You know we have hit fall foliage in Vermont, when not only the leaves turn a glorious myriad of colors, but so do the licence plates! This may be mother nature’s swan song, but with 78% of the state remaining forested, it is equivalent to our Super Bowl. (Vermont Woodlands Association). Vermont foliage is so stunning, in part, because of our beloved maple tree. The maple is the tree that just keeps on giving in Vermont, from delicious maple syrup in the spring, to the glorious sunburst red foliage in the fall. The other reason that Vermont Foliage is superior to other states, is simply because there is so much of it and because our rolling and mountainous terrain allows you to see it better. I think leaf peeping has two distinct categories; the first is the up close and personal approach and then there is the distant, Monet type, panoramas of color.
Up Close and Personal
The up close and personal version requires little more than a pair of sturdy sneakers and a good trail. It’s no surprise that many foliage pictures you find on stock photo websites are the up close and personal kind. A single leaf, cloaked in its fall splendor, can easily be as beautiful as a forest of them. If you’re lucky, you will find that one perfect maple leaf that has all five of the shades, green, gold, orange, bright red and crimson. Consider it the Vermont version of a four leafed clover. Two of my favorite local walks in Stowe are the Wiessner woods and the bike path, both are perfect easy walks, that even a confirmed couch potato can enjoy. The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which is currently 33 miles long will eventually span 93 miles and will end up being the longest rail trail in Vermont, is another perfect choice for up close and personal leaf peeping or cycling. Another relatively easy hike, that will reward you with the up close and personal leaf peeping and a panoramic treat at the top, is Prospect Rock in Johnson.. There are two approaches to Prospect Rock ,but both stem off the Hogback road, just outside of Johnson Vermont Village. The first, and easier entrance is off off Prospect Rock Rd, right after you pull onto the Hogback rd. Now when I say easier, I mean easier on you, not on your car. Prospect Rock Rd, starts off mild mannered enough, but quickly becomes an uncharitable, single lane road. Sport cars need not apply and the same holds for Suburbans and the like. There are only about 4 good parking spots at the bottom of the trail head, so make sure your backup camera is working. However, for those that really can’t handle a full hike, this does offer a great panoramic reward with very little effort. It’s only about a half a mile up and the trail is pretty clear and wide, with no perilous edges. The second entrance is a little further up the hogback road and also lacks decent parking, but you could park at Ithiel Falls and walk to the trail head. This approach is about two miles of average terrain, some of it quite narrow, but still doable for well behaved nine year old’s and up.
For those of you that prefer to see Vermont on the back of a bicycle, I will admit that since my sweet boy with Downs cannot balance on a bicycle, this is not an area I have any expertise, but I do have a link that should get you going in the right direction.
Panoramic Views
Elmore Mountain
That brings us to the panoramic version of leaf peeping and one of my personal favorite ways of enjoying the season. I happy to do any of the three I am going to mention below. Each method enjoys it’s own rewards. The first, is of course, the hike to the top, of your choice, of any of the beautiful mountain tops we are blessed with in Vermont. My three favorites in the Stowe area are Elmore Mountain, The Pinnacle and Smugglers Notch. They are listed, not by distance, but by degree of difficulty. Elmore Mountain is about a four mile loop and inside a state park, so parking fees might apply. My kids and I have been hiking Elmore since they were about eight years old. You will know you have hit the top when presented with the fire tower. Climb up it and pull out your camera, all of Lake Elmore and the surrounding rolling hills will greet you. One small side bar on Elmore mountain is that this trail, in particular, can be treacherous when it has been wet. Proper footwear is always advised, but also check to see what the forecast previous to your arrival has been. If it has been raining for a week, I would not advise taking kids on this hike.
Pinnacle
Next up, is The Pinnacle and you won’t be disappointed. The Pinnacle trail head is off of Stowe Hollow road and there are two different places to park. If the lower parking area is full, head up to the Meadows lot, which will shorten your hike a little, but I promise you won’t mind. The trail is only about a mile and a half long, but you will be ascending a little over 1500 vertical feet in that distance. Your hike will start deep in a hardwood forest and up through some pretty aggressive stone steps. A short sidebar on those steps; they appear about three quarters of the way up and if you find climbing them difficult from a balance perspective or if you have any fear of heights, I would advise you to call it a day. I took my seventy year old mother up The Pinnacle and although she is very fit and had no trouble getting up the steps, it was an altogether different story coming down. They are wet and often slick and by the time you are heading back your legs are a bit tired. My poor mom just stood frozen looking down the steps. Eventually, with a lot of reassurances and mostly because my mother refuses to acknowledge any defeat,(ie, she’s a bad-ass) she got down, but she was pretty darn shaky. You’ll know you are getting near the top, when the trees started getting shorter! The summit will greet you with views of Elmore Mountain, Camels Hump, Mount Ellen and the Worchester Range. Enjoy!
