| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Stratton Mountian , VT |
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 | Trails: |
Appalachian Trail/ Long Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 14, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot and road are beautifully plowed, and the road was graded to perfection prior to winter conditions, so ZERO ruts. Hoping it stays this way for the winter season |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
First three crossings are bridged, be careful of the second set of bog bridges over the stream, there isn’t enough snow to the sides and we discovered the boards are *still* offset |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Barber chair blowdown at 2.3 miles in looks ready to go this season, a few leaners but the trail is otherwise pristine |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Only one lovely girl encountered at the summit with her skiing papa—-we have met this duo three times before last winter! |
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 | Bugs: |
Zero—-their reign of terror is over until 2026 |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Who would have thought that in early December Stratton Mountain would have so much snow your SNOWSHOES are postholing?! It’s a powder-hound’s dream, with over 2 feet of soft snow from the parking lot, and drifts much higher as you climb. What a winter wonderland! On our southbound AT trailbreaking on Friday we observed that the trail was broken out by one intrepid hiker, and when we came back to hit northbound on Sunday the trail had seen no additional traffic, with an additional 2-3 inches of soft snow in the existing snowshoe tracks. #TeamTubbs x 2 door to door, with cold, powdery snow difficult to consolidate. Another two pairs of snowshoes joined the fun, so now the trench is well-formed but needs a warm up to make it a superhighway. First two water crossings are bridged, only one set of bog bridges partially visible. Other crossings easily stepped over, and we kicked snow into them to help the bridging process. Tower stairs are free of ice, we barebooted to the cab. There are now four windows broken out, fire tower floor is covered in ice and snow, and the inside walls are covered in rime ice, so if you’re thinking of taking shelter here, DON’T—it’s pretty cold and it makes me sad that folks can’t figure out how to take pictures without sticking their hands out of a window. We broke out a section of the AT/LT heading north from the tower that provides a great windbreak for snacks and layer changes of folks need it!
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 | Name: |
islandgirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
joannhall4@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-12-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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