Solo Hiking the Lye Brook Wilderness - 2 Days in Vermont's Green Mountains
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Want to hike with less crowds during peak season? For this adventure, we visit the Lye Brook Wilderness in Southern Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest. This was actually a loop hike that I managed to scrap together at the last minute, due to some bad weather intervening with my plans to finally hike Virginia's Shenandoah National Park. Luckily, Vermont had 2 days of beautiful sunny weather, so into the hatchback we went, for another 2 day adventure.
The Green Mountain National Forest is a 399,151 acre swath of land consisting of 8 Federal Wilderness Areas. These are areas with special protections to ensure a minimal impact from us pesky humans, including restrictions on trail maintenance. This tends to make for more rugged trails, which from my perspective, means for interesting terrain and less foot traffic. Increasingly, I've come to rely on this areas to increase my odds of a more secluded experience during the peak summer hiking season.
Our wilderness area of choice for this hike is the Lye Brook Wilderness, a 17,841 acre outside of Manchester, in Southern Vermont. Established in 1975 as Federal Wilderness in 1975, the majority of it's land resides on a high, 2,500 foot elevation plateau and is home to black bear, moose, pine martin, bobcat, deer, and various species of birds.
I left after work around 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon and managed to get the trusty VW parked at the trailhead by 9:30pm for a decent night's sleep. My plan was to do a loop hike and return to the car on day two, after visiting a couple deep woods ponds.
I began by following an old ATV trail to the Long Trail / Appalachian Trail to the Branch Pond Trail where I passed the Douglas Shelter on my way to the 48 acre Bourne Pond. Having gotten an early start and makiing good time, I explored the Bourne Pond camp site, but decided to keep moving along the Lye Brook Trail towards Stratton Pond, Vermont's largest body of water along the Long Trail. Things were made more interesting on the way there due to the damage caused in 2009 by a Microburst, which caused significant destruction and flooding along the Lye Brook Trail. Coupled with the fact that trails may only be maintained by hand tools within Federal Wilderness Areas, repair has been slow, but at this point it's at least passable.
Eventually I made it to the North Shore Tent Site to set up camp before heading up to the summit of Stratton Mountain with a lighter load. This is a fairly popular camp site with direct access from the adjacent Long Trail / Appalachian Trail, but luckily I was the first to arrive and grab a sweet spot by the pond. This was would be my first experience sharing an established tent site like this, but even I have to be social sometimes, .. I guess.
After setting up a decent bivouac site and cooking up some lunch, I headed South along the Long Trail towards the fire tower at Southern Vermont's highest peak, Stratton Mountain. At an elevation of 3,936 feet, the fire tower affords excellent views covering four states: the Green Mountains to the North, the White Mountains to the Northeast, the Berkshires to the South, and the Adirondacks to the West. Total Mileage for Day 1: 18 miles
After a good nights sleep, I headed back towards the car on day two along the more traveled Long Trail through another section of the Lye Brook Wilderness. Total Mileage for day two was a modest 8 miles, which I covered a little faster than expected due to the more well maintained trail conditions. Total trip mileage was 26 miles. Trip time start to finish, 29.5 hours. Again, a bit faster than I wanted, but it did leave me with extra time to explore Vermont my car looking for that perfect cheeseburger....
My Hiking Gear List:
Kelty Salida 2 Tent
EMS Long Trail 70 Backpack
EMS "Stuffer" Jacket
EMS Pack Cover
2 ReVive Solar ReStore chargers for video camera, phone, etc
Osprey 2 liter Nalgene Bladder for hydration
Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System
1 Liter Disposable Plastic Water Bottle
Taurus 740 Slim Sub-Compact Pistol
Green Mountains paper map print-outs from Topo 9 software
Swiss Gear Trekking Poles (Cork Handle Model)
Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite foam sleeping pad
Suisse Sport 30 Degree Mummy Bag (yes, this is a cheap $35 bag, but it does the job)
Nemo Fillo (inflatable pillow)
Sunscreen
Brunton Classic Compass
Beef Jerky, pop-tarts, trail mix, snacks etc
'Light My Fire' Spork
Homemade Ultralight Cookset - video: • DIY Ultralight Cookset...
Instant Coffee!
