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This is the first time I have ever blogged so mistakes will likely be the order of the day! This past winter I committed myself to hiking the Vermont Long Trail (LT) in a series of day and overnight hikes over the course of hopefully no more than two summers. I have decided to create a blog to document my adventures and to provide a chance for any photos I take to be viewed by anyone interested in hiking in general or the LT specifically. I am a novice hiker whose prior experience basically consists of earning the hiking merit badge as a 12 year old. My father and I took five 10-mile hikes and one 20-mile hike as a part of earning the badge in 1974. Since that time I have hiked occasionally but never seriously. I was a long distance runner for many years and am in better than typical shape though in recent years my focus has been on weight lifting more than on endurance activity. I expect the trek to be challenging but manageable.

Monday, May 4, 2009

May 4, 2009 Pine Cobble and Broad Brook Trail Day Hike



On Sunday May 3, 2009 I completed my first successful hike of the 2009 season. I say successful because I went out in mid-april and attempted to hike the Emily Proctor Trail to the top of Breadloaf Mountain. I made it about two miles and about 2/3 of the way up when I encountered snow as deep as two feet. I continued into the snow for about 1/4 of a mile before I came to the conclusion that I was not going to make it to the top and complete this hike until the snow melted. On the way up I came across what I am certain were bear tracks in the snow. Unlike dogs these tracks had clearly defined claw marks.

I started my Sunday hike on the Pine Cobble Trail (630 ft above sea level) in the stae of Massachusetts. This trail is not in Vermont but is considered a side trail because it is one of two approaches to the Vermont Long Trail start at the state line. I hiked the other approach, the Appalachian Trail, last year on my first overnight hike. The Pine Cobble trail is an easy to find and well-marked Hike. I get on the trail at 10:20 am and make good time climbing 2.1 miles to the intersection with the AT (2,010 ft) arriving at the AT at 11:15 am. Along the way I traversed through two granite fields I found interesting.

On the way back down I took a side trail for 0.2 miles leading to the peak of Pine Cobble Mountian (1,894 ft.) and overlooking the Hoosic Valley and the Berkshire Mountains. I pass several people on the trail - this must be a popular hike for people in the area. Some bored hiker went to great lengths to set up a number of balanced rock formations that must have taken a bit of effort to achieve. I arrive back at the trailhead at 12:15 pm having taken just under two hours to hike 4.4 miles.

It takes just 15 minutes to get to the trailhead of my next hike - Broad Brook Trail. Charlie Castelli has warned me about this trail telling me that it is poorly marked and has multiple creek crossings that one must wade because their are not enough rocks to step across on. He was correct - especially since the spring runoff is still occurring. I start out at the trailhead about 25 yards inside the State line of Vermont (900 ft.) and pass by the Pownal Water Works as I enter the trail. The first mile or so is well marked and follows the south side of Broad Brook.

Then come the water crossings. The first one is the deepest (of course, I don't know that at this point). I remove my shoes, socks and pants and put on a pair of imitation Crocs I bought thinking just of this hike. I wade across in frigid water up to my thighs. My footing is secure, however, and the current, while strong, does not come close to knocking me over. I re-dress on the other side and continue on my way.

I make the next crossing about 1/2 mile later and go through the same ritual. On the other side however, I decide that since there are no other cars at the trailhead the trail is mine and mine alone so I leave my Crocs on and begin hiking in my black spandex Under Armour underwear. If this is too much information, I apologize. The trail continues to cris-cross back and forth over Broad Brook. I keep a count and in total I make 19 creek crossings with 10 of them requiring me to get wet on the way up and back. After a few more crossings I can tell my feet do not like hiking in Crocs so I put on my shoes and socks but continue sans pantelones.

At the top I come to a rough but driveable road that takes me .3 miles east to the Long Trail (2,130 ft). There is no sign for this intersection so I take a picture of the White Blaze that marks the LT. It takes 2.5 hours to cover the 4.0 miles to the LT, about 30 minutes of that spent changing shoes to make the crossings.

The trip down is much faster as I decide to wade in my shoes and socks and forego the Crocs. The trip down goes well even though the trail is poorly marked and I get sidetracked a couple of times. I arrive back at the car at 5:00 pm having covered 8 miles in 4.5 hours.

In total I've hiked 12.4 miles today in less than 6.5 hours. Not bad for the first hike out this spring. I stop and eat Thai food in Rutland on the way home to celebrate the start of another season. My goal is to complete the LT and all of the side trails by the end of next fall.
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