With snow on Mount Washington and First Frost in the rear view mirror, my pleasant hiking options continue to dwindle by the day. Faced with low 30s temps this morning, I still decided to leave the house (0830) for some outdoor fun in Vermont. Since I haven’t done a lot of hiking on the Long Trail in 2021, I headed west (via I-89, VT-107, Blackmer Road, VT-100 and VT-73). By 1000, I was parked at big LT lot at Brandon Gap (Goshen) and was ready to hike! A few other guys were leaving their cars at the same time - they mentioned that the “Cliffs” were open (I guess this was unusual because it is usually closed to protect the nesting area of peregrine falcons) and were worth the climb so I headed north (1015), just behind them. Unlike most of my AT hikes, I didn’t really have a plan or information about the section I was hiking - even Guthook (renamed “Far Out” this week) didn’t have a lot of data except for the terrain. But I was surrounded by trees, a bright blue sky and two layers of clothing - what else do I need? I bypassed the “Great Cliff” on the outbound leg because I wanted to see if I could reach the Sucker Brook Shelter (~5.5 miles from my car). The first peak I reached was called Mount Horrid (~3.5K’) and I could see two other, similar pyramid-shaped peaks (Cape Lookoff and Gillespie Mountains) to the north. On the ridge, it was cold and breezy - there weren’t many places to get views because the trees were so thick. The trail descended into a “saddle” between the peaks and I had to slog through a bunch of mud. I passed a SOBO Thru hiker (she was in a hurry) and one of the guys I’d met in the parking lot (he was backtracking, ready to go home) - otherwise, I had the trail to myself… Each of the three climbs/descents wasn’t too bad (+/- 500 feet) but I still had to watch my step (slippery). On the second peak, I got my first real view - to the west, I could see a huge, flat valley and two ridges of mountains (Taconics, Adirondacks) beyond them. Visibility was tremendous! Nearby, I got some views to the east - I believe I could see the Kinsmans and Moosilauke (in the White Mountain Range). Continued down and up again and found a nice plateau (slight incline) that presaged the “pushover” to the shelter (4 miles from the car). It had warmed up a little (mid 40s) but my slog had taken much longer than I’d expected - I also didn’t relish the idea of hiking down another big hill I’d only have to climb again… So I turned around. Shed a layer as I backtracked and stopped to talk to a NOBO Thru hiker, two ladies with their pointer-dog (she was “flushing” grouse), a local woman on her daily climb to the view I’d seen, a dad walking while waiting on his shopping wife/daughters and a young mom with her toddler on her back. Heard a bear was nearby, saw big hoof-prints that I assume were from a moose and listened to lots of birds coasting on the wind. Highlight of the day was the visit to enjoy the Great Cliff - spectacular! After reaching the road, I checked out the signage on the other side - got back to my car by 1600 (~10 miles). Drove home by the same route I used in the morning (arrived by 1715). Not my fastest hike but glad I didn’t stay on the couch! Long Trail Today = 4.0 miles / Grand Total Long Trail = 113.6 miles
