Homer Stone Brook & Bald Mtn Trails - Day (& Night) Hike

On Sunday, September 21, 2008 I have the chance to slip away for an afternoon hike. I arrive at Homer Stone Brook Trailhead (680 ft. above sea level) at 1:15 pm for a 4.8 mile hike to the Long Trail and Little Rock Pond (1,854 ft.) This will be the third time I have hiked to the Pond...each time by a different trail. The trail climbs steadily past an old stone wall and then runs along the north side of the very pretty Homer Stone Brook.
Most of the trail follows an old roadway known as the Old South Wallingford - Wallingford Pond Road. The roadway is in fair shape and my guess is that a 4-wheel drive vehicle could make it up the first 1.7 miles. I
t appears as though a few ATV vehicles have done so lately. At 1.7 miles the trail crosses Homer Stone Brook and the ascent steepens over the last 0.6 miles until I arrive at Little Rock Pond.
The descent goes fast as there are not as many loose stones and roots as on the LT. I arrive at the car at 3:25 having covered 4.8 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Given my fast pace I decide their is sufficient daylight left to hike the Bald Mountain Trail. This trail is a 3.5 mile loop trail that does not connect to the LT. Instead, it climbs Bald Mountain (2,747) in the Aiken State forest just outside of Rutland VT. I arrive at the trailhead at 4:15 pm to begin the hike. Shortly after starting I come upon a lone female hiking with her dog. She advises me to take the east side of the loop as that is the better climb up the mountain. I follow her advice. after about 1.2 miles I arrive at a poorly marked decision point. I can turn north and head up the mountain or turn east and head around it. The trail is supposed to be marked with blue blazes but, unfortunately, both directions have such blazes. I choose the east figuring I'll hike around and then up to the summit. I follow this trail for another 1.0 miles until I come to it's abrupt end. I've now gone over three miles, two of which are not the right trail. I arrive back at the junction and, even though it is dusk, decide to climb the mountain, figuring I can do this and complete the loop in about as much time as it will take to back track my steps. Besides, this will eliminate the need to come back and complete the trail some other day.

I climb steeply up the mountain and arrive at a vista looking out over the Rutland airport. The trail continues up a short distance to another vista. Upon reaching this vista the trail branches in two directions. One direction is simply labeled "Pico Vista" and the other is not labeled at all.
I figure the Pico Vista branch is simply a hike to another view that requires one to turn around and come back after getting there so I choose the unlabeled branch. The blue blazes lead me to another vista. It has now gotten dark enough that I pull out my halogen headlamp to light my way. This is the first time I have used it on a hike and it works well. After another 10 minutes of hiking I come to another Vista...Man this summit has lots of Vistas. Another ten minutes and, wait a minute! Didn't I climb over this same tree lying across the trail once before? I continue on a short way and come to another vista and it dawns n me that I'm going in circles. It is now dark and I can't tell one vista from another. I say a quick prayer that I will not have to spend the night on a mountain top in shorts and a sweaty t-shirt with the temperature in the mid-forties.

I climb over the downed tree for a third time and begin to resign myself to a long night. Perhaps I can keep walking all night and that will keep me from getting too cold. I'm not panicking but I do figure I'll be up her until daybreak. On my next loop, hiked very slowly, I come to a descent that looks new to me. 200 yards past the start of this branch I realize I'm heading down and not towards another vista again. Apparently, I'm on my way out. I decide to turn off my headlamp to see just how dark it is. Without the headlamp it is so dark that I realize I will simply have to sit down right where I am and wait morning out if it fails to work; it is that dark. I turn the headlamp back on. After about a mile of descending I come to an intersection I recognize and turn west to head back to my car. I arrive at the car at 7:41 pm having hiked the last 1 and 1/2 hours in the dark. I intended to go 3.5 miles and instead estimate that I have traveled 7.0 miles on this hike bringing my total for the day to about 12 miles. I'm not very sore as I get into the car, drive to cell phone service and let Kim know I'm on my way home.