| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Stratton Mountain, VT |
|
 | Trails: |
Long Trail, Stratton Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 9, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The Stratton-Arlington Road is plowed all the way from Route 100 at West Wardsboro to the trailhead, and no further. Trailhead parking had enough space to hold 5 or 6 cars comfortably with all the snowpiles; any additional cars will need to get inventive. Watch for heavy snowmobile traffic in the area. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Two or three small streams at lower elevations on the Long Trail can be stepped over right now. Coming thaw will cause higher flows. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Not trail maintenance per se, but the lookout tower at the top of the mountain has several window panes that have shattered from ice and wind, and broken glass can be found within the tower top as well as scattered around the base of the tower. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Refer to my notes regarding Trail Maintenance: Glass scattered at summit. Don't want any paws getting hurt! |
|
 | Bugs: |
Nothing to say. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
Found a good-sized knife heading up the south side of Stratton, past Little Stratton. Give me an email at Sheamus.Fagan@gmail.com with a description and we can arrange a return. |
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|
 | Comments: |
I opted to stay a little closer to home this weekend and gave Stratton a try. Solo hike this time. Started at the trailhead on Stratton-Arlington Road (which is sometimes known as the Kelly Stand Road, though that name formally begins when the road enters Sunderland) and climbed 3.4 miles to the summit. The snow is quite consolidated and hard at this point, after recent rains followed by a freeze, so the going was nice and fast and I was able to wear just microspikes the entire time. Still took my snowshoes along for good measure, though. Very windy up at the top, which I imagine is what has caused damage to the windows of the lookout tower. The spur trail over to the northern summit - and the ski trails - is just as hardpacked as the Long Trail, though a little less traveled. I enjoyed getting some pictures with the big ski trail map and a bag of popcorn at the summit snack bar, then headed back to the southern summit and made my way down to lower elevation and my car. The trail crosses a woods road less than a mile from the trailhead, and I was lucky enough to get a picture of a passing snowmobiler having a great time. |
|
 | Name: |
Sheamus |
|
 | E-Mail: |
Sheamus.Fagan@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-03-09 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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