Mount Abraham, VT

There were spots along the climb where things evened out. It was nice to get to walk slowly on the otherworldly landscape without struggling for breath.

An old prophet on the trail.

Hiked On August 28, 2025

Bible nerds will know that the prophet and patriarch Abraham originally went by "Abram" until God changed his name in Genesis 17.  The meanings of the two names are very similar.  Abram means something along the lines of "exalted father" in Akkadian.  Abraham--at least according to Genesis--raises the bar to "father of many nations".  Whichever name you choose, he is traditionally seen as one of the major patriarchs of the western religious tradition and plays a role in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 

For our purposes today it is worth noting that people like to name things after him. They sometimes use one, the other, or both names when referring to those things. Mount Abram in Oxford County, Maine, for example, is a small ski mountain...but sometimes the mountain--separate from skiing--is referred to by its legal name...Abraham.  That can be a bit confusing since there is another Mount Abraham in Franklin County, Maine (Mount Abram Township, actually)...which is over 4,000 feet. 

​Mount Abraham in Vermont is a 4,000 footer that looks down on Sugarbush Ski Resort...which is a bit closer to Mount Ellen.  Sometimes it, too, is called Mount Abram. It keeps you on your toes when telling people where you went.

​Anyway...we hiked the Vermont Abraham in our quest to complete the "New England 67" 4,000 footers. We have already done the NH48. We have chipped away at the ME14, completing 4. Vermont has only 5 mountains that fit the list requirements. Southern New England has none, though their (our) mountains can be both pretty and challenging. With our immediately previous hike of "Old Speck" in Maine a full year in the past (August 31, 2024) and Abraham in the books, we only have 14 more to go!

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The first view heading up and the last view heading down.

One of those potentially slippery spots...

The trailhead--at least for this hike along the Long Trail--was relatively high up, making Abraham an easy--in the context of 4,000 footers--attempt. The parking lot was slightly higher up than usual, on the ridge that is home to most of the Vermont mountains on the list. The Green Mountains run roughly north-south forming the spine of the state in a long series of connected peaks.  We weren't at the top by any means! However, In Maine and New Hampshire it always felt like you were beginning at the "bottom" of the mountain. This felt like a head start.

The one sobering note: there were a number of signs at the lot warning us of possible theft.  Regular hikers know the risk at popular trail heads. It isn't just your wallet they are looking for.  They also want chunks of your car. Hikers should plan accordingly, if only mentally...

One advantage of our starting point was that it only took about 30 minutes to begin to feel that mountaintop environment.  We were encouraged by the seemingly immediate rewards of a steady breeze and glimpses of the valley below. We had taken our two "training hikes" up Williams and Monadnock.  This was harder than Monadnock but comparable to Williams. The only major challenge was a scramble near the top along with stretches of bare rock that could be slippery if it ever rained.

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The view from the top with Lake Champlain in the distance. You can also see the string keeping us from wandering.

Along the way we met a number of other hikers.  Most of them were very willing to pass the time. It had been a moment since any of us had experienced this brilliant a hiking day.  The heat seemed to have broken for the season. Also, with the threat (or, given the drought, the promise) of rain the next day most of us had made some adjustments to climb on a Thursday of all things.  We, in fact, had moved our youngest into his dorm room the day before and had planned a slow drive to our motel for a Friday adventure.  In the end, though, we got up early like we used to during our NH48 phase.  Thankfully the trek was not super-difficult.

On the trail there are a number of warnings about the fragility of the alpine ecosystem. This is not a surprise, of course. Outdoor sports are growing and Vermont--like New Hampshire and Upstate New York--are easily reached from population centers just to the south. I was a bit surprised to see the amount of string they used to guide us to the trail, but I didn't mind.  A step off may not seem like a big deal...but it is if you are what is being stepped on.

Pausing for footing.

This is a hike I would do again. At 5 miles and 1,700 feet of gain, it was doable and a workout. When we climb we have different desires.  There is the draw of a physical and mental challenge.  There is also an aesthetic pull.  Standing at the top looking over Vermont and New York was inspiring in and of itself. The mountains were unfamiliar, which is different from the other places we explore.  That is part of the fun, too.

The next day we had hoped to climb Camel's Hump or Ellen.  Instead, thanks to the rain, we did some sightseeing and ended up at the Shelburne Museum outside of Burlington.  On another day we might have hiked in foul weather, but sometimes it is OK to do other things.  The museum was great.  Downtown Burlington was fun. So were the few short days of our summer vacation. 

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