Day Hikes along Route 4
By: Chip Dwyer
People have many different reasons to get out and hike. One of the
best reasons we hike is to exercise ourselves and the family dog. We
hike to get to the top of something and enjoy the view; we hike to
observe the wildlife or the trees and plants along the way. My hiking
combines all this with the chance to be outside with others but I must
admit I do more of it as we get closer to ski season. A few years ago we
had an unusual long and warm fall season and on my hikes I was amazed
how different the views were without any leaves on the trees, except for
a few stubborn trees. This November I hope the string of storms we have
had this summer continues and with cold air creates conditions favorable
for skiing not hiking.
For this article I would like to suggest some hikes that are easy to
moderate and that are along the Route 4 corridors that split Vermont in half from east
to west. For future articles I will continue the search for more easy to
moderate hikes but look more north and south of Route 4.
Starting to the east,
Woodstock’s
Mt. Peg is a great hike that has a nice
combination of woods and meadows and can be less than an hours hike or
longer depending on how much of the cross country trails along the peak
you check out. The trailhead is easily accessible from the Village
Green. Head down Court St. between Courthouse and Woodstock Inn. At the
end of Court St. turn left and then make a right on to Golf Ave.
Continue on Golf Ave. to Maple St. At Maple and Golf
Streets see parking on left. Trailhead is to the left off the driveway.
Trailhead starts with a steep incline through the woods but levels to a
gentle series of trails. The vista at the summit includes Mt. Tom,
Billings Farm and Museum, Pomfret Hills and Killington Mountain.
Next stop traveling west on Rt. 4 is a left turn on the Killington
Ski Area access road to sample the many self guided hikes offered out of
the K-1 Base Lodge. My favorites are the trails around Ramshead Mountain
because they offer mostly shade on hot days and less steepness. For more
exercise it’s hard to beat the hike to the 4,241-foot summit of Killington Peak and the chance to ride the gondola
down.
Something about hiking uphill is more appealing to me as you might
have noticed by the use of the gondola to descend Killington Peak
and that is what this next hike provides. This one requires the use of a
second car to be dropped off at “the Pass” in the parking lot across
from the Inn at Long Trail which is a frequent resting spot many an
Appalachian Trail hiker. The starting point is the Kent Pond
fishing access parking (now under construction but still offers ample
parking) which is half a mile down Rt. 100 North and is on the right
side of the road. Follow the white blaze marks on the trees which go
across the road right away and pass thru Gifford Woods which is worth a
detour from the AT trail to see the many old growth trees. One of the
trees right next to the ranger station is a tough tree to identify since
we are used to seeing the younger version of this tree. It is a huge old
Yellow Birch with an unusually smooth bark on its trunk and then fifty
feet up you can finally see the flaking yellowish-brown bark which
usually identifies it. Once out of Gifford Woods the trail has a nice
pitch that gets your heart rate up without making you want to stop and
rest. Definitely stop for the small lookouts on the left of the trail as
you reach to top of this ridge as you can see the tops of Pico and
Killington mountains. A well marked fork to the left after these
lookouts will bring you back to your car or a well deserved beverage at
the authentic Irish Pub at the Inn.
Continuing westward there is a less known mountain just outside of
Rutland
that is bit more challenging than the previous hikes. Blue Ridge Mountain
is 3,278 tall and can be accessed via the Canty Trail. If you turn off
Route 4 on Old Turnpike Rd.
you will find the poorly marked trail head less than a mile up on the
left. This is a challenging trail that starts off gradual, and once you
get to the waterfalls it becomes steep for about 1.5 miles. The trails
get rocky at times, but there are no open or vertical rock faces. The
summit seems like it will never get there and then all of a sudden you
are there. There are 2 look outs, one on the right that overlooks the
Rutland
area, and one on the left that looks out toward Killington. Never
crowded, and lots of birds to see at the top including Ospreys who
frequently fish in Chittenden Reservoir. You will have done just under
five miles to complete the round trip and count on it taking about three
hours.
The last hike west of
Rutland
alone Route 4 is one I have not yet explored but found out about it when
I asked a friend Jason about hiking spots west of Rutland. Jason says Birdseye Mountain
is well worth the short hike because of its combination of abundant
wildlife, good views and sheer rock cliffs on three sides of the peak.
My research shows that the trail head is 1.2 miles south on Birdseye
road off Route 4A and the summit is 2,216 feet tall. The trail is mostly
in the Bird Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) managed by the
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in part to give the reintroduce
peregrine falcon a safe haven. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department,
in cooperation with the Peregrine Fund and the Vermont Institute of
Natural Science, released 93 young birds between 1982-87. By 1989,
Bird Mountain once again had Peregrine Falcons
nesting on its rocky ledges. The State’s population has steadily
increased, and in 2006 reached a high of 34 breeding pairs.
More good news for hikers is the majestic bald eagle has expanded its
territory into
Vermont after
first re-establishing its usual coastal and Great
Lakes
territory. After a 60 year absence we now have two successful breeding
sites and just last week while kayaking on Kent Pond I witnessed a bald
eagle snag a fish from the water and could hear the loons complain of
its presence.
Now that I have suggested to you a few of my favorite hikes, I hope
you will enjoy one or all of these areas. My dog still enjoys her daily
hike on River Road across the marsh on the boardwalk of the AT trail and
up to her favorite swim hole at the top of Thundering Brook Falls. Molly
hopes to see you and she will give you a bark and a friendly tail wag to
say hello.
By Chip Dwyer: Killington Ski School & Golf
School Pro © Chip Dwyer 2009
