Mount Mansfield (Smuggler's Notch, Vermont)

During our honeymoon, Amy and I climbed our first Vermont 4000 footer, Mount Mansfield (climb date: 10/13/2010). Mansfield is a mountain of interest for several reasons:

• It looks like a man's face (see photo below)
• It is #3 on the New England's Fifty Finest list (finest = prominence)
• It is the highest point in Vermont
• Like the other Vermont 4000 footers, it is reached by a segment of the Long Trail, which is similar to the Appalachian Trail, but stays in Vermont (and it came before the AT!)
• This applies only to Amy and I, but we got married on 10/10/10, and Mansfield is our 10th 4000 footer!!  A coincidence, actually, but it was great to realize while we climbed.

It was a nice climb, and the views were great, with the Whites in NH visible in the distance to the East and the Adirondacks of NY visible in the distance to the west. Because of the prominence, and the spacious nature of Smuggler's notch, the view was not as interrupted by mountains as I've grown accustomed to in NH, which was a nice change.   As we ascended The Chin (highest point) it was very steep, perhaps the longest stretch of difficult climbing I've done, with a short chimney followed by a lot of rock hopping with three points of contact.

Overview:
Amy and I climbed Mount Mansfield (4393') via the Long Trail (south):

• TIME:  5 hours, 7 minutes (9:23am start, 12pm summit, 12-12:30pm lunch, 2:30pm finish)
• DISTANCE: about 4 miles (round trip)
• ELEVATION GAIN: 2,800 feet

Here are the elevation profiles and map I made (probably my laziest attempt yet, but it's good enough I'd say):

Long Trail to The Chin

Long Trail from The Chin to the Profanity Trail back to the Long Trail (does not go all the way back down)

View Mount Mansfield in a larger map

Trail Conditions:
A bit wet, but generally no difficulties with conditions.  Near the top of The Chin there was snow in the trees and a bit of ice on the rocks, but we did not have to deal with it very much.  Cold and windy as we ascended The Chin, but at the summit it was not too bad.  The Profanity Trail was steep and occasionally eroded, but it was never a problem.

Photos and Further Details on the Climb

View of Mount Mansfield at an angle from which it REALLY resembles a face.  Chin is not shown, unfortunately.

Trailhead sign was ridiculous.  We drove by it 3 times.  That's an 8.5 x 11 in piece of paper!

Trail was occasionally wet, but overall very beautiful!

Amy heading up the chimney, which was the beginning of a stretch of the steepest climbing I've done so far.

I tried to really capture the steepness of the trail

Steep and spots of ice/snow!

Look at the snow in the trees!  It was even snowier further back around the dark side of the mountain.

A panoramic from the summit of Mount Mansfield (The Chin).  Looking northwest, I believe

Amy showing off that we had cell service on the mountain.  This is just after we got onto the Profanity Trail, which was steep like this almost the whole time.

Full view of Mansfield's face, though the angle isn't as good.  Forehead, eyebrows, nose, lips, chin, adam's apple.

Final thoughts:
I loved this mountain.  Steep and somewhat scary near the end of the climb, but great views and a quick tough climb marked the start of our honeymoon in a great way. 

Not sure whether we will be climbing much more in 2010.  Icy conditions and a lack of cramp-ons, snowshoes, and cold weather hiking pants are to blame.  We'll see! 

BRIAN OUT.

Got married!

I feel obligated to post about marrying Amy here.  We got married on 10/10/10 at the World Fellowship Center in Albany, NH, and had a great time of it.  The weather and foliage could not have cooperated any better!  I'm so happy to have Amy, and could not be happier to share my life with her.

I'm going to type out the vows we made to each other from memory right now, which we recited during the ceremony:

I take thee to by my beloved, promising to be a loving and faithful partner.  I ask you to be none other than yourself.  I promise to cherish and delight in your spirit and individuality, to face life's challenges with patience, to respect our differences, and nurture our growth.

Here are some photos I like that were taken over the weekend:

Went to the Fryeburg Fair on the Friday night before the wedding with Amy, our friend Myra, Amy's sister Christine, Christine's boyfriend Patrick. Highlight: fried Oreos.

Climbed Mount Chocorua with a group of friends and family on Saturday.  Here's Amy with Leela at the summit!

Amy's cousin Brian surprised everyone by showing up from JAPAN, after making sure we all thought he couldn't make it!  Took this photo at a great party at Amy's mom's house the night before the wedding.

The day of the wedding, Tim, Tyler and I went looking for moose and caught a great sunrise. Tyler's presence at the wedding was a complete surprise, and it was great to have him there.

Me waiting for Amy before the ceremony. (Taken by Tim Cunningham)

Here she comes! (Taken by John Mitchell)

Amy arrives up front. (Taken by Tim Cunningham)

Here we go! (Taken by Myra Khan)

You may now kiss each other. (Taken by Tim Cunningham)

After we were officially married we went to be alone in the woods, and then had some private photos taken.  (Taken by John Mitchell)

My cousin Robby enjoying the potluck meal.

Picnic tables for seating on the beautiful fall day. (Taken by Myra Khan)

There's the surprise guest!  Great to see my old pal Tyler again, who was there for Amy and I since the beginning back at UNH.

Chocolatey cake my mom made!

Everyone gathered for our toast and Amy's birthday song for her cousin Liz. (Taken by Myra Khan)

Cutting the cake (and wooden dowels, woops!) (Taken by Myra Khan)

Soapy recycling mobile.

Great day, thanks everyone!  (taken by Myra Khan)

There are many, many more great photos out there, and sifting through those that I have is so tough!  If you have any photos from the wedding, please let me know, I'd love to get copies of them (in their original high resolution, of course!).

BRIAN OUT.