Stratton Mountain (Vermont)

Infobox Mountain
Name = Stratton Mountain
Photo =
Caption =
Elevation = convert|3940|ft|m|0|lk=on
Prominence = convert|2410|ft|m|0
Location = Windham County, Vermont
Range = Green Mountains
Coordinates = coord|43|5.17|N|72|55.51|W |type:mountain_region:US |display=title,inline
Topographic
USGS "Stratton Mountain"
Type = |Age =
First ascent =
Easiest route = ski lift
Listing = nowrap| #21 New England Fifty Finest nowrap| #73 New England 100 Highest

Stratton Mountain is a mountain located in Windham County, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest.The mountain, a monadnock, is the highest point of Windham County, and of the southern Green Mountains generally. A fire tower is located on the summit.

Stratton Mountain stands within the watershed of the Connecticut River, which drains into Long Island Sound in Connecticut.The south and southeast slopes of Stratton Mtn. drain into Ball Mountain Brook, thence into the West River, and into the Connecticut River.The east side of Stratton drains via Kidder Brook into the North Branch of Ball Mountain Brook.The north side of Stratton drains into the North Branch of Ball Mountain Brook.The northwest side of Stratton drains into the Winhall River, and thence into the West River.The southwest slopes of Stratton drain into the East Branch of the Deerfield River, another tributary of the Connecticut.

Stratton Mountain claims a unique role in hiking trail history. In 1909, James P. Taylor (1872–1949) was on the mountain when he conceived the idea of a trail from Massachusetts to Canada, which became Vermont's Long Trail. [ [http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/237118/stratton-the-birthplace-of-the-at-long-trail.html summitpost.org: Stratton, the birthplace of the AT & Long Trail] ] While on the summit of Stratton during the construction of the Long Trail, Benton MacKaye (1879–1975) considered that it would be a good idea to have a trail spanning the entire Appalachian Range.The result was the Appalachian Trail, a 2,170-mile (3,500-km) National Scenic Trail from Georgia to Maine. [ [http://www.greenmountainclub.org/page.php?id=15 Green Mountain Club's History of the Long Trail] ] In southern Vermont, the two trails are contiguous, crossing the summit of Stratton from south to north.

Stratton Mountain ski resort is located on the northeast slopes of the mountain. It has 92 trails over 600 acres (2.43 km²) with a 2,000 ft (610 m) vertical drop, served by 16 lifts, including four 6-person chair lifts and the only gondola lift in southern New England.
Jake Burton built his first snowboard while living in Manchester, near Stratton, which was the first major ski resort to allow snowboarding.

Notes

See also

* Stratton Mountain Ski Resort
* List of mountains in Vermont
* New England Hundred Highest
* New England Fifty Finest

External links

*
* [http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=7042 PeakBagger.com: Stratton Mountain]
* [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151903/stratton-mountain.html summitpost.org: Stratton Mountain]