End-to-End on the Catamount Trail

Now I can truly say I'm a Catamount Trail "end-to-ender". To keep up with my B&B reservations I had to skip over section 5 and the beginning of section 6 due to an injury, and the end of section 11 due to darkness. After reaching the Canadian border I circled back and completed those sections.

Section 11b, 3/10

Old Plymouth Road to Tin Shanty

The snow was very soft from 45 degree temp and partly sunny skies, I had clumping on my skis after coming down off of Burnt Mountain. The trek up and down Burn Mountain was very enjoyable, not too steep, and some nice views near the top.

I saw a quail along the way.

Section 5, 3/11

Grout Pond Road to Kendall Farm Road

It was another warm day, reaching 50 degrees, with soft snow.

I had a nice break for lunch at the Stratton Pond Shelter, one of the few places on the trail where you can stop and relax in an enclosed space. I enjoyed the Stratton Pond Trail portion, it's very remote and scenic, as well as the long downhill to Kendall farm road.

I ski'd a 20 mile figure 8 to complete section 5, the trail was broken allowing me to make good time. I parked at West Ridge road off of the Stratton Mountain Access road. I ski'd up the International Paper road (snowmobile trail) 4 miles to where section 5 begins, and ski'd back along the Catamount Trail. When I got back to Stratton it was just Noon, so I ski'd the rest of section 5 and returned on the IP road.

As I was exiting on the access trail I ran into Hubert Schriebl, originally from Austria, who's been hiking and skiing the Stratton area mountains for the last 51 years. Hubert was taking pictures of a bridge on the CT access trail that a youth corps had built and that he had supervised.

Section 6a, 3/12

Kendall Farm Road to Hwy 30

The temperature dropped overnight and the soft wet snow turned to ice making the steep descent to Hwy 30 a good test of my ice skiing skills. I was very happy to have my magic carpets (skins) with me for the descent as well as the return climb.

There was a dusting of snow the night before making it easy to see lots of fresh bobcat tracks.

Rutland Herald/Montpellier Times Argus Catamount Trail Article

Here's an article on thru skiing the Catamount Trail, several of us who did the trail this year were interviewed for the article:

http://lindafreemanfitness.com/2015/03/08/thru-skiing-catamount-trail/

Stay Thirsty My Friends

My wife and I ski'd up and down the border looking for the boundary stone and gave up deciding to take pictures by the plastic boundary sign. As I was stamping down a place to take the photo I hit the boundary stone which was buried in snow - a lucky end to the trip ;).

We did it!

I say "we" because while I did the skiing, a lot of people helped make my adventure successful.

Thanks to Amy Kelsey and the Catamount Trail Association, the Trail Chiefs, and all of the volunteers who set up and maintain the trails. You made my journey possible.

To all the innkeepers and others who provided rides to/from the trail: you enabled me to ski the entire trail inn to inn.

Finally, thanks to my family for allowing me to indulge myself. Without your enthusiastic support, I wouldn't have taken up this adventure. 

I'm so glad I decided to take this trip. The challenge, the wilderness skiing, seeing winter wildlife/tracks, traveling inn to inn, meeting so many interesting people, overcoming some adversity, and not knowing what trail conditions I would face on a given day (the need for contingency planning) all added to the enjoyment of the trip.

Forest Trek

Birch Grove

Possum tracks

I saw moose, jack rabbit, red fox, and possum tracks today - lots of activity around Jay.