To the top of Belvidere Mountain along the Moose Highway
I realized that I am doing these post all on the same day and not telling you when we hiked. The first hike we did (Hiking the Long Trail: Hogback Road to Prospect Rock) was done on Thursday, June 16, 2011. This hike was completed on Father's Day, June 19, 2011. We had planed to hike it sooner, but Mother Nature decided to have us wait.
Before we set off to hike Belvidere, I thought it best to do some research on the mountain. The first thing that you will notice about Belvidere is that it has, what looks like, a large scar on one side. This scar is, in fact, an old asbestos mine. This mine was originally started in the late 1800's. It passed through quite a few hands throughout the decades before finally closing in 1993 due to environmental and health hazards. It was the first asbestos mine in the United States and the last one to close in the east. In the 1940's, almost all of the asbestos mined in the United States came from Belvidere. (I should note that the type of asbestos mined in Belvidere is the strongest and the least hazardous). You can find out more about the Belvidere asbestos mine here. The other thing about Belvidere Mountain is that there is a fire tower on the top that offers excellent views. The fire tower is a little less interesting than the mine, but is almost as old. The original fire tower was built in 1919, but this was toppled by a hurricane in 1938. A steel tower was erected in its place and was in use until 1970. In 1998 the steel tower was renovated by the Green Mountain Club (Which is where I got most of this information from).
Now for the hike. To reach the trail head you need to find Eden Mills on a map. This would be difficult without Google. Anyways, traveling north on Route 100 to Eden Mills, take a left on North Road. Drive past the mine until you find Tillotson road after a bend in the road, about 5 miles from Eden Mills. Take Tillotson Road till it ends. There you can park.
The hike itself was not all that bad. It starts off easy, just a little muddy due to all the rain we had this spring. You will notice the occasional moose scat along the way, but not much else. As the trail ascends, the moose scat becomes more plentiful and you will need to watch your step even more. Soon you reach a moose super highway, and you can not help but step in some moose poo. The good news is that when you are on the Moose Super Highway you get the occasional view to the north. You can see Jay Peak and into Canada. When you finally break free of the Moose Super Highway the trail meets up with the Long Trail near the summit of Belvidere. Two lefts later and you are on the final ascent to the summit, with no moose scat to be found.
The fire tower is more of a look out tower now and does not have an enclosed cabin on top. This means that as long as you don't mind the wind the views are great. Just check out the video to see for yourself.
We spent an hour on top of Belvidere. When we went back down (keeping an eye out for the moose scat) we sang songs. No moose came to join us. Besides a few slips and slides down some rocks, everyone made it out alright.
Until next time. Rememeber,
The Mountain Grows Taller Around Every Bend In The Trail.
Before we set off to hike Belvidere, I thought it best to do some research on the mountain. The first thing that you will notice about Belvidere is that it has, what looks like, a large scar on one side. This scar is, in fact, an old asbestos mine. This mine was originally started in the late 1800's. It passed through quite a few hands throughout the decades before finally closing in 1993 due to environmental and health hazards. It was the first asbestos mine in the United States and the last one to close in the east. In the 1940's, almost all of the asbestos mined in the United States came from Belvidere. (I should note that the type of asbestos mined in Belvidere is the strongest and the least hazardous). You can find out more about the Belvidere asbestos mine here. The other thing about Belvidere Mountain is that there is a fire tower on the top that offers excellent views. The fire tower is a little less interesting than the mine, but is almost as old. The original fire tower was built in 1919, but this was toppled by a hurricane in 1938. A steel tower was erected in its place and was in use until 1970. In 1998 the steel tower was renovated by the Green Mountain Club (Which is where I got most of this information from).
Now for the hike. To reach the trail head you need to find Eden Mills on a map. This would be difficult without Google. Anyways, traveling north on Route 100 to Eden Mills, take a left on North Road. Drive past the mine until you find Tillotson road after a bend in the road, about 5 miles from Eden Mills. Take Tillotson Road till it ends. There you can park.
The hike itself was not all that bad. It starts off easy, just a little muddy due to all the rain we had this spring. You will notice the occasional moose scat along the way, but not much else. As the trail ascends, the moose scat becomes more plentiful and you will need to watch your step even more. Soon you reach a moose super highway, and you can not help but step in some moose poo. The good news is that when you are on the Moose Super Highway you get the occasional view to the north. You can see Jay Peak and into Canada. When you finally break free of the Moose Super Highway the trail meets up with the Long Trail near the summit of Belvidere. Two lefts later and you are on the final ascent to the summit, with no moose scat to be found.
The fire tower is more of a look out tower now and does not have an enclosed cabin on top. This means that as long as you don't mind the wind the views are great. Just check out the video to see for yourself.
We spent an hour on top of Belvidere. When we went back down (keeping an eye out for the moose scat) we sang songs. No moose came to join us. Besides a few slips and slides down some rocks, everyone made it out alright.
Until next time. Rememeber,
The Mountain Grows Taller Around Every Bend In The Trail.
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