I’ve been exploring Vermont this winter with the intent of hiking and backpacking in the Green Mountains this summer and autumn (2024). The last time I spent time in Vermont was in 2008 when I section hiked The Long Trail. Now I plan to complete a side-by-side of The Long Trail by hiking all of the side trails that lead to it. This is the equivalent of hiking the blue-blazed side trails on the Appalachian Trail, but much shorter of course.
I still hope to finish the 14/576 remaining ascents for the White Mountain 4000-footer Grid this April and May, but unlike many Gridiots, I’m not interested in hiking The Grid for a second round, at least not at this time. I feel like I want to explore new territory outside of New Hampshire, and Vermont is close enough that I can commute fairly there easily, especially for backpacking, where I can live in the woods for days at a time.
Coincidentally, there is a growing trend amongst serious New Hampshire peak baggers to branch out and hike the mountains of Vermont, Maine, and the Adirondacks. This trend is driven in part by hikers seeking to peak bag lists that span multiple mountain ranges, including the New England 67, the New England 100 Highest, and the Northeast 111 Highest. While I could try to finish those lists (I’m most of the way complete anyway), I consider myself more of a trail hiker than a peak bagger so a side-by-side of The Long Trail, with a lot of backpacking thrown in, is more my speed.
This explains why I found myself hiking up the Battell Trail to Mt Abraham (4006′) in March. The Battell Trail runs for 2.0 miles up to the Long Trail (LT) and Mt Abraham is another 0.9 miles past the LT junction. I did this hike with two friends from New Hampshire who are working on their New England 100 Highest in Winter lists and since our goals coincided, I decided to enjoy their company. I’d also hiked up Mt Mansfield with them earlier in the winter.
We couldn’t have picked a worse day, weatherwise. The forecast called for rain in the afternoon, so we got an early start, meeting at the Battell Trail Trailhead in Lincoln, VT at 8:00 am. Naturally, it started drizzling as soon as we got started, but I was able to hike without a rain jacket for the first 2 miles until we got to The Long Trail Junction.
While the Battell Trail does climb up to The Long Trail, the climb is pretty gradual through open woods. The trail was broken out, we were able to hike with trail crampons for traction instead of snowshoes.
I’d anticipated recognizing The Long Trail when we came to its junction, but I had no memory of it or the summits to follow. Looking back in my Long Trail Journal (which is posted here on SectionHiker.com) provides the reason why: it was raining and there were no views.
I did remember the Battelle Shelter, however, where I’d spent the night back in 2008. It looked vaguely familiar when we stopped beside it, although I didn’t remember that it had an on-site caretaker. Abraham is a popular peak and the shelter is only about two miles from a road, so it makes sense to install some adult supervision to oversee it and to turn the privy pile for composting. 🙂
We donned rain jackets at the shelter and headed toward the Abraham summit, passing through an area of Fir and Spruce before reaching treeline. While the snow remained firm, this section of trail was littered with blowdowns in need of a saw and some trail maintenance. If I can get back there in the next week or so, I think I’ll do some cleanup with a big Silky saw.
The Long Trail gets steeper before it comes to treeline and you come to a set of alpine zone signs. When the dwarf trees and shrubs give way to rock you’re at the very small Abraham summit which is crowned by a rock windwall – a circle of rocks you can duck below to get out of the wind. There is no summit sign. Once again, there were no views, just wind, blowing rain, and fog. One of these days, I’ll climb a mountain in Vermont and hang out in some sunshine!
We didn’t hang out at the inhospitable summit but headed down the way we’d come. While the weather on this hike did not cooperate, the company was good and the ascent was quite gradual and pleasant. While I do plan to hike the other side trails in the Long Trail system this year, this will be a good route to return to with friends on a clear day.
Vermont Trail Guides and Maps
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