One of the Best: Mt.Hunger and White Rocks

The state of Vermont contains many beautiful mountains, but it's safe to say it contains no where near as many as other states, like New York, New Hampshire, or even Maine. To me, the scenery of the state makes up for this, along with the quality of trails. The Green Mountains run almost perfectly in a north-south direction, perfectly in between the Adirondacks and the White Mountains, meaning there's views all around! One of my favorite hikes in the state includes Mt.Hunger (3,540') and White Rocks (3,194'), which both loom over the nearby town of Waterbury, and offer spectacular views in all directions.

The view toward Mt.Hunger from the summit of White Rocks.

My dad and I arrived at the trailhead for the Middlesex Trail very early, and quickly found ourselves beginning the hike. The trail follows a few logging roads for the first mile, where the trail then abruptly leaves the road. The path immediately crosses a brook, and gently climbs the lower slopes of the mountain. The colors on the trees were beautiful, which means fall is in full swing here in Vermont.

Looking up the road.

Along the trail, through the forest.

We were soon lead to the junction, with the Middlesex Trail continuing toward Mt.Hunger, and the Bob Kemp Trail heading toward White Rocks. Last time we did this loop we went over White Rocks first, so this time we flipped it, and decided to do Mt.Hunger first. The trail starts off steady, and passes through many beautiful, open forests. Eventually, it gets steeper, which involves having to climb a small wooden staircase.

The sign marking the junction.

The first of many steep areas.

After the climb, the trail flattens out through a fern field, with views up toward the ledges to the left. The path went down a few feet, then arrived at a metal staircase which leads steeply up a slick, sheer ledge. Two years ago, on our last hike here, there was only a rope which helped you on your ascent/descent. This rusty staircase is sturdy, and it looks like it was plucked right from East Mountain!

The trail beneath the cliffs and ledges.

The staircase, with Lucy exploring the ledges ahead.

Climbing up the steps brings you right to the first of many ledges. Due to how early it was, there were plenty of clouds around us, blocking any possible views. Besides that, the trail continued to go in and out of the trees, passing over many ledges and climb many steep pitches. Once we passed over the last pitch, it was easy going over ledges to the summit, marked by a trail sign. Despite the fact that the summit was boxed in by clouds, the summit filled up with people quickly.

Lucy on a ledge!

Following the trail to the summit.

On the summit, with clouds all around.

We waited for a while on the summit, and eventually the skies began to clear up, with views stretching out toward the mountains of Groton State Forest, with Mt.Moosilauke visible in the distance. The mountains of the Northeast Kingdom could also be seen, including a fantastic view toward the Pilot-Pliny Range. Finally, looking over to Stowe could be seen the Sterling Range, Mt.Mansfield, and Mt.Bolton, including the Waterbury Reservoir.

Lucy admiring the views toward Groton State Forest.

Looking toward the town of Bolton and the Waterbury Reservoir.

The view south, with White Rocks visible.

Now time to answer the obvious question. Why is the mountain called Mt.Hunger? Where does such a strange name come from for a mountain? The story comes from a group of hunters who stalked the mountain's slopes looking for quail, but would usually come off empty handed or with a single quail for the group. Of course, this lead to hunger, giving the mountain it's strange name.

The view northeast, mostly taken over by clouds.

We followed the White Rocks Trail which leads down from the summit to the junction with the Waterbury Trail, where we continued toward White Rocks. The trail through the col is very flooded in many spots, with numerous bog bridges along the way. The trail passes a possible camping spot, then begins a very short climb, where the trail immediately steps onto ledges, with a grand view looking toward Mt.Hunger. At this point, the skies were completely clear, and we knew we had some amazing views ahead.

Some of the bog bridges in between the two peaks.

The trail immediately before the ledges.

Mt.Hunger from the lower ledges.

Now at the junction, we read the sign which states that the summit of White Rocks is .15 miles. This may be an extremely short side trail, but every step is worth it. The path runs atop a flat ledge with views facing the east all the way up. When you look up, you notice just how close the summit is. It's actually right there, it just takes a steep ascent to get there. After some walking, we were treated to a perfect view toward Camel's Hump, which stands tall over all the nearby hills.

The junction to White Rocks.

The summit of White Rocks looms above the trail.

Lucy on yet another ledge!

Camel's Hump through the trees.

The trail brought us to the base of a steep ledge, which had a crevasse winding right up, which you had to utilize in order to get to the next flat ledge. From here it took one more very steep ascent in between the rocks to get us to the summit. It's a small summit area, but few people climb all the way to the very top, so it's not a problem. From here can be seen almost every peak of significance in the state. Now that the skies were clearer, we could see all the way down the spine of the Green Mountains, from Killington Peak to Belvidere Mountain. Mt.Whiteface could be seen in the Adirondacks as well.

Camel's Hump and Ethan Allen Mountain from White Rocks.

Mt.Hunger and many peaks in the Northeast Kingdom,
as seen from White Rocks.

Mt.Mansfield and Stowe from the summit. The Sterling Range sits just
to the right of Mt.Mansfield and Smugglers Notch.

I definitely prefer White Rocks to Mt.Hunger, as there are many more ledges to explore, which give you another perspective to all the nearby mountains. The summit area of this mountain is up there in uniqueness. There are sprawling, flat ledges, with the summit popping out in the middle, being accessible only after a steep climb. The southern side of the peak is split, with a large notch forming, almost making it appear that the summit was separating. And the views speak for themselves.