1 oz bottle of Ben's Max 100 98% DEET insect repellent
Sea To Summit 'Insect Shield' Mosquito Head Neat (It's Black Fly Season!)
EMS Camp Cap (synthetic fast dry, & lightweight!)
EMS Convertible Camp Pants / Shorts
EMS 'Velocity' synthetic lightweight long sleeve shirt
Nike 'Pro Combat' synthetic tee shirt
EMS synthetic socks
Garmont Zenith Mid GTX Hiking Boots
4Sevens Preon 2 Flashlight
Princeton Tec Byte Headlamp
Leatherman Squirt Ultra-Light Multi-Tool
SOG Blink Spring Assisted Knife
Really like your videos. The fact that you dont drown out the beautiful sounds of nature and the hike in general with a constant musical soundtrack is great. . Not to listen to music. I love hearing the crunch of the hiking boots, the birds, the water etc. Keep it up and thanks for sharing.
Syntax- One of your oldies but goodies 😊
Going back watching some of your earlier videos and thought it was interesting you said in this one that you were carrying a backpack that was 5lbs by itself and now your base weight for your entire load in under 10lbs. Crazy how we gain experience and realize what we need and where we can cut corners and make our loads better. Love your videos, can't wai. for the new ones Hopeing to start doing my own soon
I'm just not that much of an angler, but a fresh fish dinner to end a day of hiking definately does sound good...
Thanks a lot for the great info. When it comes to hiking and dining, I always value a local's advice.
Looks like a great trip ! With going to the Whites so much, sometimes I forget how cool Vermont and the Green mountains are. Thanks for showing my friend. Happy trails !
My girlfriend and I are planning to do this exact hike this summer because we loved your video so much. great work! Keep making hiking videos! I regularly check your page for new videos, and I love anything hiking/backpacking related that you do. I cant wait for your next adventure video!
Thanks, I'm glad to hear you're planning to visit this area, it's an awesome spot. I highly reccomend the more remote wilderness area trails on the way to the pond, it's worth the extra miles. Speaking of new videos, I was actually just up in this same area earlier this week, trying out a winter overnighter in the Big Branch Wilderness. Temps did a number on my camera batteries, but a full legnth video should be on the way soon ;)
Ah, my two favorite things to explore in a new area, local hikes and local brews. Thank you!
The only downside is that I'm coming from the south so it tacks on a few extra hours, but it's definitely on my short-list of areas to visit. In fact, I've got a fresh copy of the Green Mountain Club's Long Trail map waiting to be used. Are there any particular northern sections that are your favorites?
I'm fat and these videos are inspiring me to start hiking. Love it- have watched about 5 of your long videos so far this Sunday. They are awesome! Living in Indy I think I may start by heading to Smoky Mountains around Gatlinburg- about 6 hours away.
Sure, but you might not want my advice, lol. Seriously, I haven't put a whole lot of effort into the PN-60 beyond basic waypoints, and location referencing, but from what I can tell it can go REALLY deep when combined with the included Topo 9 software. I personally always make sure to have paper maps and a compass, and use the GPS to track my moving stats for curiosity. I'll probably put together some sort of video on how I like to incorporate it in my system some day though.
That sounds like an awesome trip you've got coming up. I'm glad you enjoy the videos and good luck out there!
Thanks for the tips and info, it's very much appreciated! I might try to squeeze a trip in this summer, either as a solo adventure, or maybe even a legit vacation with the wife.
Thank you!
Living and hiking out west in Northern California, I find your videos to be so interesting. You do have some lovely scenery. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to take all of us with you. Ive got the same tent and water system....great minds.... I guess. Adios
This is my favorite weekend loop and the trout fishing is wicked pissah!
I was just thinking..Such a bueaty spot for the fly rod
There's definately a Smoky Mountains trip in the works for the upcoming Spring or Summer season. In fact, I've even got some trip suggestions from a viewer a few comments down on the thread here. Feel free to throw in your own 2cents if you know some cool spots. I can't wait for warmer weather, hoping to get some decent mileage in when I finally get down there!
That elevation profile chart is brilliant
I am a meteorologist, and can say your description of a microburst was spot on :)
Thoroughly enjoying your videos!
