Lake Champlain Sunset and Moon Walk

While walking on Lake Champlain under the afternoon sun, I knew I had to come back to watch the sun set.  As I watched, I just kept on a walking towards it even after it set.

I read a couple weeks ago about Lake Champlain freezing over and I asked a few people if one can walk across to New York.  The people I spoke to, seemed to think it would be Okay.  It was not long after the sun set that I realized I was the only one on the lake.  No real surprise here.

My previous venture out here made me quite comfortable, but still, at times I got a bit freaked out.  I continued to walk and slide across the ice.  It was quite fun.  It was also eerily quiet, except for the gulping sounds from the lake below and the occasional cracking sound.  I soon passed the island the looked quite far from Burlington.  Soon that appeared far away.  Unfortunately, New York still appeared quite far, though Burlington looked further.

The half moon provided quite a bit of light, but nothing like a full moon.  No question I had made it passed the midway point.  But it took more than an hour and a half.  I came to a section with some snow and a layer of ice that had water on top.  The water more than covered my foot.  I decided to turn around here, despite thinking it most certainly was safe.  I mostly turned around since I had clearly under estimated the distance across.  I assumed it to be about 2 miles, possibly a little more.  Looking at google maps, it appears it's six!  Not even close.

After turning around, I watched as the lights of Burlington got closer, but still seemed so far away.  I made it back to land around 9pm with a 2 hour drive home.  This easily made for one of my favorite walks of all time.  In the future, I will definitely scope out frozen lakes to walk on under a moon.
 

These spots freaked me out.  Probably the last place to freeze.

Lake Champlain

In the early part of the 20th century, it was a rare occasion when Lake Champlain DIDN'T freeze fully across.  Now it's a rare occasion that it does freeze all the way.  It is, though, the second year in a row.  Before 2014, it was the year 2007 that it last froze.  I found this interesting, since 2007 was the year the VPo Man and I hiked up to Friday and Balsam Cap in short sleeves in the beginning of January.  We did not receive our first snowfall in the Hudson Valley (this was quite debatable) until the last day of January.  We did have two large storms in mid February and mid March.  Still 2007, was one of the weaker winters we've had in the Hudson Valley.

Since I had been living in Vermont for 3 months, I had yet to make the 2 hour drive north to Burlington.  Today I finally decided to make the trip.  After stopping for a beer at one of the beer bars, I walked to the lake.  I was completely amazed to see so many people walking out on the lake.  I guess it was really frozen.

It took a while to get used to the sounds coming from underneath.  Very hard to describe, I guess like a Giant gulping.  Sometimes these sounds were followed by some cracking of the ice.  On a few occasions I spotted a few fish whose fate was to have there resting place frozen into the lake.

I think this can pass for modern art

Not sure what kind of tracks

Next time that's how I will roll

Burlington has an awesome location

New York and the Adirondacks

 

Mount Philo

Giant of the Valley

Mount Philo rises just east of Lake Champlain.  At under 1,000 feet, it only takes a little effort to reach some serious views.

Since it's winter with a couple of feet of snow on the ground, driving up was not an option.  Like Robert Frost, I took the path least taken, the trail from the parking lot as opposed to the road.  Unfortunately use of the road would be necessary on a few occasions.

Small mountain, Big views

I like big rocks

The views from the summit were outstanding if not 360 degrees.  The Adirondacks were in clear site.  Apparently, not all the high peaks are visible.  I could clearly see Giant and Rocky Peak and to the north of those, Whiteface.  A large chunk of Lake Champlain is visible.  Burlington can be seen throught the trees.  Views south and east encompass some of the mountains nearby, including Ellen and Abraham.  On the walk down, I could see Camels Hump's easily recognizable figure.

Ellen and Abraham in the distance

Whiteface

Buck Mt and Snake Mt

On the summit there are grills to have a bbq.  I like this idea and it would make a wonderful spot on a hot, humid summer day.

The view of Giant from the shores of Lake Champlain

Robert Frost Interpretive Trail

A Leaf on a Snow Packed Trail

A leaf on a snow packed trail

Its vibrancy long gone

It lies all crinkled and brittle

Awaiting to be trampled on

Returning it to dirt

I am a leaf on a snow packed trail

Sorry for the poor Robert Frost impression.  While heading to Burlington, I headed to the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail for a short stroll.  Frost lived in the area for a couple decades after leaving New Hampshire.  Here's some real poetry:

I like this one:

When I was in college I had to write a paper on The Road Not Taken.  English was my least favorite subject at the time and I did not get anything out of reading it.  I asked a woman at work since she read a lot to help me with the paper.  It did not matter to me that the only stuff she read were junk romance novels.  She told me Robert Frost needs to lighten up.  "This poem is depressing."  I went with that.  It's quite embarrassing now.  I have experienced the choice of two paths and felt as Frost did many times since.

