My ultimate goal for this expedition was to bird in Hancock on a section of the Long Trail. Just north of where VT-73 crosses over the pass, the Long Trail passes thru the Breadloaf Wilderness Area. I wanted to hike in there, and see what could be seen. Now I hadn't planned on snow when I set out, and was only wearing my hiking sandals, but I did have a fleece in the car, so I wouldn't get too chilled.
The elevation of Middlebury Gap is 2180 ft. Heading north along the Long Trail, I signed in at the check-in box for the wilderness area -- I wasn't planning to thru-hike, but there's an official record of the 251 Town Birder entering the wilderness. The trail was only moderately steep, but because of all of the rain, it was a soggy trail. My feet stayed warm because I kept moving, and that motivated me to continue my hike. Once I reached 2435 ft, you could see that it had snowed overnight and that the red trilliums had suffered. The trilliums must've been heavily laden with wet snow, for they were all bent over, heads to the ground. The trees had shed many thin branches that were in full leaf. By 2450 I was in continuous snow cover, and in the ground-hugging clouds. Only my feet and a few Black-throated Green Warblers made any sound; everything was muffled and misty. When I reached the first trail fork, I checked my elevation... 2477. I marched a bit further along the trail until my altimeter read 2480, then I began my return. 0.5 miles, 330 feet, and who knows how many degrees!
Well, I still haven't figured out how to keep Weebly from rotating my Portrait photos into a Landscape orientation, but we'll move on from there. I'll eventually get the photos fixed.
Chilly Checklist for Hancock:
Black-throated Green Warbler
The elevation of Middlebury Gap is 2180 ft. Heading north along the Long Trail, I signed in at the check-in box for the wilderness area -- I wasn't planning to thru-hike, but there's an official record of the 251 Town Birder entering the wilderness. The trail was only moderately steep, but because of all of the rain, it was a soggy trail. My feet stayed warm because I kept moving, and that motivated me to continue my hike. Once I reached 2435 ft, you could see that it had snowed overnight and that the red trilliums had suffered. The trilliums must've been heavily laden with wet snow, for they were all bent over, heads to the ground. The trees had shed many thin branches that were in full leaf. By 2450 I was in continuous snow cover, and in the ground-hugging clouds. Only my feet and a few Black-throated Green Warblers made any sound; everything was muffled and misty. When I reached the first trail fork, I checked my elevation... 2477. I marched a bit further along the trail until my altimeter read 2480, then I began my return. 0.5 miles, 330 feet, and who knows how many degrees!
Well, I still haven't figured out how to keep Weebly from rotating my Portrait photos into a Landscape orientation, but we'll move on from there. I'll eventually get the photos fixed.
Chilly Checklist for Hancock:
Black-throated Green Warbler
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