Hunger Mtn - Skyline - Pinnacle Hike

On Sat, July 28, five die hard Vermonters headed out to hike the Hunger Mtn. - Pinnacle traverse. After some confusion on where to meet (the email with directions ended in some spam folders) we got a late start (11 am) and four of us headed up the Hunger Mtn trail. Alton, due to a time conflict, started at the Pinnacle trail head and hiked the trail in reverse meeting the rest of the gang on the trail. 

The trail up Hunger is moderately steep with a steady incline. About a third way up we took a longer break soaking in the scenery and a small picturesque waterfall. After another 15 minutes on the trail Jeff R. decided to turn around, head over to the Pinnacle trailhead and have a more leisurely hike up that hill. Fred, Jeff T. and myself continued and climbed to the top of Hunger Mtn. The last few hundred yards consist of steep but fun rock scrambles. The weather forecast called for a pretty good chance for showers, but we lucked out and stayed dry all day. There were pretty good, and somewhat hazy, views from the top where we consumed our well deserved lunch.

The skyline trail then follows the ridge line heading north toward Worcester Mtn. Having done all of the elevation gain this trail turned out quite varied, sometimes over exposed rock outcrops and sometimes in the woods with and intensely green moss cover and a definite "Lord of the Rings" kind of feel. There was nobody else on this trail  and we all noticed the peaceful tranquility. After 2.5 miles the trail splits and we took the trail down toward the Pinnacle. Shortly after the split, we ran into Alton who continued on to the ridge line, turned around and quickly caught up with us again. On average, this trail is not that steep, but has some challenging drop offs.

Alton and myself took the short spur trail to the top of the Pinnacle offering beautiful views over the greater Stowe area. It was fun watching a  couple of brown squirrels fight over food scraps. Fred and Jeff skipped the Pinnacle and headed down to the parking lot meeting the other Jeff on the trail. The Pinnacle has two parking areas and not being in a single group plus an incorrect sign led to more confusion about directions. We all made it and everyone, with a little flexibility, had a great hike. We capped off the day with a BBQ dinner at my house. Thanks everyone for bringing amazing home made side dishes and desserts!

Trail Description: Hunger Mtn is one of the most hiked mountain not on Vermont's Long Trail. There are no developments on the summit and the mountain offers spectacular views of the Green Mtns to the West, South and East. The trail from the Waterbury side is quite steep with a constant pitch, but only the last quarter mile involves climbing over boulders. After enjoying the views on the summit we will traverse the Worcester Range via the skyline trail. This trail follows the ridge with occasional outcrops offering great vistas. We then descend to the Stowe Pinnacle which offers open views over the greater Stowe area. The hike is 7 miles with a cumulative elevation gain of about 2500 ft and should take 5.5 - 6 hours. Please bring lunch/snacks and plenty of water. This trip may be cross listed with VGSA. Rain date will be Sun July 29.

After the hike: Everyone is welcome to a cookout at my house. I'll provide meat and veggies for the grill. Please bring a side dish/dessert and your favorite beverage to share.