The Great Cliff at Brandon Gap

Close to home, less than two miles round trip, The Great Cliff makes a great late afternoon hike.
The hike starts off Route 73 a few miles east of Brandon.  I had quite a bit of trouble following the white blazes of the Long Trail.  The trail was broken in, but much of it had been wind swept.  This made for some difficulty, but the snow rarely made it up to my knees.

Unlike many places, this spot lives up to its name.  The cliff is pretty damn impressive.  It appears to jut out from the mountain.  A fall from here would not tickle.  The views didn't suck either.  To the east there are some smaller mountains that rise out of the farm land.  To the west, the sun set over the upper Hudson Valley/Lower Champlain Valley.  Across the gap, the mountains of the Long Trail as it heads south.  

A.T. to Ben's Balcony

The A.T is literally outside my door at work.  So instead of walking down the highway to my bus stop, I decided to snowshoe part of the A.T. and pick up the bus at the Long Trail Inn.

After a short road walk to the A.T. I saw some signs marked.  It's amazing how much snow we have.  The snow covered parts of the sign.  The trail had been recently broken in so it made for a nice walk.  Of course it wouldn't have been a day out without making a wrong turn.  I literally walked in circles.  Eventually I found the right path.

It was a relatively peaceful walk through a hardwood forest.  Some of the traffic along Route 4 could be heard.  On the climb to Ben's Balcony, it was apparent I had too much clothing.  I'm not sure who Ben is, but his balcony was a bit of a disappointment.  Just like the Catskills, the Long Trail map uses stars to let the hiker know where there are view points.  Just like the Catskills, many of these view points are questionable at best.  Views were very limited here (even more so, I assume in summer), but still appreciated.  The summits of Killington, Skye Peak on Killington and Pico were all visible.

The A.T.

Skye Peak and summit of Killington

Pico

Pico through the trees

After taking in the views, I headed down toward the Long Trail Inn.  I passed a guy walking up in boots, post-holing all the way up.  Though I wished to have a Guiness while waiting for the bus, I chose to stand outside, drenched in sweat, taking in the rapidly dropping sun.  Except for the chills, it was so very nice to be out.
 

Long Trail Inn.  I imagine it's a nice cozy place to stay when it's so cold

Setting sun and the beat up old MSRs

The cliffs of Deer Leap 

Rattlesnake Cliffs

Rattlesnake Cliffs

Considering I have only seen one snake in the Adirondacks, I wonder if their are rattlesnakes in Vermont.  I assume so or at least at one time, but I don't think there are many.  If there are, they were buried under at least two feet of snow.

This short and sweet hike is only a half hour away from home.  I found out about this hike through Views and Brews.  I would follow up this hike with a beer at Otter Creek in Middlebury.  The walk would be 2 miles through a mostly hardwood forest with just under 1,000 feet elevation gained.  Most of the trail had been recently broken in, so only a few times did I drop into snow up to my knees.

Stream is mostly frozen

The cliffs loom overhead

Beautiful woods

Before

After

The walk started near the shores of Lake Dunmore.  There are quite a few ice fishing cabins on the lake.  This reminds me of Grumpy Old Men.  I never cared for fishing growing up, but there is something about ice fishing that I find appealing.  I imagine a beautiful walk across the ice to a cabin trying to stay warm over a few beers.  This would be followed by a fish fry.

Ice fishing cabin

Lake Dunmore and fishing cabins

The trail started out gently enough.  After passing Lana Falls (not much to see, just snow and ice) the trail started to ascend rather steeply.  Despite being in 0 degree temps the whole time, I broke a sweat.  I'm out of shape.  I continually switched back and forth unzipping my jackets and zipping back up.  I did the same with my hat, taking it off and then putting it back on.

I eventually made it to the first view point.  The Adirondacks were visible from here, though I'm not sure which ones.  I'm guessing the Dixes are the ones I could spot most clearly.  The northern part of Lake Dunmore is visible 1,000 feet below.  I can see many ice fishing cabins.

Adirondacks

A little closer look

Walking over to the second view point, I had to break trail.  This provided similar views, but I could see more of the lake and there were views to the south and east.  I could see the mountains of the Long Trail.  There was a nice cone shaped mountain that I believe is Gillespie which I hiked to in November.  I could see Silver Lake which is in the same forest and looks like a great destination.

The Long Trail and Gillespie Peak

Silver Lake

One time through

Second time through

Lake Dunmore

Map

Brews!

I felt like I was back at Carhenge