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| Leesa... trying to keep up with Rev and I |
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| A good look back at Camel's Hump. |
I think I actually like the Long Trail/ Forrest City route better... at least being in the sun for part of the hike. It's nice to do a loop hike and not an out-and-back.
We stopped in at the Montclair Glen lodge when we got to the Forrest City trail. No one was there and we had a few snacks before heading down and out. It's a great little lodge.
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| Montclair Glen lodge. |
From the lodge it's an easy walk of 1.5 miles to the trailhead via the Forrest City trail and the short 0.1 mile connector trail.
Hike Stats:
Hike Distance: 5.5 miles
Hike Time: 4 .5 hours
Total Vertical Gain: ~2300'
I like to climb Camels Hump by going up Forest City, then north on the Long Trail. Once on the ridge you have views of the summit cone ahead of you. Looks quite impregnable. The schist rock and its formations are full of interest. The final push over bare windswept terrain is dramatic and makes the peak particularly satisfying. Then it's a relatively quick descent down the Burrows Trail.
ReplyDeleteAlso remember coming across the wreckage of a plane near the top - I believe this was on one of the trails from the east, a longer drive from N.Y. Studies of the boreal spruce forests here lead to action on acid rain. I wonder if they're recovering? There used to be a ski tour around the mountain every winter - do they still do that? It's just such a beautiful mountain.
Don, thanks for reading and for leaving a comment. I see your point about climbing counterclockwise. We did see Camel's Hump behind us as we went south on the ridge. It's nice to have a loop hike option.
DeleteDon, thanks for reading and for leaving a comment. I see your point about climbing counterclockwise. We did see Camel's Hump behind us as we went south on the ridge. It's nice to have a loop hike option.
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