A SNOWY CLIMB TO PEAK OF GREAT HILL
Tough hike reveals gorgeous views after season’s first snowfall
In this week’s Nature column, Peter Marteka visits Great Hill Mountain in East Hampton after the first snow of the season.
The Bottom Line: A short but challenging hike up to the top of Great Hill Mountain in the snow. The hike includes wonderful views of the Connecticut River valley.
Difficulty Level: Moderate to difficult. Total Mileage: About 1.5 miles out and back, but the hike can be extended along the Shenipsit Trail.
Directions: Route 66 to the junction of Route 151 and Depot Hill Road in the Cobalt section of East Hampton. Follow Depot Hill Road for several miles and take a right on Gadpouch Road. Gadpouch will turn into a dirt road. Parking areas are on the right and left before the road bears off to the right.
Pet-friendly? Leash and clean up after your pets.
I love snow, especially the first blanket of white.
The first snow is a time of renewal, just like the warm winds of spring when the blooming crocuses and daffodils usher in a new season. The snow comes and buries autumn, her fallen leaves, her skeletal branches — everything is now covered in a blanket of white.
Although I have climbed Great Hill Mountain in Portland many times growing up, I had never visited the 770-foot-high quartz peak jutting high above Great Hill Pond in the snow. After a storm had laid down a manageable 5 inches of snow that clung to everything, it was time to explore the mountain for the first time in a world turned totally white except for the bark on the trees and blue blazes that mark the Connecticut Forest and Park Association’s Shenipsit Trail.
And except for the crunching of my boots meeting the mantle of white, a hike after the first snow is a quiet one, as if one is in a vacuum. A light breeze rattles the oak and beech leaves still remaining on the branches. The sounds of a distant dog barking gets swallowed in the air. Animal prints, from rabbits to deer, are the only intrusion in this early December snowy world.
Snow hung on branches, clung to pine boughs and lay plastered on tree trunks, creating a beautiful monochromatic landscape. A close second to autumn’s peak foliage, the first snowstorm is a wonderful time to hike, with everything feeling fresh and new.
As I reached the top of Great Hill, the snow accumulation on the trees grew bushier. The view from the top of Great Hill and its bare outcropping of granite and milky white quartz, is incredible with distant snow-covered mountains taking on a purplish hue. Dollops of snow balance on the tops scraggly oaks and boughs of pitch pine.
One of my favorite views is to the south down the twisting Connecticut River to the blue sliver of Long Island Sound in the distance. From the overlook, the Shenipsit travels north along the crest of the mountain, with several more overlooks showcasing the early winter view.
With last week’s snow, we’ve changed the calendar to winter even though the official start is still a few weeks away. The forecast calls for rain and warm temperatures to wash this early blanket of white away. But those who love snow will always be ready to curl up in it again and take a long winter’s hike.