It finally started snowing for real. It is supposed to be cold for the next week at least, hopefully until March. Can we pick a date and place?

Based off the poll, here are the two most popular dates:

1/13 - 1/15
1/2 - 1/22

(tied)

Oh baby! It's on!

I don't know anything about Haystack, but I know there are decent lean-tos on the Glastenbury route. Jeremy, you seem to know more about Haystack, so your input would be good. I think Glastenbury would be a great place for the trip, but mostly I just want to get out in the woods-- I could go with either.

I don't know much about either I will do some homework on both and report back in a few days.

Oh. Well that works, too :) I've been to Glastenbury a few times, most recently only a couple months ago. If it helps, I have a gps track I took of the hike, so we could cheat a little bit. It's also very easy to find the trailhead. I live only an hour and a half from both areas, so if I get to the trail before some other folks, I can break out the path to the first lean-to, so anyone who gets to the trailhead after dark would have a path to follow.

The south trail head is about 5 miles east of Bennington on rt. 9 on the North side of the highway.

From a topo map and trip reports it is a long mellow hike. apx 10 miles one way to the summit. It also crosses little pond mountain summit (3331') about 6.5 miles one way. The trail to the summit is the long trail/AT so it should be easy to find out way, however I do think this will be a winter hike that will require lots of trail braking because of its remote location.

Start elevation is around 1400', a quick steep climb to 2000' and then a easy mile to the shelter at around 2400'
little pond mountains summit is 3331', the trial drops to a col at about 2900' and then a climb back up to 3748' for Glastenbury mountain summit.

I think this will be a LONG easy hike which will make it a bit harder in the low light of winter. Headlamps will be used to hike on this mountain.

It also looks like there might not be any views from the summit because they closed the fire tower down a few years ago.


OH and this is the one with the ghost stories!!!!
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-mystery-people-vanishing-glastenbury-mountain-12403.html

Edited by earn_my_turns on 12/08/2011 18:42:14 MST.

Pretty spot on--

Aside from a few hundred yards across the river from the trailhead, it's a very mellow, easy hike. Trail-finding may be difficult just because it's a lot of open hardwood, which means white blazes may be a little hard to find.

Little Pond Mountain has no view, but there are a few ledges along the way that provide views.

Melville-Nauheim Shelter is approx 2 miles from the trailhead.

Goddard Shelter is 0.2 miles from Glastenbury summit. The firetower was renovated in 2005, and has wonderful views.

The only trail that gets to the summit is in a community. You park about 2.5 miles from the summit. Not really what we are looking for.

I looked at Stratton and I think it is a better second option, the only issue I see is that you can only camp at the designated tent sites around Stratton pond. I am ok with that but realize that it will most likely be a cold night sleep both nights.

Other than that it looks like it starts out at about 2200' up and down for about 3- 3.5 miles to 2600' to camp at stratton pond

Take a different trail the at/long trail straight up to the summit at 3940' over about 3.5 miles.

Then back to down to statton pond for another night and then back out the way we came.

This trail should be decently broken, it is very popular.

Thoughts?

unless someone else has another idea.

I remember climbing Glastonbury Mtn this past summer and think it sounds awesome to try for this winter. I'm game !! Just waiting to hear what the final date selection is going to be so I can try to get off work for that weekend.

I would also like to hear a final date selection.

Glastonbury Sounds good to me.

Or the places in NH suggested in the whites.

I am open for either of those weekends mentioned.

Someone voted (or changed their vote haha) and now 1/13 - 1/15 is the winner. Glastenbury sounds good to me. If no one has any objections, "Let's get it on!"

Seth - Carpool again? (my snow tires are going on soon! So I'm good either way.)

The date change just pushed me out of contention. I'll be out of the country until 1/19.

This sounds like fun. I'm not sure if I can make it or not.
Some info:
Glastenbury mt. section of 100 classic hikes in New England on google books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=eRPodpFAtrAC&lpg=PA106&ots=uHQiisZJj6&dq=appalachian%20trail%20Glastenbury%20Mountain&pg=PA107#v=onepage&q=appalachian%20trail%20Glastenbury%20Mountain&f=false

A neat map link, shows AT overlaid on google maps, click on trail segment box under the map:
http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/googleat.php?lat=42.88782&lon=-73.09507&mt=3&scale=11

Looks like the trail head is a little under 1500', Nauheim shelter is 2300'.
1.6 miles rte 9 to Nauheim shelter, 10.1 miles rte 9 to Goddard Shelter.

When I did this long ago it was 100 degrees.

If you don't understand the youtube-famous WOW reference in the subject, that is okay. Looks like I'm in, and trying to convince my twin brother to join also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU


Q: Any ideas about nighttime lows for that area ? wondering how I should be thinking in terms of prepping a gear list for the weekend. Was thinking MLD Duomid w/ superlight bivy and an Exped UL 7...and then wondering what degree bag I may be able to get away with if I bring my Montbell Thermawrap Jacket and pants for camp and to boost my sleep system (have a 35* down, and can add a 50* synthetic quilt over that....over just borrow a 0* or similiar bag from EMS....Any input would be helpful. Thanks, Seth

Leroy rocks, but I'd kill him if we were ever on a Everest Climb and just went nutso. :p

I am going to plan for low 20's high teen's for night time temps and 20's to mid 30's during the day. VT is relativily warm and calm compared to its neighboring mountain regions to the east and west.

I should add that I tend to like it a bit colder than the average so I don't pay as much attention to low temps.

PS just put the trip in outlook!!!

Edited by earn_my_turns on 12/09/2011 11:23:57 MST.

I looked up average lows for nearby Shaftsbury in January:
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/daily/VTSPSH:13?climoMonth=1

Looks like planning for low of 0F is way to go?

I would say 0 is a good bet. It's been a warm season so far, but I haven't found the Green Mountains to be significantly warmer in winter than the whites (at similar elevations, at least). I have more experience in northern vermont, though.

Alright. Now that we've got the get-together #2 date figured out, let's start planning #3! End of January, White Mountains!