Inn to Inn Hiking in Vermont
The friends who hiked with us along the Rogue River in Oregon in 2000 persuaded us that a hike in the East would be equally enjoyable. They tried out Vermont in 2001 and then arranged a trip for the four of us in the Green Mountains for a week in June of 2002. We met them in New Jersey's Newark airport and, after a night at their home, drove North to our first lodge. The drive itself was interesting, as we could watch the forested areas along side the road change from mostly hardwoods to more and more evergreens as we went North. Along the way, we passed the Catskill Animal Farm, a refuge for many endangered species, and also the Grandma Moses Studio.
There is lots to see and do here. We noticed that the terrain got much hillier as we entered Vermont, and the ridges were as much as 3400 feet above the valleys as we neared our destination.
Our first stop was at Churchill House near Brandon, VT. The inn is an old colonial style, with pine floors, a Franklin stove, dim lights, and very pleasant owners. Our room was large, with a double bed and single bed., both covered with wonderful quilts that could have been hand-made. We assembled in the lounge for wine, salsa and tortilla chips about 6 p.m. and discussed hiking possibilities with the propriator. Dinner was pea soup, mixed green salad, and poached salmon, followed by chocolate mousse with ice cream for dessert. Wonderfully cooked and tastefully served.
(Although it is possible in a few cases, one usually does not actually hike from one inn to the next in the East. The inns and the trails are not necessarily close enough together, especially for elderhikers who want only a six to ten mile hike. The format is that you drive to the first lodge and then next day, with the owner, you decide where to hike for the day. The owner then helps shuttle you and your car so that you have your car at the end of the trail. You are dropped at the beginning of the trail, and enjoy the hike to your car. You then drive to the next lodge, and the cycle repeats. Our trip involved five lodges and four hiking days. The map above shows our route and the location of the lodges.)
Monday June 17, 2002
Breakfast next morning was delicious blueberries, scrambled eggs with potatoes and peppers, and wonderful apricot-almond muffins. Over seconds of coffee, we made a final choice of a hike for the day. The owner shuttled us to Brandon Gap where we connected with the Long Trail. Three of us waited at the Gap while our car was left at a trailhead farther east, and the driver brought back to the Gap. From the Gap we could look up to the ramparts of Mount Horrid, the next peak on the way north. It is only about a mile hike from the road to the summit, but clouds were swirling about and rain was threatening, so we decided to forgo Mount Horrid.
We hiked from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., covering about 8 miles. Our route went first along the Long Trail going south, to its junction with the Crittendon Brook Trail which we then followed back to our car. The Vermont Long Trail spans the state from north to south, following the highest ridge lines and connecting the highest peaks of the state. We had no rain, but the trails were wet and muddy from rains the previous day. We hiked through dense green, green, green forest with some views out to the east. The forest is extremely varied, with oak, birch, maple, hemlock, beech, balsam pine and spruce, all mixed together, with an understory of blueberry or huckleberry bushes. We hiked south along the Long Trail, undulating but mostly level for about 4 miles to the junction with Crittendon Brook Trail. We stopped for lunch where we had a view out to the northeast. Near the trailend, we visited a beaver pond, (no sign of the beavers). All along the trail we occasionally observed piles of moose droppings, but no moose. They were probably watching us from a nearby hiding place.
Reaching our car as expected, we then drove well into the Moosalamoo region of Green Mountain National Forest to our next Lodge, Blueberry Hill Inn. We were assigned to the North Sky room, which overlooks the swimming pond. After settling in, we toured the property, wandering through the garden beds where they grow their own fruits and vegetables. In the greenhouse, we talked with the gardener, who was washing and sorting the greens for our salad. Returning to the main house, we enjoyed coffee and cookies in the lounge, and then relaxed in our room until dinner time. Dinner was served promptly at seven, and was a delicious sorrel/potato soup, the fresh garden salad we had seen picked, followed by roast duck, (one of my favorites), and then a lemon tart for dessert. The dining room was full for dinner, with hikers, sightseers, and a family of bicyclers who were cycling from their home in Maine to Burlington, Vermont. A busy day, which found us in bed by 9:15.
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
Breakfast was baked eggs, cheese bisquits, fruit cup, orange juice and muffins, with lots of great coffee. The atmosphere was so relaxing, and the conversation with our table companions so interesting, it was 10 o'clock before we finally packed up and got ready for another hike.