Camel's Hump and the Adirondacks from one of the ledges.

Looking down the spine of the Green Mountains,
with Camel's Hump, Mt.Ellen, Mt.Abraham, Mt.Wilson, and Breadloaf Mountain.

Killington Peak and Pico Peak can be seen in the distance.

The peaks of Groton State Forest can be seen up front,
with Mt.Moosilauke and the Franconia/Kinsman Ranges visible beyond.

We followed the Bob Kemp Trail back down to the junction, and then made our way back to the parking lot. While this is one of my favorite hikes of all time, it is certainly a busy one. As a warning, if you are to attempt this mountain, don't arrive too late, as you may find yourself parking nearly a mile down the road. It's a shame that these places get overrun, but what can you do? Everyone should have a chance to enjoy the outdoors, as long as you know what you're doing. I'd definitely recommend this hike to everyone who is willing to put up with the steepness of the trail. This mountain is a perfect example of Vermont hiking, and everyone should check it out!

A Night in the Adirondacks: Hurricane Mountain

On our ongoing quest for new sunrises from atop the mountains of the northeast, we saw it appropriate to return to the Adirondack High Peaks. We had already experienced a sunrise from a peak in the Adirondacks back in May, from Pharaoh Mountain. While we were going to leave it there, I thought it would be a good idea to return to the range, as the Adirondacks are a large range. I chose Hurricane Mountain (3,694') for it's open summit and fine views in all directions. This was definitely going to be a unique sunrise.

The fire tower atop Hurricane Mountain.

Even though Hurricane Mountain is in the High Peaks region, it isn't a 4,000-footer, but it does provide one of the best views in the  area. The most popular trail on the mountain climbs from Route 9N, but I chose to start the hike from the Crow Clearing trailhead to the north. My dad and I arrived at the trailhead early, where we eagerly started the hike. The first mile of the hike was smooth, following what was likely an old logging road.

The beginning of the trail.

Perhaps an old logging road?

Once at the junction with the Soda Range Trail, we continued on the Hurricane Mountain Trail, which crossed a small brook, then began at a steady grade. It brought us through an open forest, which was followed by a smooth trail over a brook. At this point, the path got rockier, and continued to climb through boreal forests. Soon it flattened out at the junction below the summit. Overall, an easy trail!

At the junction.

Some rockier portions of the trail.

After a bit of flat trail, we were brought to a steep rocky area, that when ascended, brings you to the first ledge on the summit. Upon our first time on the peak, there were no views, as the summit was completely socked in. Despite this, we still continued along the ledge all the way to the fire tower. We didn't spend too much time up there, as there was a very strong wind passing over the summit. We went back into the trees below the summit and set up camp, occasionally returning to the ledges.

The technical climb just before the ledges.

Looking up toward the summit while in the clouds.

The restored fire tower, and some remains of the former in the foreground.

Upon our last climb to the summit that day, we waited for the sun to set. We knew we weren't going to see a great one, but it was worth watching. The skies had cleared up a lot, mostly to the north. To the north could be seen the Soda Range and Jay Mountain. Since the winds had eased up, I climbed the fire tower, which doesn't offer that much more to the view. Fire towers are a better gimmick then they are practical, but none the less, it's nice to have.

Through the clouds can be seen the Sentinel Range.

Looking past the ledges toward Baxter Mountain.

Jay Mountain and the Soda Range from Hurricane Mountain.

From the fire tower, looking toward Lake Champlain.

The western horizon turned orange beneath the clouds, and it was evident the sun would be setting soon. It wasn't the best sunset, but it was something. While there were still clouds around many of the high peaks, we trusted that the skies would clear up enough for the next morning in order to see the sunrise. We carefully made our way down the peak into the woods and off the trail back to our tent, where we awaited the sunrise.

Jay Mountain and the Soda Range before sunset.

The sun shining through the clouds.

Even though this is all we got, it's still beautiful.

The sky began to brighten as we made our way back to the summit the next morning. We didn't have to wait long until the sun began to rise just over the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, which both cleared up overnight. While clouds are usually a nuisance on hikes, they can occasionally add to the scenery, which is what I felt of them during the sunrise. There were just enough as not to block the sun, but make it more unique.

The sky before sunrise.

The sun rising over Lake Champlain and Split Rock Mountain.

A rough outline of the Green Mountains can be seen just below the sun.

The skies were much wider now that the clouds eased up overnight. Some of the high peaks were visible, including Cascade and Porter, Giant Mountain, and Rocky Peak Ridge. Dix Mountain could be seen in the distance, with Nippletop Mountain nearby. The serrated ridge of Sawteeth Mountain was plainly visible. The Sentinel Range was in and out of the clouds all morning, and Whiteface Mountain never showed through.

The fire tower in silhouette.

Giant Mtn, Macomb Mtn, Hough Mtn, Dix Mtn, Nippletop Mtn, Mt.Colvin, and Sawteeth

The serrated ridge of Sawteeth Mountain.

Mt.Whiteface and Esther Mountain from the ledges.

We made our way down to camp and packed up, then continued our way back to the trailhead. Hurricane Mountain made for an excellent spot to see the sunrise. It was one of the best ones yet, with all the clouds and fall scenery adding to it. During our descent back to Crow Clearing, we noticed how quickly fall would be approaching. Seasons change much faster in the mountains, and it was evident, with the leaves turning yellow, and the autumn breeze beginning to roll in. I can't wait for fall!