| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Jay Peak, Big Jay, VT |
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 | Trails: |
Long Trail, herd path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, July 6, 2013 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking in the lot at the top of Route 242. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing to note. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Long Trail was in great shape. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Should be a nice dog trail (at least to Jay Peak), but not much in the way of water trailside. Saw a number of different breeds out, all well-behaved and seemingly enjoying the day. |
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 | Bugs: |
Some in the face on the herd path to Big Jay, but nothing too bad. Nice breeze on Jay Peak kept any at bay. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Lost: register on Big Jay. Bracket and sled still there, but no jar that we could find. |
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 | Comments: |
Our small Meetup group of 3 turned into 2 thanks to a car that wouldn't start for one member (bummer!). Took a real late start for us on this one, thanks in part to the drive involved, but being a shorter one we weren't concerned, and it turned out to be great timing on our part. The skies were heavy overcast during the ascent and almost all the way over to Big Jay, but by the time we returned to Jay Peak, the sun was out with only some light clouds here and there, and we got to enjoy a wonderful hour+ sitting on the summit before our descent. Terrific views in all directions. Though limited by haze, we could see into Canada (being maybe 10 miles away helps!), New Hampshire, and even what we think was Mount Whiteface in New York off in the hazy distance.
The climb up the Long Trail was uneventful and seemed really easy for whatever reason. We barely noticed the elevation gain. After tagging the summit of Jay Peak and briefly getting turned around in the fog, we headed North on the Long Trail and picked up the herd path to Big Jay right where it is said to be.
The herd path was easy to follow navigation-wise, but it was insanely muddy! We'd heard stories about it, but with all the extra rain of late, it was a nearly constant mud pit for better than 1/2 the distance. A couple spots we had to 'whack around as the mud seemed to have no bottom when probed with poles. We made it to the high point without major trouble, and made a quick u-turn as the bugs on the summit were obnoxious.
When we returned to Jay Peak, not only was the sun out, but the tourists were there, having come up the gondola. From a bench near the summit, we watched as a small wedding ceremony was held down by the summit building, overlooking the view towards Big Jay. A nice day for it. Congrats to the Marine and his new bride!
Thanks Theresa for coming along for the fun, we both got 2 NEHH checkmarks out of this one, way up near Canada. Glad our start was delayed even beyond the late start that was planned, we might have missed out on the views otherwise! |
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 | Name: |
madmattd |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2013-07-08 |
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 | Link: |
 https://mattshikes.blogspot.com/ |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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