I was decidedly startled when I told a friend I'd hiked Belvidere, one of my favorite hills, and he responded, "Oh, you hiked the Toxic Mountain?" Having never heard such a negative word applied to a New England mountain, I immediately demanded more information. Politely, of course.
Mount Belvidere, situated in Lowell, Vermont, is built of the same basic orographic strata as Mansfield. The whole region is rich in minerals, and some gems can even be found. Belvidere happens to be a great place to find Vermont's state gem, grossular garnet. It's also a great place to find other minerals, including asbestos... which leads to the term "toxic mountain." In 1899, significant deposits of asbestos were discovered in the area, and a mine was quickly opened up. For many years, the mine was quarried for this valuable material, which is used in brake lining, roofing and pipes due to its excellent heat resistant properties. Mining peaked in the 1960's, until growing health and environmental concerns depressed the market demand for the mineral. The mine officially closed in 1993, leaving behind the tailings and detritus common to any mining operation. Efforts were made in 2007 and 2008 to curtail any environmental impact due to runoff from the tailings. While there is obvious erosion of the tailing piles, the Geological Society of America published in 2008 that there were no specific human health concerns as a direct result of the mining.
Regardless of the waste piles north of Belvidere, this is one of my absolute favorite short hikes. From the trailhead just north of Belvidere Pond on Route 118, hikers can access the Long Trail as well as the spur to Belvidere's peak. The hike starts out with a charming meander through open forest and along the banks of a brook. The trail then ascends more steeply with only tantalizing views snatched through the forest canopy. At the summit is a firetower and a small bald patch of exposed area. The best views are from the firetower, but for those unwilling to climb, there are still spectacular views to the north and west, encompassing Canada, the Adirondacks and Camel's Hump. Guidebooks list the elevation at 3,360 feet, but my GPS clocked it at 3,284 feet, with a gain of 1,963 feet over about 2-1/2 miles. There is also a longer 7.9 mile loop hike accessible from Tillotson Road in Lowell - more to come on that when I get around to exploring it.
If you time your hike for sunset, there's a good chance that you can catch a spectacular display from the shores of Belvidere Pond:
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