Name of mountain(s): 3940’Stratton/3850’Equinox Name of trail(s): AT/LT. Red Gate/Blue Summit
Hike date(s): 7/13/08 Weather and trail conditions: Sunny to start. Became cloudy near summit of Stratton. It was cloudy the rest of the day.
Total miles hiked: 14.4 Trip report: I woke up at 3am and was on my way to Vermont by 3:50am. Leaving Berwick Maine, I was on the AT/LT by 7:50am.
With all the gear I needed, my pack weighed 47lb. It took a little while getting use to the pack, but my new LEKI Carbonlite trekking poles helped tremendously.
After I crossed the International Paper Rd., I looked for a campsite. I found a site and it was way off the trail.
I made Base Camp and I put a few things inside the tent from my backpack so I could lighten my load.
While I was heading up the trail, the clouds rolled in. When I got to the summit, it was overcast.
Going towards the summit tower, there was a guy and girl heading up.
I dropped my pack and looked around the summit.
When they came down the tower, I went up. The higher I went up the tower, the windier it got. I had to take off my hat and clip it to a carabineer so I wouldn’t lose it.
The top of the tower is enclosed with glass. There were good views but I couldn’t see too far towards the horizon.
After a couple of minutes, I headed down, grabbed my pack, and went down to Base Camp.
When I got back to BC, it was 11:30am.
I thought to myself, I would go nuts if I spend the rest of the day inside the tent. So I decided to pack up BC and headed back to the truck.
I decided to head over to Mt. Equinox.
The ride over was awesome. There were great silhouettes of the Green Mountains and they were great.
I drove to the last parking lot on W. Union and parked next to the green gate.
I threw back on my pack and hiked the Red Gate Tr. to the Blue Summit Tr.
Just past the junction where the Red Gate Tr. turns right, I saw a sign stating that it was private property. So from here I found a campsite.
After setting up Base Camp again, I headed up the Blue Summit Tr.
The trail starts out as a wide road, very eroded. I was starting to get tired and sore.
Soon the road turned into a narrow trail, still eroded. Then after a right turn at a junction, it got really steep, with several steep drop-offs.
The trail became ruthless/relentless. It would turn right, then left, then around, then through, getting steeper as I progressed.
Towards the top, there was a blue arrow pointing to the right, so I took a right.
There were no blue blazes and it was going down hill.
I turned around and went back to the junction.
I went straight and after this point, the trail is a free for all to the summit.
When I finally got to the summit, I saw the old hotel. I went to the porch and checked out the view north. Then I went to the parking lot and looked south. Good views.
The trip back down was rough and very slippery.
I couldn’t find any water on the trail so I had to head back down to my truck to get some.
By the time I got back to BC, I was beat.
I made dinner, did the dishes, and hung my food bag.
It started to rain but the leaves on the trees were keeping me dry.
By the time I got everything into the tent, it started to downpour.
The leaves became saturated and didn’t provide cover anymore. Soon I discovered that the rain fly leaks. Great.
To check out the photo’s, go to:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/564120099tdggkQ
Hike date(s): 7/13/08 Weather and trail conditions: Sunny to start. Became cloudy near summit of Stratton. It was cloudy the rest of the day.
Total miles hiked: 14.4 Trip report: I woke up at 3am and was on my way to Vermont by 3:50am. Leaving Berwick Maine, I was on the AT/LT by 7:50am.
With all the gear I needed, my pack weighed 47lb. It took a little while getting use to the pack, but my new LEKI Carbonlite trekking poles helped tremendously.
After I crossed the International Paper Rd., I looked for a campsite. I found a site and it was way off the trail.
I made Base Camp and I put a few things inside the tent from my backpack so I could lighten my load.
While I was heading up the trail, the clouds rolled in. When I got to the summit, it was overcast.
Going towards the summit tower, there was a guy and girl heading up.
I dropped my pack and looked around the summit.
When they came down the tower, I went up. The higher I went up the tower, the windier it got. I had to take off my hat and clip it to a carabineer so I wouldn’t lose it.
The top of the tower is enclosed with glass. There were good views but I couldn’t see too far towards the horizon.
After a couple of minutes, I headed down, grabbed my pack, and went down to Base Camp.
When I got back to BC, it was 11:30am.
I thought to myself, I would go nuts if I spend the rest of the day inside the tent. So I decided to pack up BC and headed back to the truck.
I decided to head over to Mt. Equinox.
The ride over was awesome. There were great silhouettes of the Green Mountains and they were great.
I drove to the last parking lot on W. Union and parked next to the green gate.
I threw back on my pack and hiked the Red Gate Tr. to the Blue Summit Tr.
Just past the junction where the Red Gate Tr. turns right, I saw a sign stating that it was private property. So from here I found a campsite.
After setting up Base Camp again, I headed up the Blue Summit Tr.
The trail starts out as a wide road, very eroded. I was starting to get tired and sore.
Soon the road turned into a narrow trail, still eroded. Then after a right turn at a junction, it got really steep, with several steep drop-offs.
The trail became ruthless/relentless. It would turn right, then left, then around, then through, getting steeper as I progressed.
Towards the top, there was a blue arrow pointing to the right, so I took a right.
There were no blue blazes and it was going down hill.
I turned around and went back to the junction.
I went straight and after this point, the trail is a free for all to the summit.
When I finally got to the summit, I saw the old hotel. I went to the porch and checked out the view north. Then I went to the parking lot and looked south. Good views.
The trip back down was rough and very slippery.
I couldn’t find any water on the trail so I had to head back down to my truck to get some.
By the time I got back to BC, I was beat.
I made dinner, did the dishes, and hung my food bag.
It started to rain but the leaves on the trees were keeping me dry.
By the time I got everything into the tent, it started to downpour.
The leaves became saturated and didn’t provide cover anymore. Soon I discovered that the rain fly leaks. Great.
To check out the photo’s, go to:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/564120099tdggkQ
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