Peak bagging the Northeast

Mileage: 3 Miles Total Elevation Gain: 695 Feet My grandpa wanted to show me Terrible Mountain because he helped preserve it many decades ago from housing development. The South Peak of Terrible Mountain has a house on the summit and was developed taking away the beauty of the area. We would start from the Okemo State Forest point just off of Andover Ridge Road. We would follow a logging road, bump up to the ridge, hit the west peak, and continue over to the main peak. We would also attempt to search for the plane crash site on the mountain. Terrible Mountain is located in Andover, Vermont, and is the highest point in Andover. It is also on the New England 1000 highest. It requires a mixture of logging roads and bushwhacking to reach its summit. We set off to the end of a clearing and quickly found the logging roads. We walked there for a bit before heading up into the woods. My grandpa is still recovering from a foot injury and it was slow going but it was fine so we could enjoy the w...

Distance: 17.1 Miles Elevation Gain: 5457 Feet My friend and I started planning a section hike of the Appalachian Trail back in February, the plan for the trail would go from Sherburne Pass in Vermont to Grafton Notch in Maine. Day one was throughout Rutland and Windsor Counties and the trail crossed four summits on the New England 1000 Highest. Deer Leap Mountain, West Quimby, Quimby Mountain, and The Lookout. We started in Sherburne Pass on July 6 with the intention of making it 15 miles on the first day. However, we ended up going further. We started in high humidity around 9 AM and crossed Route 4. We quickly climbed up to Maine Junction where the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail split. We continued right on the AT and soon started the side trail up Deer Leap Mountain. We reached the summit which was a short bushwhack off the trail and continued toward Dear Leap Rock. Deer Leap Rock had great views of Pico Peak and Sherburne Pass below. We dropped down to Gifford Woods past wha...

Mileage: 9.4 Elevation Gain: 3856 Feet I wanted to do a routine hike of Mount Mansfield but make it a bit more interesting. I recently found a list called the Long Trail Side to Side Challenge. I wanted to knock some of these off and thought it would be perfect to do that. It would be my 21st time climbing the mountain but my first time on many of the Side to Side Trails.  Mount Mansfield is located in Underhill Vermont and is the highest point in Underhill. It is also the highest point in Chittenden County and the State of Vermont. I started up the Eagles Cut Trail in Underhill State Park. I then connected to the Laura Cowles Trail which began taking me steadily up the mountain. A low overcast shrouded the area that day and the views were nonexistent for most of the hike. I summited Mansfield in one hour and fourteen minutes from Underhill State Park. I got my photo taken and began to descend on the Long Trail North. I hiked over the Adams Apple and down the Hell Brook. I talked t...

Distance: 6 Miles Elevation Gain: 1690 Feet Trails Used: Snowmobile Trail, Bushwhack I have been wanting to do this peak for a while now as it is close to home. This peak had an obvious approach from the north. You would start from the Monroe Trailhead and follow the old road shown on Gaia GPS into Beaver Meadow where you would start the bushwhack. I would be hiking with my dad and he also wanted to go up in there as he knew of some cliffs in the area.  Ethan Allen East Peak is located in Duxbury, Vermont. It is on the New England 3000 Footers and requires a bushwhack to reach its summit. There is also a register jar on the summit which is a bonus.  My dad and I decided to use our bikes to our advantage and bike in as far as possible before bushwhacking. We biked in on the snowmobile/ski trail towards Beaver Meadow. It was a very hot and humid day but there was not a cloud in the sky. We encountered a fisherman and his dog and said hi. We then continued biking until a sign sai...

Day 1 Distance: 5.4 Miles Day 1 Elevation Gain: 2275 Feet Trails Used: Nebraska Notch Trail, Long Trail, Bushwhack Day 2 Distance: 6.2 Miles Day 2 Elevation Gain: 789 Feet Trails Used: Long Trail, Old Long Trail/Duck Brook Trail My friend Levi and I wanted to do a backpacking trip on a section of the Long Trail. We also wanted a section with a few new peaks that I had not yet climbed that were just off the trail. We decided on the Bolton Mountain section and despite the section being short, we had school and wanted to have a fun overnight at the beginning of the summer backpacking season. After school, Levi's parents dropped us off at the Stevensville Trailhead and we began hiking on the Nebraska Notch Trail toward the Long Trail. Our plan was to bushwhack Sugarloaf which is above Nebraska Notch and shave off Taylor Lodge. We would then climb the Long Trail to a point where we would make the short bushwhack to Mount Clark. We would then summit Mount Mayo and stay the night at Puffe...

Total Mileage: 6.2 Miles Total Elevation Gain: 1578 Feet I wanted to do a hike that was not too long but was a peak on one of my higher priority lists. Since this one was relatively close to home, I thought it would be perfect.  Moss Glen Falls Mountain is a mountain in Granville, Vermont. It is on the New England 3000 Footers List.  I drove down through Granville Notch and started driving up toward the trailhead for the Clark Brook Trail. The road was rutted and relatively washed out. I planned to drive up Patterson Brook Road and then begin the bushwhack. However, Patterson Brook Road was gated at its intersection with West Hill Road. The gate said that it was supposed to be opened by the end of April but the town or whoever operates it had probably not gotten to it yet. I started the mile road walk up towards the start of the bushwhack. This road was in far better condition than the West Hill Road which had been washed out. At the first hairpin turn in the road, I jumped in...