What a gorgeous Friday to explore the twists and turns of the Camel's Hump Nordic trails! This volunteer-run Nordic trail network has a lovely setting in the quiet woods of Huntington, Vermont. As its name suggests, the trails are near Camel's Hump, Vermont’s third highest peak. However we did not see the Hump where we were skiing; a ridgeline was in the way.
We started our tour in the new skier parking area on Bert White Road, at approximately 1,300 feet in elevation. This starting point would give us access to many of the groomed trails in the network. The ski area features great ungroomed terrain, as well.
We stopped at a small cabin with maps, a sign-in sheet and a lockbox in which to place trail fees. We crossed the dirt road and pointed our classic skis down the mellow Marijke's Mainline and soon jumped on a pretty trail called The Sugarbush. Here, we skied a couple S turns and strode by blue, plastic tubing for maple syrup collection.
The sky was a rich blue and the snow cover was great. The grooming had been done sometime within the last week, and there was a touch of fresh snow to push around on the downhills.
We continued on the outer-most trail called Dead River Run. We would climb on this trail up to about 1,700 feet. Most of the time we were skiing through hardwood trees. It was a very pretty place to ski — and quiet! The only thing we heard was today's rather strong wind and some birds flying about.
We didn't want to head back to our starting point yet — it was way to nice out in the woods. At the next intersection, we turned right on a trail called Big Baldy. We would continue to climb to ski on the Upper Crow's Foot trail. Here we topped out at about 1,950 feet. Through the hardwoods, we caught glimpses of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks in the distance.
Then we enjoyed a fast, curvy downhill on Lower Crow's Foot. Exciting! We soon connected up with the Bear Scat Draw trail, which the Skimeister said was one of the most fun and interesting trails he had ever skied. We enjoyed downhill stretches and fast turns through spruce trees here. (“A rollercoaster,” he remarked.)
I was tired, but a bit sad to see the parking area again. We stretched our legs while enjoying the warmth of the sun and chatted with some other skiers who had just arrived. They, too, had selected a great place to make the most of this sunny, spring-like day!
Camel’s Hump Nordic at a Glance
- 35 km of cross-country ski trails — some groomed and tracked and some backcountry trails
- A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization run by volunteers
- Located in Huntington, Vermont
- Two parking areas: On Handy Road and at the top of Bert White Road
- Un-patrolled trails, no facilities
- Trail network dates back to 1979
- The Catamount Trail runs through the trail network
- The Honey Hollow backcountry trail can be accessed from here (<link http: www.skimaven.com post sweet-snow-found-in-honey-hollow _top external-link-new-window hollow>see blog post)
<link internal-link internal link in current>For direct links to snow conditions reports at Camel's Hump Nordic and other Vermont cross-country skiing centers, follow this link.
