08-09 Mt Mansfield, VT

Friday we made our trip to the Green Mountains. It was a gorgeous drive over. As we drew nearer to the mountains, we understood their name. The mountains were just a mass of green. Initially we saw no rocks or houses to break up the solid green. Eventually we did see rock formations but no houses on the mountainsides until we reached our destination.

We headed to Mt Mansfield which is the tallest peak in Vermont at 4,395 feet. It is near Stowe, Vermont and includes many wintertime ski runs. We stopped for lunch at this new ski resort.

You can ride a gondola to a point near the peak of the mountain.

We chose instead to drive the car up a toll road which at $24 was half the cost of the gondola ride. Plus we got to stop when we wanted and take our own time. The road was gravel and narrow in places. It curved back and forth to the top. You really had to be on the lookout for cars coming down the mountain.

We were treated to some spectacular views, which are hard to capture in photos. One place we stopped was near a ski lift with a small restaurant next door. It is only open in the winter, but a young man who is a caterer at the resort was setting up a table with food nearby. It was to be a special 25th wedding anniversary surprise for the wife of one of the staff members. What a place for a private dinner!

This deck had wonderful panoramic views.

In the distance is the end of the Gondola ride and a high mountain restaurant. In the foreground you can see the ground covered in beautiful yellow goldenrod.

On the route up we stopped at this beginning point for some of the ski runs.

Here we looked far down below to the resort where we had lunch.

I know all of this must be spectacular to see in the winter when covered in snow. Many of the signs say you must be an expert to ski some of these runs. We could believe it. They just seem to drop off into open sky.

Either the drive up the toll road or a ride in the gondola to see the views from Mt Mansfield is a “must do” if in this part of Vermont. The views are just breathtaking.