Dorset Peak (2022)

I finally hiked Dorset Peak after all these years of living pretty close to it.  Somehow I missed getting to the old Tower and the East Ridge last time I hiked up here because I didn't have a map and I ended up somewhere near Emerald Lake, completely missing it.

There isn't much of a view from the peak itself.  If you hike to the old Tower you will see remnants of its metal shell, all contorted and jagged, scattered about the edge of the trail, swallowed by moss and luscious earth.  What's left of the old tower is held together with flimsy bolts and rust, standing roughly 15 feet tall off of the ground, climb that and you'll get a nice view of the mountains.  Beneath the tower, there's a little grill perched atop a stump and a nice spot to set up camp if you plan on staying overnight. 

There's also a tree stand in a nearby fir, which during spring, only gives a view of deciduous treetops with the mountains hidden in the background; but during the winter, I would imagine it offers a beautiful panoramic view of the snow-covered mountains.  

When I finally made it to the north peak and realized there was no view, I signed the logbook, and kept hiking through the forest towards the East Ridge.  Every time I hike in Vermont during the spring I always feel like I'm a character in Fern Gully.  It's so magical and verdant everywhere; it's almost surreal as if I'm walking through a fairytale with little Easter eggs hidden about the moss and leaves.  In this instance, Blue Jay feathers, Robin eggs, and pig-ear mushrooms blending with the dead leaves from autumn were the hidden treasures of the trail.

I continued onwards up the steep grade and shortly thereafter made it to the East Ridge, conifers obstructed any view I had of the mountains.  I couldn't see anything, but a faint hue of blue sky, through the stilts of birch and cones of conifers.  So I wandered off trail, stepping through clusters of ferns and pine needles, over fallen tree trunks, and through a maze of conifers until I found one I wanted to climb.

I picked the tallest fir that towered over the others growing down the eastern ridge.  My feet found foot holds towards the base of the tree at two branch collars.  From there, I hoisted myself up, grabbing one branch at a time, making sure I planted my feet on sturdy limbs before finagling my body between dense clusters of branches.  Lichen and fir needles attacked my head turning it into a bird's nest of disheveled hair as I worked my way up the tree near its top.  It didn't take long,  since I was only about 20 feet off of the ground, if I had to guess, but when I got up, I looked out and the rolling view of the mountains felt endless, going on for miles in every direction.  Greens and blues painted the sky under fluffy clouds and I just sat back in the crotch of this fir with my back propped against its trunk, mesmerized at the view while I watched a hawk circle the air until it disappeared into the forest below as I lost track of time.

I spent maybe thirty minutes sitting up in this tree, listening to the wind howl, and watching the clouds roll in overhead until I shimmied my way back down the trunk to the ground.  The hike back down felt just as tranquil and pleasant, as it always does except for the stress on my knees of course.  A day in the woods for me is always better than being trapped inside.  It seems to be the only true medicine for depression, the outdoors and just goin', doesn't really matter where.

The best part about these hikes is there's never anyone around.  It's the silence of nature I enjoy, stepping away from the noise of people, machines, and the grind of everyday life.  If I stop and free my mind of thought, I can hear the birds chirping in the treetops, the chipmunks rustling in the leaves, or the occasional bear rolling around, playing in the forest.  I can hear the crisp, steady flow of water, running wild through the brooks, swimming over shale, quartzite, and granite, meandering down the mountain between the many shades of green and the fallen trees contrasting the landscape.  It's pleasant and peaceful and free.  The only way you can get here is by foot.  That's what I like about it.  There's no money involved, nothing to buy or sell, just a way to spend the short time I have on this earth and enjoy the landscapes.