Mendon Peak

Mendon Peak is a mountain in Rutland County, Vermont. The 10th highest peak in the state, it sits at 3,840 feet. It is very close to it’s more famous neighbor Killington Peak and Little Killington. While Killiington is well know for it’s ski resort and winter sports, Mendon is a quiet, rarely sought mountain. Killington’s summit is sought by scores of hikers due to it’s inclusion on the list of the 67 tallest mountains in New England. The mountain is easily accessed by the Appalachian Trail. It’s step sister Mendon is indeed on the list of the 100 Highest Peaks in New England, but the the less popular summit is not blazed with an official trail, making it a more difficult hike for less experienced enthusiasts.

As stated above, Mendon does not have an official trail. It is a bushwack hike. Although a herd path in some areas has been established, it is not maintained and hikers choosing to follow the herd paths do so at their own risk. Many reviews on All Trails have hikers grumbling that the trail was difficult to follow. I roll my eyes at such statements. THERE IS NO TRAIL. When you choose to hike a bushwack, you are to make your own way. It’s not a public park, with a walking path for hikers to follow without thought.

I decided to hike Mendon in summer. Vermont can be quite cold in winter, and it was unlikely the mountain would see much winter traffic. Rather than break trail in snowshoes all the way to the summit, I would do it after the thaw. Vermont is notoriously muddy in the spring, and many trails are closed, or very muddy and swampy. I had already planned a trip to Vermont for my annual section hike of the Long Trail in the month of August. I decided to drive up early and knock off a few mountains before my friends arrived.

If you are a hiker chasing the 100 Highest in New England, let me put you at some ease. While a bit long at 8+ miles, it is not an exceptionally difficult hike. After parking in the Bucklin Trailhead lot, you follow a logging road into the woods. The trail rises gradually, and eventually you will have to cross the river. In fact you’ll cross it twice. The river is a bit wide, but can be easily rock hopped in summer when the water levels are low. I did lose the trail a few times, and it was a bit boggy in places. After navigating a wet patch, I picked up the trail again. I highly advise a GPS app to help keep you on track. There are no blazes to keep you on the herd path and the heavy wet spring plant growth can obscure otherwise well trod dry sections where the path is obvious. I would have found my way to the trail eventually, but a good mapping app can save a little time, effort and peace of mind. The path to the summit was clear enough. It did meander a bit, and arriving at the sign and canister is a bit anti climactic. I took a picture for posterity, and scribbled my name in the logbook of hikers. Upon closing the canister, I hightailed it off the view-less summit. I would have more miles to log on the Long Trail the following day.