Top of The Notch

For the past week, I have been commuting through Smugglers' Notch rather than taking the interstate to work. The Notch is closed for the winter but opens up again in May. Smugglers' Notch tops out at 2240 ft before dropping down into the mountain town of Stowe. High vertical walls tower over the road as the two-lane highway quickly turns to a narrow strip with no center line. Waterfalls cascade near the road and trees, twisted and wind blown, wrap their roots around anything solid, shooting up to catch the light with their leaves.

A number of hiking trails wind through the woods and up over the cliffs, reaching the top of Mt. Mansfield, Sterling, Madonna, and if you travel far enough, Whiteface. Last night, I decided to take advantage of these easy access points and ran up to Sterling Pond, a popular destination for tourists due to its short duration, only 1.2 miles one-way. 1.2 steep miles. I decided to run past the pond to the shelter. Here's to my first mountain run of the season!



On my way up the trail.


Bounding over boulders is a necessity on this trail.

Whoo, it's tiring!
To the pond I go!
Made it.
Sterling Pond.



Little bunny hiding in the brush.
View of the pond from the shelter.
Mt. Mansfield. View from the shelter.

Pretty nice, see?


Oh crap, it's time to head home for dinner. I told Dave that if I didn't call him by 7 PM he should haul ass to the trailhead and come looking for me.

Nice views of the Greens Mountains.
Climbers on the rock in the Notch.

Multi-pitch route.