Mount Ellen - VT

I woke up this morning to the sun glaring through the window onto my face.  It was 6:30 on my Saturday Part 2.  Instead of turning over and falling back to sleep, I decided to do something productive and fun, and since I’m writing a new post, you can probably guess what that something was. 

This hike was special for a few reasons.  First, it marked my first solo hike.  On the past Saturday, a few of my friends were in Burlington, so I went to visit them after work.  One of my friends, Sam, and I had a conversation while watching the sunset about hiking.  During this conversation, I brought up my frustration with working the weekend shift: nobody else is free to hike with me.  To this, Sam suggested hiking solo, something I had never thought of doing.  So I followed her suggestion and made it back in one piece!  The other special feature of this hike was my new backpack.  It has more back support and is not ripped at the seams from overuse.

Anyway, I decided to climb Mount Ellen.  I remember hiking it once through the wilderness program at SMC and remembered it being forgettable, ironically enough, but I had to hike it for the Northeast 115.

The Jerusalem Trail was difficult to find.  I even had to ask for directions (yes, I know!  A male stopped for assistance).  At least I had some Led Zeppelin to enjoy on my radio.  It turns out the road sign I was looking for was buried in the middle of a spruce tree.  It turns out that finding the trail was the hardest part of this hike.

It starts with a gradual, about one foot elevation gain for every five feet hiked for close to 2 miles.  Before you merge with the Long Trail after 2.7 miles, the Jerusalem Trail gets a tad bit steeper, but nothing daunting in the slightest.  After merging with the Long Trail, it becomes a 1.6 mile scamper up and down, never gaining or losing more than a few hundred feet at a time.  All the while, there is a thick canopy overhead and minimal views on either side.  Occasionally there is a break in the brush and you can see a bit better, but nothing too spectacular.  Finally, the trail comes to Sugarbush, a ski resort on Mount Ellen.  From here, you can get the best views on the trail.  Unfortunately, there is a chairlift disrupting the view, but it can make for some “artistic” photographs.

My hiking buddy

Ellen about a mile away

At the summit of Mount Ellen

This is not the summit of Mount Ellen.  I REPEAT: The chairlift is not the summit of Mount Ellen.  The Long Trail continues on south, and within 50 feet of entering the woods again, I noticed a cairn that I assumed to be the summit (the trail descends shortly thereafter).

I stayed on the chairlift area for a solid half hour to soak in the views, sun, and a Magic Hat #9.  Their “not quite Pale Ale” is a delicious distinctive tasting beer.  Not very hoppy at all, it has hints of fruit.  Regardless of its flavor, it is delicious and crisp: perfect for the summit of a 4000’ mountain.