| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mendon Peak, VT |
|
 | Trails: |
Logging road, herd path, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, December 26, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Bucklin trailhead can fit several cars cozily. Wheelerville Road very well-plowed and sanded. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Relatively straightforward - use care with the two larger crossings, water is plentiful enough for a slipped boot/snowshoe to submerge. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Meh... it's a bushwhack. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
nada |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
Tough day today for Liz and I (and her puppy Baxter). Started out a bit before 10am. We knew we'd be trail-breaking, with the Christmas Eve/Day snowstorm dropping a foot-plus of new snow. We knew where we were going to get up to the ridge, and ended up following what we believe was Jason's track (or someone else's?), which headed off to the right at the bushwhack proper (at the bend to the left following the switchback). However, the track faded away due to new snow drifts and I ended up taking us into the very dense and steep approach to the first summit, just off the main ridgeline to the south; not a good idea. We worked our way over and eventually found the herd path, and things were smooth sailing after that, arriving at the summit at 2:30pm.
We came down following a track my friend Jeremy and I took last July. Liz was hiking back down the same way, and I had planned to break off and whack over to the LT, head north and grab Killington, then hike down Bucklin. But it was after 3pm at that point, and a solo bushwhack in unsure snow depth this late in the day just wasn't prudent. I expended quite a bit of energy leading much of the trail breaking, too. So I decided to hike down with Liz and come back for Killington another day.
Bushwhack path from the gate was flattened by snowmobile up to the cabin on the left (.5 or so mile). The rest up to the start of the bushwhack proper is broken out as well as two people hiking up/back can. If you go soon, follow the bushwhack that heads straight up off the logging "road" rather than the one heading off to the right; the former is way, way, way better and more gradual, with little encounter with fallen logs and the like.
About 6+ inches down low, over a foot and as much as 2-3 feet drifts up on the ridge to break through. Didn't have to deal with breaking through crust from the rain/ice storm a few days earlier, thankfully. Mendon is 52 of NE Winter 100 for me. |
|
 | Name: |
Erik Bertrand |
|
 | E-Mail: |
erik@bertpc.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-12-26 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/1328437701 |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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