Where did the summer go? I’m not sure, but I think it is now in the history books. As we moved into fall the forecast for the higher elevations indicated a chance of snow. Luckily following that mid-September snow forecast was a window of ideal fall weather. It was time to load the backpacks and get a few miles on the boots before more snow made backpacking out of the question for the rest of 2025.
Since moving last month most of our time has been spent getting settled in and figuring out where things are. We have been out and about a bit and our first hike was on the long trail starting out at Hazen’s Notch State Park.
Hazen’s Notch is a pass just south of us named for Moses Hazen who was a brigadier general in the Continental Army who led the construction of the road in 1779. It is now a State Park that provides access to Vermont’s famed Long Trail.
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There’s the Cascades, and then there’s the Old Cascades. Those weather worn non-descript “hills” west of the flashy snow capped peaks everyone knows about. The Old Cascades are filled with trails, small lakes and wildflowers, and lack the wilderness designation that bring the crowds. We went to explore in July hoping to catch a few wildflowers and find a quiet ridge with a view. We were successful, although the truck has a few new pinstripes from the brushy roads to prove it.
