Stratton Mtn, VT & NJSB (New Jersey Snowboard Group) #2- Jan 5, 2013
More great riding with some of us from NJSB) up at Stratton Mtn., VT
Explore Vermont, Episode 2
In this episode, Sara and Kaitlyn talk to Kim Peters from Killington about Cooler in the Mountains, the Chili Cook Off and the other great events happening this summer. They also go hiking at Deer Leap, hit the Adventure Center with a vengeance, visit with the amazing kids from the Killington Music Festival and open up the Vault for a look at the 1991 Quechee Balloon Festival. Enjoy!
Appalachian Trail Loner #101 KILLINGTON MNT 2012 Thru Hike
Link to Kirks album:
Each mountain we encountered was bigger than the last and seemed to be preparing us and our hiker legs for the upcoming challenge, The Whites. One of those warm-ups was Mount Killington. Finally getting close to the top, I found Cooper Lodge. *Click 'SHOW MORE' below for more notes about this video...
Constructed of stone and wood with a chimney and slanted green roof, this was one of the few shelters that actually had a door - all for not as the windows were busted out. We use it during hiking season, but is shared with skiers and snowboarders in the winter. Rampant rodent activity was also obvious.
Known as “Beast of the East,” with a lofty elevation of 4,235 feet, this was the highest we had been since Virginia (insert Bevis & Butt-Head laugh here: “Huh, huh...cool.”) A dome of bare rock oversees a vast landscape of mountains and gave me the sensation of being afraid of heights.
(0:22) The fire tower’s stairs were locked or that would have made for an even better viewpoint. Large antennas and wires were attached to the side and the metal warden’s cabin on the ground and had a half dozen drum satellite dish looking things on the roof.
(0:33) A little red squirrel and I both had a snack. He was a bold little guy and it was a lot of fun playing with the furry, little critter as he got closer and closer. I was able to get some really good pictures. The peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower would be on this very night and I had adjusted my pace to have a chance to see if from vantage point. Sadly, there were at least five marble memorials here dedicated to people who had lost their lives to this mountain. I can only assume they died in skiing or snowboard accidents.
(1:17) Hanging my hammock in a safe place out of the wind, diagonally across a side trail. I had to get creative with ski pole tarp tie-downs as the uneven area directly under my gear was mostly solid rock. One side of the tarp was tied to pine tree branches, the other held down by my walking sticks that were embedded at odd angles.
(1:18) Cooking dinner, it was hard getting my stove to stay lit and used a small stone to hold down the tinfoil lid. I enjoyed a Mountain House beef stew compliments of Kath, livened up with leftover mushrooms and broccoli from the Tangled Roots farm stand. I shared the remaining vegies with my new neighbors.
(1:23) Space Train relaxed while pencil drawing a sketch of the mountain range and sunset. Karen & Kirk were here too and carried a little, plush green frog with them instead of a dog. This cute hippy couple was walking the Long Trail/AT from NH to NY and were actually in the middle of moving from one state to the other, so why not just walk there?
It was cold and breezy so everyone hung around all bundled up in their sleeping bags. Setting a fun mood for the evening, Kirk played upbeat cords on his backpack guitar and sung as Karen hummed along. Sorry for the wind noise, but I really wanted to include this catchy tune on video. (I would love to have the full song on MP3!)
♪ Imagine all the people… remember all of them…. again
Smile and wish them well-hell… Till the break of dawn
I wish they all could come back… and be here again… ♫
(2:29) Our sunset did not disappoint! Nature’s glowing yellow sun slowly turned a deep orange and descended behind far away mountains, illuminating different layers of puffy clouds as it went. Soon the sky became pitch black, dotted with stars.
Time for the main event! Tonight we were flying through an alien comet’s debris tail. Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle was discovered in 1862 and makes an oblong orbit around the sun that takes 133 Earth years, leaving a cloud of dust particles and gasses as it races through the galaxy. These debris are drawn toward us by gravity and burn-up in our atmosphere about 50 miles over earth, creating a stunning shower of fireballs.
Away from the lights of town, shooting stars raced across the heavens. The first person to spot each streak of light would excitedly point toward the vast sky, excitedly yelling “Over there,” or “On the right. Some were just flashes, while others seemed to light up the entire night sky with long, fiery tails. In all there were at least 50 or 60 falling stars, and maybe ten really good ones. By far the finest I’ve ever seen. A professional example:
FUN FACT: John Denver’s iconic song ‘Rocky Mountain High’ came about after watching the Perseid meteor shower during a camping trip in Colorado: ♪ I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky ♫
Early hardships, injuries, trauma, and gut wrenching decisions to stay or go home, seemed to be a thing of the past. I hope Kirk, Karen, and Space Train are doing well and wonder if they ever think about the night we all shared on top of Mount Killington.
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