Hiking Mt. Mansfield

My husband, Rick, and I hiked Mt. Mansfield in Vermont yesterday.  It is the highest peak in Vermont at about 4300 ft.  The weather was perfect, mid 70's, cool breeze and I was looking forward to hiking.  Hiking in the woods (about that later) is one of my favorite activities.  It has become very spiritual for me.  Do I consider myself a "experienced" hiker, no way.....I struggle going up and may even cry coming down!!  Which, I have to just stop and say, God knew what he was doing when he chose Rick for my mate.  Rick is literally my rock when we hike, following closer than he should on the way up (why?  to catch me, of course!) and determining the safest way down. After asking staff at the  VonTrapp Family Lodge, we decided to take the Hellbrook Trail to the summit of Mt. Mansfield. 

(The picture is grainy, I know, I have to take photography lessons one of these days).  I enjoy hiking in the woods, only because I can't see how high I actually am!  Open up the trail at the summit and that's soon enough for me!  None of this seeing the entire world as I'm scrambling up the trail!  The sun coming through the woods was so beautiful on yesterday and there was water running down the mountain almost the entire hike up!  Which, of course means slippery rocks, moss or tree roots.  We encountered lots of sheer rock on steep terrain.

 Thus the hazards of hiking:  My shin after a slip - Rick was there, just not anticipating a fall where I was climbing at the time.  It looks a lot worse than it was! Arriving at the top of the Hellbrook Trail.  This is where I thought of a new book title, "The Older I Get, the More I Sweat"!   Look for it in Amazon!!  

We decided to take the "Adams Apple" to the summit, only to find it wasn't the summit, we still had to hike up to "the chin". There was a group of 5th graders from a Vt. school on their annual hiking trip.  Skipping and laughing all the way up "the chin".  I hated them!

Remember earlier when I stated I enjoy hiking in the woods?  The views are what we hike for, right?  I am scared of heights!  At one point on the hike up "the chin", I actually panicked.  I had to step, literally only step, over a crevasse and all I could think about was the sheer cliff behind me.....Rick had his work out for him!  He handled the situation beautifully.  He took my arm, knelt down beside me and didn't say anything!  The touch of his arm on mine was warm and comforting, thus the courage to continue on came.  The views were spectacular and I'm always glad when I make the summit.  If only to prove I can overcome my fears.

 
After having lunch on the summit, it was time to climb down!  Starting out over the ridge, knowing that we would end up about a mile away from where we parked, mutually we decided to take a trail called The Cliff (exactly), since it would take us down to Stowe Mt. ski trails and closer to the car.  Climbing up over rocks on steep terrain is more appealing to me than face planting on those rocks on the way down. Hiking down boulders and sheer rocks can bring out the crazy in me!  In hiker-like fashion (I'm sure this is any trail magazine), I "crab" crawl my way down.  Rick affectionately calls it my butt slide.  Often he would stop and turn to me and say, "honey, you need to butt slide here"!  The Cliff trail was the most grueling trail I have ever hiked so far.  Some of the rocks had hand grips - yes, hand grips - how on earth do they get them in the rocks?  And why on earth am I there to see them?  We were crawling over, under and squeezing through rocks and trees the entire way down on this trail.  Obviously, we made it down safe and sound.  

I have such a admiration for people who continually conquer their fears and don't give up.

Got back to the car after hiking for 6 hours.  After cleaning up at our room at the lodge, it was time for my 1 hour photography class.  Here are pictures of the sunset and full moon I captured.  What a great day!