NE Hundred Highest: Equinox (VT)

Sunday, January 14, 2018
New England Hundred Highest climbed: Equinox Mountain
Miles: 5.4 (total, out and back hike)
Elevation gained: 2680'
MapMyRun recording

For this hike, I arrived at the trailhead on West Union St around 11:45am. It was in the low 20s, so water bottles freezing was a problem. I got ready and headed up the Red Gate Trail, continuing straight/slightly to the right once I intersected with the Blue Summit Trail. 

At the beginning of this section, microspikes were quite welcome, as the trail was covered in 3-4 inches of ice. I left my microspikes on for the duration of the hike.

After hiking on the Blue Summit Trail for a few miles, I arrived at the peak of the mountain. I took pictures of the views north and south, added some layers, and then started hiking back down.

Part way down, I passed by a big group of people out for a hike, probably a local hiking club. Over the day, I saw maybe 3-4 groups of people hiking up the mountain; it was a nice day but it was still a fairly quiet hike.

The trail was very packed down; the hike could be done safely without microspikes, though they made it easier.