There’s nothing extra exhilarating than climbing up the Sundown Ridge Path on Mt Mansfield on an ideal sunny day. For my companions and I, it was the climax of a month of effort to boost funds for the Inexperienced Mountain Membership (GMC) to guard and preserve Vermont’s Lengthy Path (LT), the primary Nationwide Scenic Path in the USA. Whereas the LT, at 272 miles, is among the shorter long-distance trails in the USA, it has humbled many skilled thru-hikers or part hikers with its rugged skyline, remoteness, and unpredictable climate.
The Sundown Ridge Path is just not truly on the Lengthy Path correct, however is a blue-blazed facet path and a part of the Inexperienced Mountain Membership path system. These blue-blazed trails function on and off-ramp trails, permitting hikers to entry the LT, and lots of are simply as lovely and formidable because the LT itself. I spent the previous 12 months climbing all 88 of the Lengthy Path Aspect Trails, and they’re a exceptional useful resource that’s additionally nicely well worth the safety and upkeep of the Inexperienced Mountain Membership.
We arrived early at Underhill State Park, the place there’s parking for the paths that go away the northwest facet of Mansfield. I knew it was going to be a busy climbing day and wished to get an early begin to keep away from the crowds. Mansfield, like Mt Washington in New Hampshire, has an auto highway to the summit, which brings many extra individuals to the summit in high-quality climate.
From the park entrance, it’s a mile stroll to the beginning of the Sundown Ridge Path and the Laura Cowles Path, the 2 hottest and steepest facet trails on the west facet of the height. We deliberate to climb the Sundown Ridge Path to the Lengthy Path and comply with it for a brief distance north to the Mansfield summit, earlier than descending on the Laura Cowles Path. Sundown Ridge has nice views; Laura Cowles has nearly none.
We encountered a number of enthusiastic volunteers from the Burlington part (the GMC’s time period for its regional volunteer teams), who had been manning an info desk and explaining the GMC’s position in preserving the paths on Mansfield and alongside the Lengthy Path. They’d a rapt viewers.
We had been quickly climbing the Sundown Ridge Path, which has essentially the most wonderful stonework for erosion management under treeline. It takes large talent to construct such lovely stone stairs utilizing solely native supplies, one thing that the GMC and its path building/upkeep crews, each skilled and volunteers, are well-known for.
After we popped above treeline, my pals and I finished for a snack and to absorb the view of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack peaks past. We’d struck the motherload by way of climate, climbing below clear blue skies. I knew we’d have 360-degree views from the summit, however I used to be content material to gaze southward on the succession of peaks that run south alongside the Lengthy Path’s route. Whereas I hiked the path 17 years in the past, the reminiscence of my hike, my first huge part hike, stays on the forefront of my thoughts. I’m delighted to be concerned with the GMC once more, this time as a board member, as a result of the path has performed such a major position in my life and the sequence of occasions that adopted.
As we continued ascending the Sundown Ridge Path, I used to be happy to see my companions having fun with themselves and the views that unfolded earlier than us. The path is a protracted sequence of rock ledges which are nearly fully uncovered to the weather, affording nice views of the encircling panorama and Mansfield’s huge footprint, which extends southward for miles. It’s no marvel that hikers and skiers turn out to be enraptured by this mountain, climbing it repeatedly or taking part in alongside its flanks.
As we neared the highest of the Sundown Ridge Path, we turned proper to affix the Laura Cowles Path simply earlier than its Junction with the Lengthy Path and the ultimate 0.4-mile climb to the height’s summit. Whereas there have been extra individuals than we might have appreciated having fun with the view of the valley under and the adjoining ridgelines, we’d arrived early sufficient within the day to keep away from the crush. Craving some solitude, I led my pals to the highest of the Subway Path, a enjoyable, however seldom hiked facet path that drops under Mansfield’s west flank, and I imply “drops”, the place we loved an undisturbed lunch and relaxation.
Quickly we had been headed again down, this time on the Laura Cowles Path, which drops steeply down the mountain’s west flank. This path is generally fairly moist, which may make it further hazardous to hike downhill. However we’ve been having a horrible drought this summer season in Vermont, which, whereas clearly evident, didn’t make the ledge drops that a lot simpler, though the however sliding was at the very least drier.
We had been quickly down on the backside and on our method again to the automotive to hook up with our pals from the Bread Loaf part, who had been having fun with laborious ciders on the Woodchuck Cidery exterior of Middlebury, VT. As we sat exterior and gorged on selfmade Rice Krispie treats, we recounted our adventures and basked within the camaraderie that every one hikers share.
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