Division 10 Underhill to Cambridge

[anonymark]

Thought I'd ask the guru's here. I am the luckiest man alive in some ways. My parent live in Underhill VT (Unfortunately, I did not grow up there, they moved when I was an adult). I'd like to take my Dad and son on a 3 day section hike from route 15 in Cambridge back to Mt. Mansfield (20 miles. 3 days), or the reverse the first week of August. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Particularly on camping and mileage. 6 miles, give or take, a day,is easy for me, and pretty easy for my son, even with the elevation. I'm thinking it should be very doable for my 70+ dad. I just want to make sure we have some nice camping spots and I'm not going to way overdue it with the mileage vs terrain. We will be bringing 2 hammocks and a small SMD Skyscape.

I have the guidebook on order, but figured I'd see what everyone thought.

[Nar Nar]

Where exactly are you stoping? The trail doesn't cross any roads in Underhill, so you would have to take a side trail down the west side of Mansfield to get there.

[anonymark]

The trail. I've been up (and down) it before. Might be a fun start or end..

[anonymark]

Edit. I'm planning on stopping or starting at Underhill state park, hiking down the side trail from Mt Mansfield.

[Slo-go'en]

First of all, you must stay at designated camping spots (shelters/Lodges). There are no tent sites at the shelters or along the trail in the section you indicate. Hammocks could also be a problem.

Second, this is one of the more rugged sections of trail. Your 70+ year old dad better be in exceptional shape for his age or you will kill him. The section between Whiteface shelter and Sterling pond is brutal. So is the decent to Rt 108.

I've never done any of the trails to Underhill, but in typical Vermont fashion, any trail off the side of a ridge is very steep, the one comming off of the chin looks pretty nastly on the map.

What I would suggest is to hike up to Taft lodge from Smugglers notch, which is a fairly mellow 2.5 mile hike. The next day cross Mansfield to Butler lodge, then take the side trail back towards Underhill which is also a reasonably mellow trail. The only difficult parts of this hike is the climb up the chin (very steep and exposed, all four limbs required to hold onto something) and the decent off of the Forehead (also very steep, exposed and kinda scarry).

Keep in mind there is a caretaker fee at Sterling pond, Taft and Butler lodge.

[Nar Nar]

The section between Whiteface shelter and Sterling pond is brutal. So is the decent to Rt 108.
Am I the only person that found this section not to be that difficult? I mean, it's no walk in the park, but I certainly wouldn't call it "brutal" (although maybe I would for a 70 year old man). I found the stuff over by Camels Hump and Bolton to be much more difficult than the Mansfield- RT 15 section.

[Slo-go'en]

Am I the only person that found this section not to be that difficult?

It helps to be young :)

As a section hike with a 70+ year old, I would do this section in 3 nights, 4 days.

Day 1: RT 15 to Whiteface shelter - 7.5 miles. The first 4-5 miles are easy. The climb up and over Whiteface is a bit of a grunt, but isn't real steep except for right near the top. The shelter has a great view, but because of that is not the best place to be if it's going to be stormy.

Day 2: Whiteface to Sterling pond - 3.8 miles. While this might seem like a really short day, those 4 miles take a while. The 700 foot decent off of Madonna is a serious knee cruncher. Also Madonna is a ski mountian, so has open vistas and a warming hut to hang out at. Nice place to spend a hour just for the heck of it.

Day 3: Sterling pond to Taft Lodge: 3.6 miles. Another seemingly short day which takes a while.

Day 4: up and over the Chin and out.

The problem is really the streach between Whiteface and Taft lodge. Stopping at Sterling pond kinda makes for a couple of short days, but going the whole distance is more then just twice as hard. Plan A lets you take it slow and easy with lots of rest, Plan B you have to push a lot harder. Weather is a big factor too. It's likely to still be hot and humid the first week of August which can slow you down. There is also the risk of afternoon thunder storms, so getting to where you want to be early in the afternoon cuts down on that risk significantly.

In any event, that is a magnificent section of trail, enjoy it!

[Nar Nar]

It helps to be young :)
Haha yes, it does, but I meant it more as a comparison, because a lot of the LT kicks my ass just like everyone else :rolleyes: Have yet to do from Lincoln Gap to App Gap and I heard that section is tough.

[anonymark]

Thank you for the input. my 70 year old Dad is in really good shape for his age. (in fact, that is what keeps me motivated, I can't let him outdo me!) Slo-go'en, thank you, that looks pretty doable and gives us plenty of time. I love VT in the summer, kinda wish I had been able to find a job and live there. Winter ehhhhh, but Summer Ahhhh!