Throughout the years I have been lucky enough to call several small mountains my backyard or local go-to trails. For awhile there was Ascutney with its spiderweb of radiating trail network, on Smarts I had my hidden paths and fire tower at the summit, Wrights was a quick jog away where I could loop over its summit until the sun went down.

I lived at the base of Piermont Mountain during the summer of 2022 and would pop into Lake Tarleton to cool off after the morning jog up and over the peak. This was the 6-mile loop that inspired today’s trek while I’ll also mention some of the other ridge-bushwhacks up to its’ ledgy summit lookout.

Trampers of 100-years ago had a plethora of options to select how they would ascend this 2,717’ north-south ridge of a mountain. Today only one trail remains, which begins from the current Camp Walt Whitman entrance on Cape Moonshine Road and ascends the eastern face.

Historically, it appears that the most popular route to the summit was the trail which departed the old Lake Tarleton Club House and ran along the southern edge of Lake Katherine while another path converged from the western shore of Lake Katherine and these trails ascended the north facing ridge of Piermont Mt, passing “Observation Point”, a lookout with a platform of which I still have yet to bushwhack to the location of. It appears these trails fell out of use in the 1960’s.

There was also a trail that did not remain in use nearly as long as the others, which began near the outlet of Lake Armington, on “Warren Road” which is the current Rt 25C. By 1940, the AMC guidebooks listed this trail as being in “poor shape”, yet continued to include it as a usable route well into the late 50’s.

Lastly, the old 1940’s guidebook directs hikers to a route down the western ridge toward Clay Hollow that made use of old logging roads, shortly after AMC authors introduced the route in their guidebooks, they made note that this trail was not being maintained.

I am unsure if the guidebooks are referring to the western or southwestern ridge off Piermont Mt, as I have ascended the latter via a low sloping SW ridge making use of old logging roads and have found young saplings taking over open cuts along the ridge. More recently, a friend and I did some early morning bushwhacking along this dense spruce and fir ridge in search of ledges affording easterly views and struck gold with quite a few adorning the steep face.

Today, I trekked on foot into Camp Walt Whitman (formerly Camp Tahoma Junior on early maps) and was surprised to see their dirt roads plowed and the gate was open, although signs posted at the entrance request hikers park outside the gate as to not block work crews.

The trail actually begins 0.4-miles through the summer camp but affords hikers a stunning view of Lake Armington and hills beyond; it’s also nice to pause and imagine the cacophony of hundreds of kids experiencing their summers in the nearby hills and lakes; today all was silent but the song of a chickadee basking in the morning sun.

After passing several bunk houses, the PVT Richie Green Trail (K.I.A. 1969) begins on the left. Generally, in warmer weather, this path begins easy underfoot with large boulders sticking out of the ground, today I was breaking trail in about 10” of fresh powder and could see my usual boulders strewn as white fluffy pillows in the trail.

Beginning as a moderate and steady climb through hardwood forest, the trail gains roughly 500’ in the first half-mile. After tapering off and tracing wet lands the trail crosses several small brooks which (in most seasons) are easily stepped over by well-placed rocks.

During my hike today there were several small patches of blowdown from the recent windstorms earlier this winter, while this mountain is on National Forest land, Camp Walt Whitman does the trail maintenance and generally only in summer months. Keeping an eye for yellow blazes is a must in most areas of the trail - especially in winter. Higher up as the summit approaches, yellow surveyors tape has also been tied around trees guiding the way.

*Approaching a steep section just below the summit*

Encompassing another 0.5-miles, the near-flat stretch of trail becomes wet and has running water over parts of the trench-like trail, in most circumstances rocks can be hopped to avoid dipping a toe early into the hike.

Nearing the eastern face of the mountain the trail shoots quickly through a very thick undergrowth which almost forms a canopy over the trail, then over several more small drainages, henceforth onto the main eastern face of Piermont Mt.

Hitting the face near straight on initially, the trail gets steeper as it swings north/northwest toward the summit. The trail shows its age as one ascends, growing moderately eroded with several open rock slabs enroute, which can be slick when wet or in autumn when covered with leaves.

At about 2,400, the trail becomes near vertical for a pitch and requires exposed roots to be used as hand and foot holds. At this elevation, the old trail in the 1970’s located here (or near here) was known to have several sections of ladders and later ropes to aid in ascending and descending.

Briefly, the trail levels off and treks through beautiful white birch reminiscent of an old logging road before another steep section where the trail enters a tight spruce and fir corridor angling more north/northwest, aiming directly at summit.

The views are stunning from atop Piermont: Lakes Tarleton and Armington are front and center with little 2,180’ Webster Cliff becoming dwarfed with Moosilauke towering high just beyond. Many other local favorites can be picked out of the surrounding panorama.

In summer months several plaques are displayed on the open summit rocks but today they were well hidden under a thick blanket of powder.

My trail for the day continues just behind the lookout, skirting down a small rock slab and continuing to the right, I continued following the present day Kingswood-maintained trail which follows the northern ridge back to their camp on Rt 25C. Surveyors tape showed me the way when I could not recall my old running route. The trail and surrounding forest appears much different with no ferns, hobblebush or low budding plants encroaching the path.

Upon comparing this route to old maps, it appears to trace much of the trail which would have terminated at Rt 25C near the outlet of Lake Armington; while the section down the ridge is nearly identical, lower down on the logging flats the present trail swings more northerly, guiding campers back to their baseball field and thenceforth camp across the road.

This ridge is most notably different from other trails on Piermont by the orientation of rock layers billowing up out of the hillside at near 45° angles, as if reaching toward the sky. The trail tends to descend then flow through a corridor with these up-turned rocks on hikers left, repeatedly descending then leveling off as one makes their way. This makes the mountain appear much larger than the elevation profile would infer; not necessarily a tougher hike, however, quite an enjoyable roam.

In summer, this northern ridge is typically bursting with low-laying fern coverage but as it is mid-winter, the views seemed to go straight through the trees, even Lake Armington was well in sight during the entire descent - a view I have never had the pleasure of enjoying in warmer months.

The crux of the descent is known locally as “The Elevator Shaft”, easily the steepest section on this route, tree roots once again become hand holds as one climbs up or down, rocks bulge underfoot which can either help or hinder the climber.

The path swings northerly just briefly before exiting onto an old logging road, following this road until proceeding back into the forest and through a quick section of brambles and thorns before making a near straight shoot toward Rt 25C.

Care is needed to stay on the final 0.75-mile blazed trail and not meander onto any of the old logging paths as they are quite numerous in this lower, flatter stretch.

Piermont is one of those often overlooked mountains because the big brothers are towering just down the road, but I am finding that with every logging road I trek, doorways are opened up shedding light onto forgotten pieces of history. This mountain has so much to offer the off-trail trekker, ledges and hidden lookouts are just waiting for the rambler. Next up, I’d like to be on the prowl for the old “Observation Point” platform location.

To be continued…

Overall stats for the day:

6.0miles
3hr 17minutes
1,998’ elevation gain

Piermont Mtn

Webster Slide Mtn

Bridal Veil Falls: Franconia