Spring Skiing on the Catamount Trail

by Dave Scott

An enthusiastic group of two struck out on a very spring-like morning, with backcountry gear and klister. The tour was shortened since the Natural Turnpike in Ripton was a little rough and unskiable. Starting from the VAST/winter sports parking area on the South Lincoln road, we climbed the steep unplowed forest road to the Spruce Lodge camp and started the tour. The Catamount Trail leaves the road just south of Spruce Lodge. Andy Mac and I skied north on the CT, conditions were a bit soft with plenty of snow cover. We entered a conifer canopy as we began, and for the first half mile we skied under tall trees, planted ages ago. Soon the trail started an easy, gradual climb as we skied through older hard woods. Tracks and signs of the animals that preceded us were observed, moose, deer, red squirrels, and many others we did not know.

The first, of only a few down hills, was a short descent, through young beech trees. It was a fun slow glide with the sun really warming the snow as well as our faces. We skied on as the trail rolled, following the contours of the land and soon dropping down and out, crossing an old road dating back to the 1940’s. (I was told that local farmers used to run their cows along that old path.) Continuing on our way we passed more signs of spring skiing, many small wet areas were showing. Easily bypassed, the tour left the Green Mountain National Forest as the trail turns east passing through mixed hard and soft woods and more fun, short down hills. We reached the New Haven River, crossed a privately owned bridge and the South Lincoln road. We took a short break had a beautiful view of the summit of Mt. Abe and near bye peaks.

From here on we started climbing, the CT climbs all the way to Lincoln Gap. Our end destination today was French Settlement. For the next hour, we skied up through hemlock shaded woods roads and some nice beech-maple forest. As we approached the French Settlement road, snow conditions were getting wet and we were glad and sad that the ski was nearly over. When we arrived at the road and my car we toasted a great day in the woods and made the short drive back to the starting point.