Willoughby Wanderings

I was on dog duty for the weekend, which meant in addition to getting my puppy fix, I also got to escape to Vermont for a few days. My friend, Katie, and I drove up Friday night after work. Kirby Vermont lies less than 40 miles from the Canadian border. Up here, the foliage is far past peak, and the majority of trees are bare already with their leaves littering the ground.

I had found a few local hikes that looked promising. First up was Wheeler Mountain and Eagle Cliff in Sutton, VT.  

This was a short hike, a little over 2.5 miles. There were two options to ascend the mountain, we picked the red trail, which was very direct and involved scrambling over several large rock slabs. There were several instances when I just sprawled myself across a rock face and attempted to shimmy up; I called it the beached whale. Though definitely not graceful by any means, it was an effective strategy, especially when battling my fear of heights.

After the cliffs, the red trail rejoined the white trail, which continued to meander along the rocky ridge, popping in and out of the pine forest. This was one of the most beautiful, rewarding, and fun hikes I have ever been on.

And the views! The views just kept getting better as you continued. Behind us sat Wheeler Pond, and above that towered a ridge dotted with wind turbines. Straight ahead were Mount Hor and Mount Pisgah, with their steep cliffs flanking the southern end of Lake Willoughby. To the east, Lake Willoughby stretched out for several miles, and far off on the horizon stood Bald Mountain. A few wispy clouds danced in the blue sky, but visibility was impressive.

Upon reaching Eagle Cliff, we ate our snacks while we gazed out on the seemingly endless landscape that lay before us. The sun was warm, and it most definitely did not feel like November was right around the corner. After soaking up the sunshine, we turned around and headed back down, this time taking the less precarious white trail down.

Back at the car, we made a decision to drive over to the Mt. Hor trailhead near the southern end of Lake Willoughby. This hike followed a wide woods trail for a while before rocketing up the side of the mountain. We stopped at several outlooks along the way, which had views towards Lake Willoughby and the massive cliffs of Mt. Pisgah across the way.

The next day, we woke to overcast skies and cooler temps. The night before had brought rain and a dampness still lingered in the air. Fog sat low in the valley and the tops of the nearby mountains were shrouded in low-hanging clouds.

We headed to the trailhead for Bald Mountain, which sits just east of Lake Willoughby in the town of Westmore. Unfortunately, the weather made for a less than ideal hike, considering the summit has a fire tower with impressive views, or so they say… At the trailhead, we met up with an incredibly friendly woman who was hiking by herself. We chatted with our new friend for the majority of the ascent.

At the top, we investigated the cabin which was quite impressive by backcountry standards. It had a main room with a large table and stove, and a small bunk room where 3-4 people could easily spend the night. Its low ceilings and small windows meant it would be quite cozy with a few warm bodies and the woodstove running. We put on dry layers, hats and gloves.

Our friend made it to the top shortly after we did. She wasn’t quite as prepared, so we offered her some of our water and trail mix, which she gladly accepted and then she headed back down the trail. Katie and I took a few more minutes at the top, and then headed back down ourselves. The wet roots and mud made for a slow descent, filled with squeals and shrieks as we slipped and slid down the trail.