connecticut river in southern vermont - is it frozen right now?

[thejackal]

i'm going to brattelboro this weekend and would love to be able to try out some new snowshoes. i thought maybe the river would be a great option but i haven't been to brattleboro in a month or so. i assume the river is frozen over by now. could anyone confirm that this is the case? are people playing hockey? comments on safety? should i bring my skates?

any other recommendations on snowshoeing around brattleboro?

any input is appreciated. thanks.

[vthiker]

The river is frozen in the Upper Valley(Hanover area), but only just so, and does not look safe to me. There are still areas of open water in places. Its possible you could find a spot out of the current that might be good. I wish I could offer a suggestion as to where else to go, but that's too far south of me to have much useful knowledge of the area. Good luck.

[Jack Tarlin]

Don't know about Southern Vermont, but if you try and snowshoe on the Connecticut anywhere near Hanover right now, you will likely drown.

[Tin Man]

Don't know about Southern Vermont, but if you try and snowshoe on the Connecticut anywhere near Hanover right now, you will likely drown.

so bridge divers should wear their swimmies? :-?

[Jack Tarlin]

Depends who they are. If certain folks wanna go for it, I'd be loathe to stand in their way. :D

[A-Train]

Call me crazy, but wouldn't you wanna try your SNOWshoes out in the snow, not on a maybe frozen river? On ice, crampons would make more sense, but I'm sure there is some snow patches around southern VT to practice walking around.

[Kirby]

There's PLENTY of snow in northern New England right now.

Kirby

[Peaks]

From Brattleboro, head west. If nothing else, go snowshoeing on the Catamount Trail, or Hogback State Park or Townsend State Park. Assuming there is snow, plenty of places for snowshoeing. Or snowshoe on the Long Trail/AT.

[skinny minnie]

I second the opinion saying go on the AT/LT in VT... but the past few times I've been out to go snowshoeing, I haven't even bothered to use the snowshoes. Both in MA and NH. Both times the trail I used was fine just with boots and gaitors. Although I also brought microspikes and snowshoes just in case. There's snow right now... it just isn't always great for snowshoes.

[Deadeye]

Peaks had it right, plenty of trails to the West (can't really go East from Brattleboro!), and all sorts of other options nearby. Personally, you'll never find me snowshoeing on a river - too many currents underneath the ice. The river may be frozen all the way across, and covered with snow, but the thickness of the ice is unpredictable and inconsistent.

[thejackal]

yeah....i'm looking at the river right now. it's frozen all the way across and covered with snow. it looks beautiful but i can see a ways towards the south that there is a decent size hole in the ice. that and the absence of footprints on the river make me think it's not the safest idea for right now.

hopefully we'll see what's up with the catamount trail near wilmington this weekend. depends on the partner, you know?