The Green Mountain Club — Long Trail, Vermont, founded 1910Long Trail ArchiveThe Green Mountain Club
1932 · Ninth Edition · Mt. Mansfield and Vicinity · ≈ book pp. 93–94
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92 DIVISION X

12. Fern Trail. Leaves Taft Lodge at the spring and runs southwest to "Wall St.", a deep crevice with vertical walls near the Cave of the Winds, and thence to the Hotel by what is sometimes called the Garden of Eden Trail. Very rough.

13. By-Pass Trail around Forehead. Leaves Long Trail at Needle's Eye and rejoins it just south of the Nose. Avoids rugged climb over Forehead on Long Trail but lacks fine views and interest of latter. Hikers are advised to use main trail.

14. Cut-off Trail. (Taft Lodge to Hell Brook Trail). Shortest route from Smuggler's Notch Road to Taft Lodge is by way of Hell Brook Trail and this Cut-off. Rough.

15. Haselton Trail. Shortest route from Barnes Camp to Mt. Mansfield Hotel; 2 1/4 mi. (2 1/2 to 3 hr.). Steep, but a good trail.

16. No longer maintained.

A much used trail, sometimes called Profanity Trail, (not numbered on large map) runs from Taft Lodge southwest to join Long Trail on top of ridge just south of Chin. Very steep and rough, but shortest route from Mt. Mansfield Hotel to Taft Lodge is via this trail.

From Barnes Camp, the Long Trail follows the highway, north, for two miles to the summit of Smuggler's Notch. Points of interest are, the Big Spring, foot of Hell Brook Trail, Elephant's Head, King Rock, and The Hunter & His Dog. There is a sign on the right, just north of the Summit, indicating Sterling Pond. Here, the trail leaves the road on the right and rises through woods and slash until it reaches Sterling Pond (3000 ft.) at its outlet, 1 1/4 miles from the highway. The pond is a pretty sheet of water, shaped somewhat like a clover leaf, and covers about 35 acres.

There is an approach trail, shorter and less scenic than The Long Trail, from Barnes Camp to Sterling Pond. It leaves the Notch road just north of Barnes Camp, enters a wood road, circles up Spruce Peak with good views of Mt. Mansfield and joins the Long Trail at Sterling Pond. Up one trail and down the other makes a very fine 6 mi., 5 hr., round trip.

DIVISION X 93

The Long Trail leads along the north shore to Sterling Pond Lodge. (Closed log cabin, metal roof, box stove, and bunks for 8). Water is a few rods south except in dry seasons. Pond water will do for coffee.

Barnes Camp to Sterling Pond Lodge, 3 1/2 mi.; time, 3 1/2 to 4 hr. (Southbound, 2 1/2 to 3 hr.).

Taft Lodge to Sterling Pond Lodge, 5 1/2 mi.; time, 5 1/2 to 6 hr. (Southbound, about the same).

The Long Trail starts east from Sterling Pond, later swinging northward until it reaches Madonna Peak of the Sterling Range, one mile from and 600 feet above Sterling Pond. Madonna has several lookouts, the best one being toward Mt. Mansfield. Then the trail drops 700 feet in 3/4 mile to Chilcoot Pass. From here an approach trail (blue blazes) turns right and descends 750 feet in 3/4 mile to Shattuck Lodge (Moulds Shelter) (Closed lodge, box stove, outdoor fireplace, good water, cooking utensils, bunks for 20).

The Long Trail climbs northward out of Chilcoot Pass, along the side of Morse Mt., and then swings around to Whiteface Lodge (3020 ft.) on the south slope of Whiteface Mt. (Open log camp, metal roof, small stove, bunks for 8, with shelter for more.) Permanent water flows across the trail just to the west. From the lodge, Madonna's steep cone is directly above and behind Beaver Meadow, while Mansfield's Nose is to the right of Madonna, then a shoulder of Morse Mt. and Mansfield's Chin farther to the right. Both peaks of Mansfield are perfectly placed in depressions in the nearer range. Shattuck Lodge is 1.2 miles, 800 feet down, on a blue painted approach trail

Machine-read from the 1932 scan. Text is the OCR’d original, unedited — including its age and its typos.

Scanned page 51 of the 1932 Guide Book of the Long Trail
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