 |
| My 12 Year Old Son Pointing to the Southern Hump of Camel's Hump - Where We'd Summited The Day Before |
Hike: Camel’s Hump Summit
Loop, Vermont.
Length & Vertical: @
7.5mile loop. @ 2,600 vertical. Via Forest City Trail, The Long Trail, Burrows Trail
Location: east of
Huntington Center, Camel’s Hump State Park, Vermont (north of Middlebury)
Difficulty: Moderate to
Difficult.
Exposure: Mostly in trees,
near summit exposed rocks.
Dogs: Yes. Leashed dogs at
Alpine Level.
Kids: Stronger, older,
experienced hiker kids only. Precarious exposures on The Long Trail and summit
area.
Major Tip: Slippery rock,
bouldering (grabbing rocks with hands), roots on trail, and some scrambling
make this loop a fun but much slower hike. Plan more time per mile.
The Hike & The Story: As
we drive up Camel’s Hump Road near Huntington Center, Vermont, my 12 year old,
who is morphing quickly into a full blown teenager, and I peer to our left to
see long lines of plastic maple syrup tubing along hundreds of Maple trees
lining the road en route to our trailhead.
“Oh, look! Maple tree lines!”
I trumpet. My son notes them too, but without much exclamation – gone are the days
of Look Mama, Look!
 |
| Team Camel's Hump. |
We pull into the Forest
City Trailhead parking area on the right side of the road. The trees, ground is
still wet from the morning showers we’ve waited out, and now, at 11am, the sun
is finally peeking out from less threatening, greyish, puffy clouds.
Gear is gathered after a
pre-pack at Grandpa’s barn – GORP, block of cheddar cheese, water, light-long-sleeve
base layer, warm hat. Flip flops exchanged for Smartwools and my Saucony Trail
Runners and his Keens. Our small and mighty hiking dog energized with a pre-adventure
treat.
 |
| Welcome to Camel's Hump State Park |
We’re off.
My son, a 7th
grader this fall, has taken to walking in front of me in public rather than
next to me, shrinking down in the car seat when he sees girls if we’re driving
somewhere together, and basically pretends he is motherless any time we’re around
human beings who aren’t in his immediate comfort zone family.
Which, I concede, is a
completely normal, next phase in boy-human growth. Though no one said I have to
really enjoy it. Which is why I am SO excited to help us both shift a little to
a next phase in our relationship – a thought of us as part of the same “Crew” -- working together towards a mutual Goal. All within in the healthy environment
of Nature and Adventure in the outdoors. So in our case today, as a team we prepare
for and summit Vermont’s third highest mountain with a reputation for
being a tough mudder’s climb.
 |
| End of Forest City Trail |
We head up the first 2
miles of the trail, following Brush Brook river’s rocky mini-falls, crossing
multiple bridges, and starting the navigation of the slippery, rock-hop that
defines the trail. Periodic chatter along the way about the cool rocks,
captured lizards, and the mega-difference between our clear, highway-like
hiking-trails in Marin County, California and the already noteworthy more
difficult hiking trails in Vermont.
We are both in good shape.
But the going is MUCH slower than the full-legged strides we’re used to on our California trail system.
Hitting the famous Long
Trail with a sign that says: 1.9mi to Camel’s Hump Summit, I stop and say. Crap.
To myself.
 |
| The Sign Doesn't Lie: 1.9 miles UP to go. |
I had mis-interpreted Grandpa’s
enthusiastic instructions on the route and confused his directions along with
what I’d read in the guidebook. What I thought was going to be a 4.5 mile hike
RT, 2,600 vertical, zip up and down the mountain, was actually going to be a
much longer trip. (Note to self: Always double-check on Enthusiastic Grandpa
descriptions and instructions!!!)
Ignoring my blunder with
the personal knowledge we can definitely handle a few more miles, we turn and
head north on the Long Trail, past Wind Gap, and begin to get massive views
down valley and start bouldering in places, using our hands to scramble up
giant slippery rocks. Everything is UP, including a big, grey cloud that’s
blown over us as we hit a higher elevation and it’s time for a quick stop a
long-sleeve layer and some grub. We’ve passed no one for a few hours. And we’re
feeling a little exposed and starting to get worn.
 |
| Bouldering type maneuvers. |
 |
| Scrambling UP with hands. |
.JPG) |
| Trail opening up to massive Green Mountain views. |
So, it was also time for
some confession time. Throwing Grandpa under the bus just a little but then
circling around and taking the “blame” slash-“responsibility” myself, I confess
to him that the hike’s going to be a leeettle longer than I’d thought as I
hadn’t THROUGHLY double checked (though I had double checked what I’d thought
was the correct info) and thus had gotten confused about the mileage to the
summit via this route.
Eating chunks of Vermont
Cabot Cheddar, picking out the chocolate from the GORP, and sipping at our
water, I give him the choice: Turn back? Or, Stay on.
As his crew member, I’d
made a mistake. We now had to stop, re-calculate, re-assess, and make a group
decision.
His response: Shovel in more
fistfuls of GORP. And, CARRY ON, the summit is our goal.
Hitting the “Bad Weather
Bypass” trail, it’s confirmed we’re getting closer to the top and the adrenaline rush
hits. The next sign is: Fragile Alpine Area. We leash our 13lb. dog who
continues to have plenty of hiking energy as usual and – woohoo – summit bound
baby!
.JPG) |
| Bad weather bypass. |
Stubby trees and rugged
alpine tundra vegetation poke out amongst the giant grey slabs. There are
sounds of giggling girls peeing in the trees nearby – who we, embarrassingly
for them and my teen, bump into as they scamper ahead and flip their hair – and then. Boom. Summit.
 |
| Summit of Camel's Hump. Annie, Aspen the Dog & Hayden. 4,083 feet. |
A college student from
Vermont sits against the summit-of-the-hump-rock. She’s ranger for the summer,
clicking-off on her counter the numbers of us making our way up. I saw #120
when we arrived @ 1:30pm. Today she’s walking around in her socks and
dispensing valuable advice, including a re-confirmation of the loop home for
us. Sitting near her is a dude from San Diego, on day 6 of a Long Trail hike,
all beard and scruffily. "Hey, you’re from California!" he exclaims like long lost family members. He’s excited to connect and we chat about the West Coast/East Coast lifestyle differences for a while.
 |
| Summit. Camel's Hump, Vermont, USA |
After hours of No-Service,
I’m able to text all our loved ones “Can you see us Waving at you???” in a
cheeky hello from almost 4,100 feet high.
Heading back, we take the
Burrows Trail down, a dense, virtual staircase of rocks and roots with no
views. It’s the “quick” way home and still slick and treacherous for wobbly ankles.
It also has a LOT of people on it. At the end of this trail, we have one last
mile to our car at the Forest City parking area, and my son jumps in front of
me and starts power hiking on the easy, flat trail. Our feet tired, and we have
a sweet moment of bonding over lovingly cursing Grandpa during this last mile.
We are kicking-butt.
I will always be Hayden’s
embarrassing mom. Always.
But I also want to be
kicking-butt with him on the trails and other outdoor and life adventures and
work together to make those summits, overcome and be flexible about shifting
the plans, and have a blast doing it.
 |
| Well deserved creemie celebration for the team. |
And, to celebrate, a ceremonial stop at the creemie stand for some Maple Creemies with sprinkles on the way home. Always. -Outdoorsy Mama
