Section 25: Ryder Brook Golf Club to Route 15 – Catamount Trail Association

Snapshot

This primarily backcountry tour begins by climbing gently out of the Rte. 100 valley, then climbs and descends steeply over the shoulder of Elmore Mountain, and concludes with a downhill run on a snowmobile trail to reach the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and Rte. 15. There are great views of Mt. Mansfield from the shoulder of Elmore Mountain.

Length

14.1 miles

Difficulty

From Ryder Brook Golf Club to Elmore Mountain Rd. the Trail is of easy to intermediate difficulty, involving a gentle climb. From Elmore Mountain Rd. to Lake Elmore is advanced because of steep ascents and descents. From Lake Elmore to Rte. 15 is intermediate due to the gentler terrain and wider trail that is shared with snowmobiles. Allow at least six hours for an experienced skier in good snow conditions to ski this entire section. Please be careful to not damage yourself or the fencing if you are required to negotiate over or under farm fencing on this section.

Weather Station – LINK

This is a citizen maintained weather station located very close to Sec. 25 as the trail climbs the Worcester Ridge just south of Elmore Mt. It’s located at ~1300 ft.

Staying Found

Out in the woods keeping track of where you are can be a challenge. A map and compass is always a reliable option, but there are some great technological solutions that can make knowing where you are super simple. Please visit out Staying Found Webpage for more info about some of our favorite navigational tools, and note that all of our PDF maps are geo-referenced. This means they can be opened directly in apps like Avenza and used for navigation even in areas where there is no cell service.

Catamount Trail Skiers Facebook Group

This group is for anyone planning any type of adventure (skiing and snowshoeing) on the Catamount Trail (thru-skis\end-to-end section skis\day tours), or other similar XCD/Nordic backcountry trails in Vermont. It’s a place to ask questions, share knowledge, and connect with others.

Click Here & Say Hello!

Downloads

Catamount Trail Section 25 – GeoPDF Map
Catamount Section 25_Written Description (.pdf ~90k)
Shuttle Directions Section 25

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Looking for more information, volunteer opportunities, or to get in touch with the Section Trail Chief? Please contact us!