Going back and watching again some of you're older videos. They're still great.
My wife was actually out in San Francisco doing some exploring of her own while I was filming this, and I hear you've got some lovely scenery as well. Sounds like you may be further North than that, but I bet you have some great hiking out there. And yes, we're in agreement on the Kelty Salida tent and Sawyer filter. I'm quite happy with both of those systems so far.
I'm currently preparing myself to go on a 180 mile hike which is going to take me somewhere along the lines of 10-15 days to complete and your videos are a great inspiration aswel as giving good insight onto hiking :) Your pack weight video was a great help. My first trip out I was struggling with a 36lb pack! But i've managed to get it down by quite a bit now :) thanks and keep making great videos!
Thank you. The Catskills came up as a possibility when I was researching for this trip. I'll have to look into it again some time.
After watching this, I have decided that this is a must for me.
Great job and thanks for sharing.
Great video again Sintax77, enjoy hiking along side you every trip (it seems!). I've been working on the Finger Lakes Trails in NY this summer. It's a nice stretch of trails, just wish I had some nice mountain views like you get. Otherwise I've been down in the Catskill Mountains working on the 3500'+ peeks. Cheers though! Thank you for putting them together! Keep them coming!
You know what's funny, I was actually daydreaming about hiking Colorado last week. Until I map-quested it at and it rang in at a 30 hour drive, lol. Some day I'll have to actually spring for some real plane tickets, but I'll stick to the car trips for now. Have fun out there.
thanks 77, like all your videos.......more-more-more!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the kind words and congrats on planing a trip to New England, you're going to love it! I highly suggest living off nothing but lobster rolls during the Main portion of your trip, btw. Now you're making me want to plan a vacation with my wife to visit the Smokies, been dying to do that recently :)
Believe me, the evil thought crossed my mind on the drive up to keep heading north a couple more hours to the Whites, but I'm really glad I found this area. Beautiful terrain and the ponds gave the trip a cool vibe.
I sometimes trip on steps ,what would I expect to see if I did ? ................LOL !! Great video as always .Thanks for sharing .
Thanks for posting this. I'm from Georgia and will be up in the area in a few weeks. I was first considering doing a 23 mile loop around the Glastenbury Wilderness to the south, but this convinced me to do a hike in the Lye Brook similar you yours. Happy hiking!
Right on, man. Enjoy the views and lower humidity ;)
I extended my tent's normal spiking locations with some cord and spiked right into the ground as usual. They also had some metal eye hooks screwed into the platform that I could have tied onto as well, but it seemed easier to just spike it (wind conditions were low).
That would be awesome. Hopefully someday!
You know what, you're the second person on UA-cam to recommend that trail to me. It looks like it's about a 42 mile loop, so it could be a good candidate for another 2 day hike video with a little planning and the proper load. Thanks for the heads up! Stay tuned...
I've hiked about 120 miles of the whole LT, and I've done everything from Camel's Hump up to the Canadian border (with the exception of like the last 10 miles or so to the border). You definitely would need to check out the section between Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield, it's deemed the hardest of the whole trail. The views from those two mountains are awesome. And pretty much anything north of that is awesome too, and a lot less crowded then the Camel's Hump- Mansfield section.
always a pleasure to see the hike through your camera lenses. Thank you for getting out there.
Nothing like a good burger after a few days out. The video was great and i was just looking into a similar hike. Thanks for the video.
Cool video. I cannot believe I sat down and watched 1 hour of your video. But it was cool. Thanks!
Oh this is where you go all fancy on us and go to eat a real cheeseburger. Moving up the world right here lol.
Hmm, looking at a map I guess you are pretty far out there! I'm not sure how deep into MN you are, but it looks like your closest choice might be the Ozarks? It's about a 10.5 hour drive from Minneapolis. Certainly a long haul, but not too much longer than I usually spend heading up to the Whites in New Hampshire.
Great video man! I just got back from Maine the other day, did some hiking and kayaking up in Acadia National Park. Gotta' love New England.
Fantastic hike with some beautiful views! Thank you for sharing it.
