Twin Mountain Catskills

As part of our warm up for our hike up Mt. Mansfield, we decided to tackle Twin Mountain in the Catskills. Twin is purported to have one of the very best views in the region, and we were not disappointed. Six years ago I tried to climb Twin from the Western side, but a fall on some ice ended the hike. This time we climbed from the east, and after 3.1 miles and a lot of rocky ledges made it to the top!

View from East Summit

Therese snapping pics.

The Old Man on the East Summit

Herrick Trail

Knowing that we were going to tackle Mt. Mansfield, we decided to take a warm up hike near home. The Herrick Trail is a "blue" trail that leads into the AT. The highlight of the hike was the confluence of the Housatonic and Ten Mile Rivers. The Ned Anderson Bridge is named after the man who spearheaded the creation of the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut.

We enjoyed a simple lunch as Bailey splashed in the water. Wanting to cut my apple, I realized it was missing from my pocket (big hole). We prayed to St. Anthony and looked carefully for it on the 2.5 return trip. I placed my pack on the hood of the car and looked down to find it.Thank you St Anthony!

Dad and Bailey on the Bridge

Bridge eating lunch on the Ten Mile River

Mt. Mansfield

After dropping off at Plattsburg State we headed to the Green Mountains of Vermont to tackle Mt. Mansfield. I've been trying to knock off all the high points in the Northeast, so Mansfield was the next destination. We camped a small Vermont State campground called, appropriately, Underhill. The climb up the old CCC road and the Sunset Ridge Trail is 3.3 miles with an elevation gain of 2500 feet. What makes this trail so special, is the amount of time spent above treeline. The views start to open up after the first two miles and get better and better! Next up, Mt. Katahdin!

Bridgie and Manny on the Summit

Climbing the Sunset Ridge Trail

Therese's awesome Summit Photo

The Team with the West Chin in the background.