High Sierra Topix

This is a Trip Report in pictures from our summer climbs and times in Vermont.  All these peaks are in the Green Mountain Range of Northern Vermont.   We did no overnight trips, but just went out early, and often spent all day in the mountains.  We climbed a combined total of 7 peaks.  Our friends Drew and Jane are inveterate mountaineers, who have joined me for trips in Alaska (where we first met in the early 80's), and New Zealand, and with Lizzie and our sons we have shared long backpacking trips into the Rockies, and of course, the Sierra.  We finally got back to their homestead in far northern Vermont to join them in their own mountains.  Our plans to explore further north into the Canadian Ranges were foiled by the sad circumstance of Drew's new cancer* treatment schedule, so this time with them was bittersweet.  
*Metastatic prostate cancer- Damn!

The mountain climbs we did in the Green Mountains were fantastic!  Those mountains could not be better named, you feel like you are climbing an incline forest.  Often you are hauling on roots, tree trunks, and branches, and on some of the summits, you need to continue right up into the trees to get the views.  Our routes sometimes took us on and off The Long Trail, which runs for 272 miles along the spine of the Green Mts., from the Massachusetts state line to Canada.  I read that it is the oldest continuous hiking trail in the U.S., and was the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail.  We were fascinated by the green scenery, and the great variety of plant life and fungi.  We had hopes of seeing Moose, and Black Bears on these hikes, but saw only their scat and one perfect Moose antler.  Lizzie and Jane did see a big Bear very near their land, and later on, the Bears showed up again to help out with the pear and apple harvest!  We saw Beaver on several occasions, and chipmunks and squirrels; frogs and snakes; and amazing birdlife.  Okay, here it is in pictures:


The very green "Green Mountains."




Waterholes are great destinations after work, on steaming hot summer days.





Our friends homestead is 120 acres of off the grid land, in way northern Vt. It is a third of a mile from the gravel road, and in winter, they either ski or snow shoe in, hauling supplies on sleds.


Check out their snow shoe collection, and their kid-sized skis.



Vermont really feels like a mountainous land.  These peaks can climb up 2,000 feet from the valleys below.


Saw Beavers in this pond.  The berry bushes are Winterberry.


Our first mountain hike was a long haul up first Big Jay, and then Jay Peak (3786' & 3865').  Jay Peak is just 6 miles from Canada and we're less than 10 miles from the Canada border at our friend's place.





Near the summit of Jay Peak, looking over to Big Jay, and on into Canada.  It was a great day; we were  experiencing totally different mountains.


The top of Jay Peak is nicely rocky, but since it is also a ski resort, there are a few buildings too.

Mountain top with spruce trees, and 120 mile long Lake Champlain in the distance.


The climbing is often pretty rugged on these Green Mountains; botanizing along the way gives me an excuse to take breaks.


Indian Pipe, or Ghost Plant, Monotropa uniflora.  This is a mycotropic species.




 

Big purple Aster.


Solomon Seal berries.


Eastern Chipmunk.


This is the view from the summit of Haystack Mountain. It is some very pristine land up there, and on these hikes we rarely saw other folks.


Back down in the valley, with a surprising amount of cornfields, some of which are Amish farms, worked by hand and horse teams.


Our friends are not Amish, but Drew is a master builder, and uses only hand tools for everything but beams. Beams he cuts with his chainsaw.


Golden colored Tree Frog!

Another hike to the Beaver ponds.


Wild Clematis vines.


And this sad, dead Mole.


New life for a Monarch Butterfly, with its larva on some Milkweed.




Heading up another peak, and another view far into Canada.



Summit of Whiteface Mountain.



Our last adventure with our friends was to paddle on Lake Willoughby, which has impressive cliffs, and a rocky shoreline. They got the kayaks, and we got the canoe and the dogs.









Steep slopes above Willoughby Lake.



On shore there were semi-wild canids. 

Vine Maple I think, giving us a preview of what this land will look like in the Fall. We were often surrounded by Red Maple, and Sugar Maple trees, and we returned with nearly a gallon of Drew's Maple syrup, which served just fine as payment for our work.
  

There are delicate White Pines in the lower valleys.


We found an old desiccated deer carcass deep in a hole.  May have been winter kill, or just a mishap that it couldn't get out of.





More cool fungi.


Very nice to see our old friends still healthy, and happily enjoying their land-- wistfully called "The Northeast Kingdom."

Great pictures! It reminds me a bit of the Trinity Alps - well all of the California northern coast range mountains. I was only in the northeast once, unfortunately during black fly season and we stepped out of the car at a trailhead, and immediately drove back to town. We were there for my daughter's graduation from medical residency so could not pick the time.

Thanks for sharing this fascinating excursion in Vermont. My wife’s family has owned property in New Hampshire since the 1930s (it’s where we were married in 1973) so I’m familiar with New England mountains, though Vermont is unique from New Hampshire. It’s all a different place from anywhere I’ve been in California. It’s wonderful you were able to visit with your friends, especially with the cancer diagnosis. All the best wishes for his recovery. We did a trip to see a long-time friend under similar circumstances and so I understand how important that can be.

i have a long history w/ vermont and am glad to see your report!

Thanks for the comments, glad you liked this wayward trip report. Wandering Daisy, you and I both dislike biting bugs, but your dislike seems stronger than mine-- running back into the car, and heading back to town?!


LMBSGV, thanks for your kind thoughts, hard to have friends dealing with cancer. But he is making plans right now to meet us in the Sierra again this summer. You mention the New Hampshire mountains; there were times when we could see all the way to the White Mountain group of peaks from our Vermont summits. Have you climbed up some of those "Presidential Peaks" Laurence? I mean, Washington, Jefferson, Adams?, et. al? I climbed those windy peaks way back when. On the other side, looking west, we could see the Adirondacks too; I've never been in those mountains.

frozenintime writes:

I have a long history w/ vermont and am glad to see your report!

I hope I got my facts straight then. Interesting point Drew made about how crowded VT mountains can be, like in the Mt. Mansfield area, and often along The Long Trail mountains. They make a point of avoiding VT crowds by climbing and hiking off-trail, and are very good at it, as we saw so few people. One of the things they love most about the Sierra is the solitude we always find. Seems ironic comparing our populations. I wonder what you think about that, with your experience there?

Thanks again, Ian.

Harlen, sorry to be so slow to respond. We've been without power since Friday and this evening is the first time I've been able to see HST.

That's great your friend is making plans for the Sierra this summer. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to get away and hike in the Presidential Range, though we have a view of Mt. Washington across Lake Winnipausaukee from my wife’s family place. Since it is an island property (her grandfather paid the princely sum of $600 for it in the 1930s), we end up staying on the island. Since I’m the one person who can deal with the propane stove and refrigerator, I don’t get to go running off to backpack in the White Mountains.

Your Vermont friends may have told you that many of these mostly wild lakes, streams and rivers of upland Maine, NH, Vermont and eastern NY are part of the "Northern Forest Canoe Trail"; a through trail on water (with a few minor portages) that our Native tribes established as soon as the departing glacier allowed, 10-12,000 years back. In Maine, relative newcomers share these waterways with the current Penobscots, Passamaquoddies and MicMacs, who appreciate being recognized as present and active! I have lived all of my 69 years in the mountains of western Maine, where the White Mountain National Forest laps over, and the Appalachian trail drops out of the Presidential and Carter Ranges, crosses the Androscoggin River, and climbs into the Mahousuc Range. Almost as wonderful as the High Sierras. And home!