The lodge for tonight, Judith's Garden, was only a mile away, so we chose a route around nearby Hogback Mountain on cross-country ski trails used in Winter. The trail started right behind Blueberry Hill Inn, so we left the packed car in their lot. After an hour we broke out of the woods along the south side of Hogback, and were rewarded with an expansive view to the south. We could see no development, or town, just many shades of green on the hills and ridges. Each tree, it seems, has its own shade of green. Continuing, we turned northeast and followed along to Sucker Brook Clearing, which had no view. The trail was very wet and muddy, with streams everywhere. The woods were much more open than the area of yesterday, but with no landmarks in view, it would be easy to get very lost. We pushed on to Goshen Dam on Sugar Hill Reservoir, where we sat down in the center of the dam for lunch. The view of the lake from our spot was pristine. Dense forest right down to the water's edge; several common egrets fishing along the shore; not another person around. We were quite surprised to see a van slowly driving toward us along the top of the dam. The two workmen aboard explained that they needed to check out the automatic sensors that transmitted water level and overflow rate to the office. Thus disturbed, we hiked the mile or so back to Blueberry Hill Inn, retrieved our car, and drove a mile south to Judith's Garden Inn.
We were greeted by a wonderful couple who have run the Inn for about 4 years. They used to live not 100 yards from our companions in New Jersey. Carol remembered the garden they had there, which has been reproduced at the Inn. Many of the plants were actually relocated. The result is charming. Our room was on the second floor with a view of the garden, pond and lawn with its gazebo. We enjoyed happy hour in the gazebo, and then returned to the Inn for a dinner of baked salmon, golden potatoes, and asparagus, followed by ice cream with a delicious fruit sauce for dessert.
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Judith prepared a wonderful feta cheese and spinach omelet for breakfast. Thus fortified, we decided to hike to the top of Mount Abraham, (about 4000 feet in elevation), from Lincoln Gap. Starting from the gap meant we only had about 6 miles to hike, and about 1500 feet to climb. Another route from the valley below would involve more miles and about 2600 feet of elevation gain. Again, our route was along the Long Trail, which goes via the gap to the top of the mountain and continues on north. This was a tough but very rewarding hike. The trail was steep, rocky, wet and muddy in places. However, the aspect was quite open, so we could see for miles, to Lake Champlain to the west and all the way to Quebec to the north.
We returned to our car about 3 p.m. and drove to Mountain View Inn which is on route 17 near Irasville. We took two of the inn's seven rooms, and rested for a while before dinner. The Inn's dining room is furnished with a single long table that would seat at least twenty. Augmented by another couple and the proprietors, we eight barely used half of the table. Dinner of pork chops, salad, and a delicious cake with a mixed fruit topping was served family style.
Thursday, June 20, 2002
After breakfast of oatmeal and muffins, we purchased several cans of the real Vermont maple syrup that were available at the
Inn. The maple syrup produced in Vermont is required by the state government to be stronger than that produced elsewhere; so it is more viscous and flavorful. We used some on our oatmeal and were really impressed by the robust flavor. This day we drove to Stowe, Vermont's premier Winter ski area. About half way there, we stopped at a roadside shop for some cheese and bottles of Vermont wine for cocktail time. We next stopped at the headquarters of the Green Mountain Club to view maps, displays and get some advice on what hikes we could take in Stowe.
In Summer, many of the ski trails are used for hiking. The best choice seemed to us to be to climb Mt. Mansfield, the tallest in Vermont. We continued to Buccaneer Lodge in Stowe, checked in, and immediately left for the mountain. We were able to take the toll road that goes under the ski lifts up to the top station and a large parking lot below the Cliff House Restaurant. From here it was only a 5 mile round trip to the top of the mountain at 4393 feet. We again were on the Long Trail which goes right along the crest of the ridge. Mt. Mansfield is shaped like a man's face when lying on his back. We hiked from just below the nose, across the lips and up to his protruding chin. There, we found many others making the same hike, and met a ranger who spends her day at the mountain top; answering questions and making sure that people do not trample the vegetation that surrounds the rocky top plateau. We lunched, took pictures and then headed back to our car.
We enjoyed our happy hour back at the Buccaneer and then went into the dining room for a fabulous dinner: Lamb chops for main course and cheese cake for dessert. A fitting end to our most enjoyable inn-to-inn week.
Logistics
The trip was arranged through "Country Inns along the Trail" Their web site, inntoinn.com, explains everything. The inns we stayed in can also be enjoyed individually; most were not full during our week there. They probably are full in skiing season since the entire area is very popular with cross country skiers, and also downhill skiing at Stowe. Most inns have web sites as follows:
Churchill House Inn - churchillhouseinn.com
Blueberry Hill Inn - blueberryhillinn.com
Judith's Garden Inn - virtualcities.com/vt/judithsgarden.htm
Mountain View Inn - vtmountainviewinn.com
Buccaneer Lodge - buccaneerlodge.com
Cost was $625 per person, double occupancy, all inclusive.
Includes: Charming rooms, all meals, (dinner, breakfast and box lunch), transportation to trails (car shuttle), snacks, some beverages in the afternoon, lots of good advice and pleasant conversation with other guests..
Only Churchill House serves wine, at other inns you must provide your own, (glasses and snacks provided)..