Heading to Vermont

2022-10-08
PA, NY, VT

We decided to have a long weekend in Vermont. It's one of the few states neither of us has been to, and Val was able to take a day off for Columbus Day, so it seemed like a good idea. The good and the bad of the trip is that it happens to be during peak leaf season in Vermont, so everyone else thought it was a good idea to head up there too. Luckily Val reserved us a room a few months back; currently everything is booked.

We decided to drive four hours on Friday night and hole up in New York to gain ourselves the extra time in Vermont. The hotel was old in a shabby (not retro) way, lacking amenities, and overpriced. The beds were only slightly firmer than granite I believe. Welcome to New York.

Our first stop in Vermont was to hike Lye Brook Falls. This is a 4.9 mile out-and-back with 992 feet of climb in Southern Vermont. The trees were changing although there was still a fair amount of green; there were some leaves on the path but they were pretty reds and yellows and didn't hide too much. The path was rocky, not that different than our normal Pennsylvania trails.

The waterfall was really quite nice, although the best viewing area was really small and the trail was crowded with a lot of tourists, many with young or very young children. Our turn was brief but I took the extra few seconds to set up a tripod.

Afterwards we drove a few miles to Mount Equinox Skyline Drive, which purports to be the longest private paved toll road in America at 5.2 miles. I can attest to both the paving and the private parts; the latter was enforced by a gate that you needed a token to open. Tokens were available at the gate for $25 for the driver and $5 for each additional passenger. On the way up there were a few private residences and we couldn't help wondering if they had a big sack of tokens that they'd better not forget if drive somewhere. Going to a party at these houses would be expensive...

There were a few viewing stops along the way, and at the top was the main viewing center which had a four porches split between the first and second floor where you can take pictures. The mountains were beautiful and you could see a long ways although as usual it got hazy after a few miles. When you are there your mind fills in the details, but pictures are a bit less forgiving. It was in the low 40's on the top of the mountain with a wind chill that encouraged us to keep it brief.

We headed down the mountain and then north to Killington were we would be spending the next couple nights. We stopped to hike Deer Leap Trail while there was daylight. This is a 2 mile out-and-back trail (527 climb) that actually section-hikes a bit of the Appalachian Trail. Not a big bit, but it's always great to claim to be a "section hiker" and now I can claim to have done it in five states. The trail itself was unrelenting for the first half mile, with rocks and roots challenging you to find a place to put each foot as you slogged ever upward. The initial section was a bit of a weed-out hike, I'm sure it convinced some of the unprepared to turn around. If you made it to the second half mile, then it eased up both in terrain and climb. The views from the overlook were grand, and although it was the wrong time of day for the best light we took some pictures and hid from the wind.

We checked into our lodge which is older (actual door keys!) but in good shape. The common room reminds Val of her high school skiing trips. We showered, ate, and unpacked and then it was time for an early bedtime after a long day.