Distance from Middlebury College- 15 minutes

Length of Ascent- about 1 hour

Difficulty of Ascent- 1

Difficulty of Descent- 2

Elevation Change- 972 ft.

Comments:

Snake Mountain is a local favorite and is a simple drive from Middlebury College with a parking lot just down the road from the trail entrance. This is a popular trail, so there is normally a very distinguishable path to the peak of the mountain. This was our first hike, and it was long before we realized that we had severely underestimated the weight of the boards on our back.

Ascent

We made this hike on a beautiful day after five inches of fresh powder. This allowed there to be sufficient trail cover in spots where that may be troublesome in worse conditions. In general, Snake Mountain is a fairly easy climb that offers a solid challenge to beginners or people just looking for a less difficult ascent.

Descent

For the descent, you can stay on the trail that combines quality sections with a few flat sections or you can find your own lines through the untouched forest. While this may land you in denser tree cover, finding a quality descent will be well worth the possible inconvenience. There are a few streams that cross the path but they are not very troublesome and can be avoided. The view from the top of Snake Mountain is one of the best you will find within a close distance to Middlebury College, so we would suggest bringing lunch or a snack for the top in order to truly absorb the sight from above.