It is interesting to see how your gear has changed over time. I noticed your gear is a lot lighter in your more recent videos. I have the same tent and a 5 lb Kelty backpack but I have been slowly buying new stuff that is a lot lighter. I really like the Kelty tent but I sure like the weight of my new Big Agnus Flycreek. My latest sleeping bag is an REI Igneo which is under 2 lbs. Next on the list is a lighter pack and I should be good. Light = expensive.
Good luck in Yellowstone! (jealous)
Great video! Ever thought about hitting up Northern Vermont on the Long Trail? Lots of awesome stuff to see up here, and not many people!
great job , informative & entertaining video-- makes me wanna get out more often !! from Ontario Canada
wow I am real excited to see it! In general I really look forward to seeing your videos. It could be because I am not far from all of the places you hike (I am from north NJ) but you really do a great job. Not boring like other hiking videos you see on here. So keep up the good work! And keep rolling in those gear reviews!
This place almost looks like Sweden. You should come and walk Sörmlandsleden (Sormands trail) or Kungsleden (Kings trail)
That sounds awesome. I'm actually planning on checking out Acadia for the first time later this year on vacation. And by "vacation" I mean renting a hotel and doing some dayhikes in between eating too much lobster. ;)
I will actually be hiking the entire long trail this upcoming July, looking forward to it.
You to. stay safe on your hikes have fun
The micro burst was in 2003....I hike through there a lot...I live forty minutes from there...cool video!
Yeah, I hear the bear population is pretty healthy to say the least. I'm looking forward to eventually getting down there. Glad you made out on your encounter as well!
I love hiking but I'm also really afraid of heights, woooo I was feeling it when you were climbing the fire tower! Yikes!
Haha, yeah - those old fire towers can be a little creepy, but fun :D
This is my favorite video of yours and I have seen every video at least 7 times. This might just be because It like the hiking down here. Anyways, thanks for all the videos.
Hey , great video.....was wondering how you pitched the tent on that wooden platform? Curious how that was secured? Headed to Yellowstone in 3 weeks to do the Bechler Riverr Trail......thanks for all the great tips!
Saw you used an alcohol stove but didn't see it on your gear list. Used my antigravitygear stove for the first time this week with the yellow HEET and worked sweet!
We did a hike up and down Cadillac Mountain, great views. And there's some awesome restaurants in Bar Harbor for lobster, make sure to check out the brewery and get some Blueberry Ale too!
This is one of my favorite areas to hike my brother and I are actually headed that way again next week
I'm going to attempt to this trail this summer in the next few weeks 👍🏻😎
23:26 the most beautiful melody I've ever heard from a bird
Haha, I actually brought a camera into the restaurant with me, but got so memorized by the burger that I completely forgot about filming anymore. I did end up sitting next to an AT thru-hiker at the bar who was in town taking a zero day and had a good time talking to him though, so it was a good time. P.S. I highly recommend the Bison Burger at the Madison Brewing Company in Bennington, Vermont. ..good house beer too :D
Awesome! I might be hiking up Stratton Pond this summer or next summer!
NatureFreak Right on - it's a great spot!
I thought it strange the sign as you were leaving the pond warned of flooding due to beaver activity but gave absolutely no warnings about the sea serpents depicted inhabiting the pond.
Another great hike and video, beautiful area! Thanks for sharing. Like to move to Vermont someday, atleast visit it more. I saw your Shenandoah video, whens the Smokies or Asheville area hike planned for ;) ?
Love the videos! I've been to the Madison Brewing Company quite a few times and thought the food was excellent. If you go in the fall they have a maple beer that is pretty good.
The trail from Rootville Rd. to Bourn Pond was the route of a logging railroad. You can still see some of the old ties in the ground.
Is there a good spot in the Lye Wilderness for a 7-10 mile out and back (total) that you'd recommend? Trying to pop my backpacking cherry! Thanks anyone who reads this
i noticed around 23 mins in when your in the blow down there were signs behind u that u didnt notice just letting u know and for anyone else hiking it ! great video man i live in vermont and hike at least 5-6 times a week!
Nice upload sintax :) Colorado might be my last hike before enlistment.
What about the Black Forest trail in PA? Ever thought of doing that one? Hope the burger was good. Reminds me of Lion Kings videos, he was always stopping for a burger. lol. thanx for another great vid.
its so cool, ive never hiked before but i really want to!
