I was visiting New York when I got an opportunity to spend two days in Killington, Vermont. We were there with my wife some five years a go and we have excellent memories of that journey. The surroundings and the whole area are perfect for hiking. The hills are not too high and in spite of dense forests every now and then you can find places to enjoy beautiful sceneries. So I didn´t hesitate to call the car rental and book accommodation. I got a room from Inn at Long Trail just where I wanted. It is a very cosy and traditional mountain lodge located in the junction of two very traditional long hikes, the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail. The building was built 1938 and 1977 renewed and enlarged by the McGrath family who has been running it since. It is an exceptionally homelike with warm atmosphere and friendly personnel.
The location of the inn is perfect for one day hikes. There are lot of tracks around and I picked up the hike from the inn to the Thundering falls some nine kilometres (5,5 miles) away downhill. This hike was a short clip of the Appalachian trail which weaves from Maine to Georgia altogether more than two thousand miles.
The hike started with a quite steep climb along the Sherburne Pass which is part of the Long Trail. It was so steep that I wish that I hadn´t eaten such a heavy breakfast but it was so delicious that I couldn´t leave any of it but as I said, I wish I had. After the first climb the hike was nice walk via beautiful Kent Pond down to the waterfalls.
The trip back was sweaty with some seven houndred meters (2200 feet) climb via Deer Leap which is a great cliff just above the inn with magnificent views.
I was back at the lodge in the afternoon and felt that I deserved a beer. There is an Irish Pub at the Inn, it was Saturday night and the place was packed with people and the feeling was gooood. I had such a good time that I ended up having a few more beers.
I was back at the lodge in the afternoon and felt that I deserved a beer. There is an Irish Pub at the Inn, it was Saturday night and the place was packed with people and the feeling was gooood. I had such a good time that I ended up having a few more beers.
The second day´s hike was much easier with almost no elevation gain although the length was still some seven kilometres (4 miles), but I am afraid that I accidentally walked some extra kilometres. I made this hike in Chittenden in Leffert´s Pond´s surroundings, where I spent a few hours enjoying views and the beautiful autumn colours, fall foliage.
Really a relaxing and superb trip with lot of exercise, good food with few cold beers and perfect lodging where you feel like home far away from home.
Olli
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