Camels Hump, Fallen Planes, Warrens Falls, and Drives through VT
I can’t find the trail but the review I read specifically said it was right off the traditional path – how hard can it be to find a crashed plane along the side of a mountain? It’s a WWII training plane that was downed along the side of this Vermont Mountain right off of what has become the Alpine Trail just under half a mile from the summit specifically. I find a broken path of lightly pressed in leaves and dirt and follow it into the wood line and seemingly out of nowhere there it is, totally adapted to its environment. Vines and brush wrap around its metal frame and the power of mother nature and her span is eloquently seen in her ability to use the plane as her flowering pot. It sticks out but in the way that, that one oddity in your living room doesn’t fit the décor but somehow blends the differentiating elements together. The remainder of the fun climb is one that rewards hikers with a rocky scramble summit and panoramic views of rolling lush green mountains – very fitting for the Green Mountain State.
I take one of earths natural seats and enjoy a summit beer, wiping sweat from my brow, sun in my eyes I sit enchanted by the beauty of how the universe rounds and grows, dives deep, and reaches tall. It is stunning. I , in my traditional fashion, find 5 other people to hand off a summit beer too – I think it’s an awesome way to share the experience, meet cool new people, and connect. Plus, a beer carried up a mountain and gifted is kind of one of the ultimate random acts of kindness am I right? The secret to the summit beer is it needs to be a local brew to the best of one’s ability – this was a Vermont brewskie I picked up from a gas station on the drive up. I met one other solo traveler on a weekend camping trip, and two couples sharing their love for the cascading climbs. Camels Hump did not disappoint in its ascent and truly cherished landscape.
On the way back I decided to reward the pups and myself with a drop in at the famous Ben and Jerries Factory. Vanilla scoops for the girls and a chocolate brownie shake for me – totally amazing. The flavor graveyard buried brought to life some very interesting flavor profiles, and the overall displays and vibe was pretty rad. Totally worth the stop especially following a hot summer hike.
The milkshakes ware off and it’s time to cool off again – Vermont is unique in that I swear there always seems to be a stream, or river, paralleling every road I have ever driven on. So I serendipitously pull into a small pull off that I have since not stopped speaking about…
The emerald, green pools cascade into one another with exposed roots and vegetative greens lining cliffs encapsulating this hidden gem just a 150-foot walk into an otherwise discerning wood line; Warrens Falls was an unexpected surprise. Rocky walls create jumping boards off into the translucent soft bowls of water below and I am beyond excited and refreshed by their frigid depths; an enormous contrast to the 86-degree summer sun baking the surrounding air. There are a variety of plummeting heights for every adrenaline seeker, or avoider and I’m dared by each. This epic beauty of a literal hole in the wall sort of stops along the gorgeous roads through Vermont. I can't recommend jumping all in enough for this incredible natural wonder.
The sun is beginning to set, and my stomach is beginning to growl so after some local recommendations I head into the adjacent town Warren and find an iconic food truck serving the most amazing burger accompanied by tater tots gloriously drenched in Vermont cheese and local bacon. I wish I could have remember the name, or had kept a better journal of it, but I deeply believe it is one of those places that stands out if ever you find yourself there to which a name needn’t necessarily be known, it can just be found.
This trip was overall an iconic turn-burn which I had the tendency to maximize in my time living in Upstate New York with my work schedule and classes. It was about a 5-hour drive, so I left at just after 4 am , climbed, explored, and drove back. Makes for a long day and most people would probably opt to split it but I got pretty good at using Saturdays for every hour it possessed; you could say I’m a weekend warrior or just a really solid Saturday contender.
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