Good video. I do my hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe. You sound a lot like Les Stroud from Survivorman. I like all those shows too: Survivorman, Man VS Wild, Man Woman Wild, Dual survival, bet you do too. You did a good job with the video and narration.
U are Awesome.....Good Video...u keep the audience interested
No moose or bear encounters on this one, but I did enjoy some cool bird and snake sightings.
to add about the Micro burst when the air get so cold so fast the trees don't have time to pull the water from it's limbs so when the cold air hits the tress that were not prepared for the cold The water freezes in the limbs and make the limbs explode it happens every so often it's nature's way of cleaning out the old trees!
Another great adventure
Have you ever hiked the Breadloaf mtn. area? We used to deer hunt the area when I was a kid. A very beautiful area. You should check it out.
In this area, yes I was carrying a sidearm, as it was legal to do so. In fact, while some videos are more obvious than others, I was either open or concealed carrying in all my hiking vids except in the New York vid, where it's a felony for non-residents to even touch a handgun.
This brings up a great point - laws vary greatly from state to state. If you're a legal firearm carrier, do lots of research before leaving home. I support everyday *legal* concealed carry, in the woods or elsewhere.
Some of those voices you’re hearing could be the Sasquatch that live in the green mountains.
How long you planning on being down this way? You usually have limited time, so if your just aiming for the smokies you probably have a specific spot narrowed down since its such a massive park...no?
Check out my video "Map Choices & Route Planning for Backpacking and Hiking" for a overview of my usual routine.
Here's a GPS location for the trailhead on Old Rootville Road: 43.172948, -73.010159
I got the trail guides and waypoints seen in the video from Trimble Outdoors. Google this: "Trimble Outdoors Trip 1222893" The info they list is basically what I did, give or take some meandering. Have fun!
Have you ever thought about hiking in the Superior national forest?
another great vid! was waiting for the VA hike but i understand, no one wants to hike in the rain. Reason for wanting the VA hike is cause im from VA and i recall the bear in one of your vids, how you said you dont get to see them much. In VA/Shanendoah where i used to hike im going to be concervative and say 80% of the time i/we encounterd a bear, close up. so i wanted to see your reaction. One x i was being stalked by a bear for 2 miles and it was a big agressive one. plus i was alone.
when u said 6 hr drive there were is tht from ...I live in fort wayne area looking for some areas reasonable to drive...im going to isle royale this year but its alot further than wanting for an overnight drive.
Nice video, I came across it while viewing others about Somerset Reservoir, which is the body of water you filmed from the fire tower at 38:38. Grout Pond is between the Somerset Reservoir and the fire tower. Do you ever worry about bears?
Thanks, damkayaker I'm cautious of bears if I happen to see them, but I don't really worry about them. They're usually pretty freaked out at the sight of a human.
Love your videos I'm hiking around NM and CO in a week!
You need to do another VT trip ... Maybe the VT trail?
Im heading up here next weekend. What kind of trail conditions should I expect?
Spencer Zimmerman You may already be up there, but I recommend using @ Enjoy!
Great video! I heard you mention backpacker magazine. Ive thought about a subscription previously. How do you like it and are the online maps and downloads worth it?
Thanks, man. I love Backpacker Mag, and definitely find it worth the $12 a year or so. Always fun to find a copy in the mailbox. Most of their trip ideas are actually archived online for free, but the gps data sometimes requires a subscription to Trimble Outdoors. I haven't signed up for that though - I seem to get plenty of use out of the paper version and free web article archives. For now at least... :)
Did you get a chance to see any moose or bears there?
The best part of it all; you can carry without having acquire any permits
got a question, planing a vacation, how is the crime and security in these places you hike, apalachan trail ect?? can you carry weapons?/ o theres no need?? by the way great videos you got me in to hiking!!
i live in Ma. i love hiking in New England
Heyy man nice vid and btw i love monster energy azz well lol
I have watched most if not all your backpacking vids. how did you get into it? did you just wake up one day and say im going backpacking
Just curious, what knife do you carry in the wilderness? Thanks.
Hi, I'm trying to lighten from a msr pocket rocket to a alcohol stove, I just wanted to know what you use for your cook set. How much does it weigh? Where can I get something similar?