Jay

Looking for a good hike for my birthday, we decided on Jay Mountain - a mountain range that we had admired for years from the Champlain Valley but never climbed. Fall foliage was abundant and the temperature was mild, the conditions were perfect for an October climb.

We met our friend Elizabeth in Wadhams and she packed up Sam (her son) to start the hike with us. We were dressed in layers, starting from the trailhead. We quickly started losing them as Sam helped guide us by pointing out each DEC marker while munching on a waffle. When we parted ways, we were worried that we might lose the trail without his careful guiding.

Managing to stick to the trail, we found ourselves on the summit of Jay Mountain where we had lunch. The fall colors were brilliant and we could see many of the high peaks to the southwest and Lake Champlain to the east. We gawked at the view for quite a spell before following the ridge trail along the spine of the summit.

The best part of this hike was the rocky ridge trail, which provided views almost the entire time. Following the trail meant mostly staying on rock slabs, guided by rock cairns. It was rugged and beautiful. We made it roughly halfway along the ridge before turning around and making our way back. The return trip gave us views of the high peaks until we finally ducked into the woods. It was a perfect fall hike, and we will be back to continue the ridge!