We headed for Smuggler's Notch Campground in the Green Mountains. It was a 40 minute drive through the mountains. The foliage was beautiful. I think we were still one week away from everything turning color.
Sarah was comfortable on her bed
We headed out to the Stowe Mountain Resort to ride the gondola up to Mount Mansfield. We had lunch at the Cliff House, out on the deck. The views were amazing.
Conducting line tests on the zip lines. The first guy had a large bag on an attachment with numerous Go-Pro cameras viewing every inch of cable. The video was then reviewed for any issues.
Cliff House Restaurant
A hazy view from the deck of the Cliff House
A hearty bowl of the best Clam Chowder ever and a Bavarian meat and vegetable plate, washed down with Vermont IPA
The colors were really beautiful
After the gondola ride back down, we drove to the Auto Toll Road, the road up to Mount Mansfield. The drive was 4-1/2 miles of steep, single-lane gravel, switch backs and white knuckles. Actually, it wasn't bad at all. For the most part people were level headed, but passing at times was a little tricky. No pin strips on this trip. The parking was at 3,850 feet. Susan, Sarah and I started the climb up the trail along the ridge line. The ridge line is like looking at the features of a persons face. We climbed to the upper lip together and then I continued up to the lower lip reaching an elevation of 4,200 feet +/-
Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains in New York can be seen in the distance
The view from the lower lip. The chin is the highest point on the mountain
Mt. Mansfield is the highest summit in Vermont. It also supports the largest of only two alpine ecosystems in Vermont. The ridgeline ecosystem is most spectacular. It is an arctic-alpine zone whose vegetation parallels that of arctic areas 1,500 miles to the north.
Looking back down to Susan on the upper lip
On the upper upper with Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains in the background.
In 2011 Susan and i traveled to Germany and Austria. On a day trip we traveled to Salzburg, Austria and took the Sound of Music Tour. We wanted to visit the Trapp Family Lodge while we were in Stowe. We stopped at the Trapp brewery and restaurant for lunch.
Trapp Family Brewery & Restaurant
Trapp Family Lodge
The Trapp Family Cemetery, Col. Von Trapp above and Maria Von Trapp below
Smugglers Notch Campground
The Capitol Building in Montpelier, VT
To be continued in Part 3
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