Mount Mansfield

Last saturday I hiked Mount Mansfield in Vermont. The weather forecast called for a sunny day but it did not specify what elevation the cloud cover would be at. So while it was a nice indian summer day down below, it was howling and almost winter like up on the Mount Mansfield ridge. This is a great mountain hike that has a lot of open above treeline terrain as well as some fun scrambles on the way up. Perhaps the only drawback is the crowds who drive up the toll road and then walk across the ridge to the summit. Many were unprepared for the howling wind, the cool temperatures and the mile long walk from the parking lot to the summit. I was better prepared although in retrospect it would have been great to have some gloves and also some long pants. I'm told there are some alternatives to the ridge trail that are more challenging and allow one to avoid the crowds. I really enjoyed the hike and would like to return when the weather is better to take in the views.