A casual stroll along Pinnacle Mountain

Pinnacle Mountain is the highest peak along the Windmill Hill ridgeline in southeastern Vermont. Located on the town line between Westminster and Brookline, the 1,683-foot summit offers a sweeping view of the Green Mountains. On a warm May afternoon, with temperatures in the mid-70s and a gentle breeze, my longtime friend, Curtis Carroll, and I set out for the Holden Trail in Westminster. We started on the red-disc-blazed path, which was wide and well-trodden, featuring large sections of bedrock outcrops — some of which were polished and remarkably smooth. This rock is calcareous schist which originally formed as mud under the ocean. Along the way, old stone walls bordered a forest filled with striped maple, beech, and birch trees. Five minutes into the hike, we crossed a small stream. Wild violets brightened the edge of the trail. As we continued uphill, the steady climb took us over more smooth stone slabs before temporarily leveling out. A pair of mountain bikers passed us. Shortly after, we stepped off the path to explore an old foundation, where we discovered a flat slab of volcanic rock wedged into a tree, swallowed by its roots. We returned to the trail. The terrain leveled out briefly before we tackled more ledge-filled sections. After half a mile, we reached a sign noting that the summit of Pinnacle Mountain was one mile farther. Turning right, we continued uphill, admiring the old, towering trees. Many of the beech trees displayed the initial phases of beech bark disease, with white, fuzzy, cotton-like patches indicating a beech scale infestation. The trail leveled out again, dipped slightly downward, and led us to a double-blaze marker indicating a right turn downhill past an impressive stone wall. After crossing another stream, we stepped through a gap in the wall, followed a second double marker, and turned right. Soon, we emerged into a large, shaded sugar maple stand that had been used as a sheep pasture in the 1800s. The trail turned left and continued uphill until we reached a sign indicating the Pinnacle was just 200 feet away. Exactly one hour after starting, we reached the summit. The Holden family originally owned this land, but the Farnsworth family purchased the peak in 1964 and built a private cabin retreat. When the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association later acquired the property, they converted the cabin into the present lean-to shelter. We sat on a stone bench to take in the impressive panoramic view of Stratton Mountain straight ahead, Mount Snow to the left, and Okemo to the right. After a brief rest, we continued onto the white-blazed Ridgeline Trail, which immediately drops downhill. The path narrowed, winding tightly along the spine of the mountain. We soon entered a unique section featuring red oaks and a sedge ground cover — a savanna ecosystem more commonly found in the drier Midwest. Once cleared of all but its largest shade trees, this area has since burned over several times. Today, it is populated by red oaks intermingled with hophornbeams, recognizable by their grayish-brown bark and shaggy, flaking plates. A member of the birch family, the hophornbeam is sometimes known as ironwood. As we hiked through the low sedge, a pair of ravens croaked and glided gracefully overhead. One-tenth of a mile from the summit, we passed the Cascade Trail on our right. Our path rolled up and down past several vernal pools, where we watched passing cloud shadows flicker through the woods, casting sharp silhouettes of leaves across the path. The peaceful stretch carried us through a changing landscape of deciduous forest and dark hemlock groves, where a mountain biker rode past us. Forty minutes after passing the turnoff to the Cascade Trail, we reached the blue-blazed Headwaters Trail and continued downhill. A sign here noted the parking lot was 1.2 miles farther. We descended through a gap in a stone wall into an open forest. Interpretive signage explained this area experienced substantial logging during the "sheep fever" peak of Vermont's sheep population in the 1830s. After crossing Sacketts Brook, the path veered left, climbed uphill, and leveled out. We started our descent until the trail merged back onto the wide, red-blazed Holden Trail — a welcome relief for our feet. Soon, we were back at the kiosk, concluding our 3.85-mile loop. Dogs are allowed on the trails. The Windmill Hill Ridge Trail network features more than 27 miles of hiking trails and runs north to south through the towns of Grafton, Athens, Rockingham, Westminster, Brookline, Putney, and Dummerston. To get to the Pinnacle Mountain trailhead from the junction of Routes 9, 10, and 12 in Keene, drive on Route 9 West for 14.6 miles to the Exit 3 roundabout in Brattleboro. Drive north on Route 5 for 6.8 miles to the town of Putney. Turn left onto Kimball Hill Road at the Putney General Store, and continue as the road transitions into Westminster Road for 6.9 miles. Turn left onto West Road and continue for one mile to Windmill Hill Road North. There is a sign here for the Holden Trail. Turn right and continue for 1.1 miles to the parking lot.