Yesterday's Hike
Since I knew the weather was going to be crummy this weekend, I took the afternoon off and headed up Hunger Mountain, outside of Montpelier, VT. It was a glorious fall day, not too hot and dry. The leaves are beginning to change so the hillsides are a mix of green, yellow, brown, orange and the occasional bright red. Usually I go up the Waterbury side, which is 2.2 miles of fairly steep hiking, ending with a bit of climbing up rocks. This time I took the Middlesex route which is 2.8 miles long, but the first 1.6 miles are easy, going up an old carriage path, which used to take people to a hotel up top. The last 0.3 mile is fun, however, as it entails a fair amount of slabbing.... including going up a short portion holding onto a rope because it is steep (though it can be done sans aid). The view was fairly clear, 70 miles down to Killington/Pico, over to the Adirondacks, and mountains in NH. The Presidentials, however, were obscured by the haze. I love going up Hunger Mountain because from there, I can see Camels Hump, that funky mountain profile which is on the Vermont quarter and on our environmental license plates.
Though I was walking alone, it was far from a solitary hike because there were 28 7th and 8th graders from an area school, coming down en masse. They had been out on a science trip but their social studies teacher was along with them, so I told the kids that Vermont only used to be 30% forested a century ago. Now it is the reverse. Nice way not to have to stay in school!
This time of year is perfect for hiking. The bugs have died off, the crowds have died down, it's not unbearably hot and usually it is dry so the views are good, too. Always, hiking is a restorative action for the body and soul.
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