November 10, 2007
Lynn and I are in Vermont for three days. We are staying with her Uncle Bob in St. Johnsbury. The main objective of this trip is to complete my final 2 New England 4000 footers. My secondary goal is to bag 4 additional peaks which are on the New England 100 highest list. Tomorrow looks like the nicest day to bag the four thousand footers (Camel's Hump and Mansfield), so today I'm off for Mount Wilson and Bread Loaf Mountain. All the mountains I hike over the next few days are on or near the Long Trail; however, I won't be completing any Long Trail sections, so I'll be back someday when I get around to completing the Long Trail. Here's today's track.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As I drove toward Granville this morning, I went by Moss Glenn Falls.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I started on the Clark Brook Trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had to cross the brook twice, but found bridges at both crossings.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just after the 2nd bridge, I entered the Bread Loaf Wilderness.
(Names like that always make me hungry.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
What's this??? My first encounter with snow this season.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Glad I brought my winter gear on this trip.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I came to the junction with the Long Trail and began following the Long Trail's white blazes which are real 'helpful' in winter. (Note the white blaze on the tree.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The only tracks on the trail were from wildlife, so I'm the first to be up here since the last (first?) snowfall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As I neared Mount Wilson, I got a great view from a lookout just off the trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Green Mountains of Vermont are looking more like the White Mountains of N.H. and Maine.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shortly after, I reached the viewless, unmarked 3745' summit of Mount Wilson. This makes 87 on my way to completing New England's 100 highest. I continued on to Bread Loaf. Isn't winter pretty?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The trail brought me right past the Emily Proctor Shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Almost at the summit of Bread Loaf.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Next I reached the 3835' summit of Bread Loaf Mountain. The trail didn't look like it quite went over the highest point, so I stepped off the trail a few feet to what looked like the highest point. That's #88. There's no view from the summit, but there's a short side trail (also marked with white blazes) that has a great view. This 'side trail' must also be considered part of the Long Trail since it is blazed with with. I guess if you are doing a n LT thru hike you should hit this very short trail going out and back. No biggie, you wouldn't want to miss the view anyway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I returned over the same route. Seeing no other hikers, I had the trail to myself today. On the way back to St. Johnsbury, I stopped at this scenic outlook off Route 2 near Danville. There's no snow here, but you can see it high in the mountains all the way in the back.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
| 
