Hancock, Vermont
July 14
With Brandy recovering from a night of drinking, Ash and I took a hike at the Texas Falls Recreation Area near Hancock, VT.
The trailhead was about half an hour from the AirBnB where we were staying. After showering and getting dressed, I loaded my hiking pack and Ash into the truck and we headed out just shy of 7:30.
AllTrails has this hike listed as a moderate 1 mile loop with 209 feet of elevation gain. Everything I read said that the falls are not far from the trailhead. That was not inaccurate. In fact, as soon as I climbed down from Clyde, the roar of the nearby falls was heard and you can tell just how close to the road they are. After strapping on my pack and leashing Ash up, we headed across the street and were immediately face to face with the tumbling falls.
We passed the small picnic area near the trailhead and over a bridge and started on our way along the trail.
The path leads alongside Hancock Branch and next to the falls from the other side of the stream. There are plenty of opportunities to get closer to the falls with lots of observation areas and paths right up to the water.
From there, the trail goes up. And up and up. With lots of rain leading up to Sunday, the trail was very muddy. Ash and I squished our way along the trail, stopping every so often to catch our breath. Considering how long it had been since I hiked a trail this strenuous, I think I did pretty darn good on it. There were plenty of photo opportunities along the way giving my plenty of chances for breaks while we went.
We reached the high point a little over halfway through the loop. The incline was steady but shallow so we made it up without incident. There were lots of small bridges over very small streams of water trickling down the mountain. We were far enough from the main road that the only sounds we heard were the nearby falls thundering and birds in the trees intermingled with the babbling brooks that we passed over.
Mixed in with the sole-deep mud we tread through, the trail is littered with an abundance of tree roots creating plenty of tripping hazards.
After we crested the high point of the trail, we happened along another smaller “bonus” waterfall off in the distance before finding ourselves at a different observation point for the main attraction. We took a short spur trail off the main trail down a series of wooden and stone steps mixed with natural stairs made from the roots of nearby trees. The view from this observation point revealed a couple of wonderful coves where water was pooled after tumbling down the falls.
Once I’d taking pics and vids, we made our way back up to the main trail, finishing the loop, crossing the bridge and back to the truck.
This trail was perfectly challenging. It put me through my paces without being overly strenuous. I recently saw a TikTok that said that I should be enjoying my time outdoors. If I ever get to the point where I hate what I’m doing, I shouldn’t be doing it. This trail fit the bill perfectly. It was challenging enough to push me but not so hard that I hated it.
It was very peaceful and quiet, not encountering a single other person on the trail, and, as I mentioned, it was so quiet with only the sounds of nature surrounding us. I would definitely like to hike this trail again during our stay here.
Pictures from this hike are, as always, on my Photo Diary, and stay tuned for more as they come! We still have a lot planned for our time in Vermont!
-Phil