This weekend I got a chance to bag The Nose, the least frequented summit on top of Mount Mansfield in Vermont. I was in Stowe for a Vermont beer run and convinced my wife to let me have the morning to run up and get it done.
I chose to go up the Hellbrook Trail, honestly because the receptionist at the the hotel told me it was the coolest way to go up. It turned out he was right.
Starting at around 6:30am, I was wearing running gear and carrying a hydration bladder and my larger pack with some snacks and a shell and puffy. I was also using poles. I love poles and use them in many situations that others do not. But even I would say that it was probably a mistake to use poles on this hike. They were useful on the top and a bit going down but got in the way going up.
