Pico Peak by Snowshoe

I had previously surveyed the town of Mendon, but this was an opportunity to do things a different way... in the wintertime, thru the woods, on snowshoes.  My dear friend Claudia Burkhalter and I had set out yesterday morning from the top of Sherburne Pass, opposite the Inn at Long Trail.  This trek has been a goal Claudia wanted to accomplish before she left Vermont for North Carolina. 

Our ascent took 4 hours along the route of the Long Trail.  The weather was gorgeous, bright blue skies, a few clouds here and there, and a deep cover of fresh snow blanketing the trees and trail.  Birding was almost non-existent -- we only encountered 7 Black-capped Chickadees and a single Golden-crowned Kinglet.  Near the summit, we encountered ski trails with machine-made snow and skiers.  We couldn't make the absolute summit, but we got to the east ridgeline where trails run down the back and the front of the mountain.  

After some great photos, we began our trek down... we needed to return before the northeast woodlands fell under shadow and the trail became difficult to follow.   Two hours later, the two of us - and Claudia's dog Daisy - reached our cars at the Pass.  We were weary to the bone, but we had conquered the mountain and were thrilled with our accomplishment.