Smugglers Notch
My final climb is one, I must admit, I haven’t done in a while. Smugglers Notch. When my kids were little, I could take them anywhere and they thought it was a great adventure, but they are a little less interested in hiking with me, when there are so many other distractions that capture their attention. It doesn’t help that I am not the fit, black belt wielding, gym card carrying, woman I used to be. When my daughter was four years old she hiked the entire trail while refusing any and all assistance. Proud does not describe the emotion I felt, but in reflection, I have to admit that four is pretty young for this hike. There are some very large drops offs to the side of the trail and years later, I surmised that I was crazy for taking her on it, even if she was the most obedient child. Smugglers Notch took on its name after President Thomas Jefferson passed an embargo act that forbade trade with Great Britain, but more importantly for Vermonters, Canada. First, they smuggled cattle, then escaped slaves used the notch to get out and to safety and then of course came prohibition, need I say more. The Notch is closed from first snowfall, in the fall to full spring thaw. If you happen to be here in the fall and there is snow, you are out of luck. The Notch has several trails, including access to the Long Trail, but the foliage hike I’m suggesting is the one to Sterling Pond. This is a difficult hike and not suitable for children under eight. It is only a little over a mile up, but the trail is steep and wet, with large boulders, and massive tree roots waiting to trip you. It is narrow and the foot traffic, and there is a lot of it, is coming right back past you. The trail hugs the edge of the mountain and is unforgiving on the other side. Okay, I feel I have properly warned you, but if you still want to go, be prepared for a tough workout and a breathtaking view. If Hiking is not an option for you but you would still like to enjoy the watercolor vista from the top of a mountain, I recommend either driving up Toll Road ( there is a fee) or taking the Gondola to the top of Mount Mansfield.
Driving Route for Optimal Foliage Viewing.
So that brings me to my final way to see the foliage and that is driving. One of my favorite drives is from Stowe to Jay Peak and back. It’s definitely a day trip kind of thing, so be sure to gas up the SUV. Heading out of Stowe on Route 100 to Morrisville, turn left just past the Stowe Vet onto Stagecoach. Follow until its conclusion onto Cady’s Falls road and then do the same when you get to Hyde Park. Turn left into the village of Hyde Park and then at the stop sign and take a right, which will lead you to a rotary. Take the second exit in the rotary (the road directly across from you) and that will place you squarely on Route 100. Now it gets easy. Just follow this road right through North Hyde Park until you get to the beginning of Eden. The Eden country store is on your left and I highly encourage you to stop and get some coffee and snacks, while availing yourself to the bathrooms. Did I say gas up yet? This is not Connecticut and your next gas station is not a mile away, but more like twenty. Take route 118, also known as Belvidere Road and sit back and begin to truly enjoy the show. Remember, the journey is part of the magic. When the road splits, stay right on VT 118 north, also called South Main Street. Vermont roads change names constantly so don’t panic if the name changes and you haven’t made any turns. This is also a good time to turn off your phones roaming capabilities. You are about to get so close to the Canadian border, your phone company won’t know the difference. Good luck arguing with them. The next split in the road occurs in the little town of Montgomery, Vermont. If your hungry, stop in at Bernies and if your not take the right off of 118 and onto RT 242. This will bring you right into the heart of Jay Peak Country. If you have little ones and you got an early enough start, hit the water park, if not, follow 242 to it’s conclusion onto route 101 and take a right and follow it until you have looped back to route 100. At this juncture you can head north to Newport and the vast Lake Memphremagog, or go south and head home. From Stowe this is an easy two and a half hour drive, without stopping, so make sure you have planned for this.
Living in Vermont.
So for those of you who are planning on living in Vermont or maybe this is your first foliage season as a resident in the green mountains I have a bit of advice. Vermont’s greatest revenue comes from our tourists. It’s a 3 billion dollar income for the state and even though we pretty much have tourists all year, minus mud season, fall is the most challenging for residents just trying to get on with the basics of daily living. Summer is technically our most fruitful season, when we are harvesting dollar bills, but summer is three months and therefore all the extra people are a bit spread out, whereas fall is three weeks. Whatever you are doing, whether it is going to the grocery in town or a doctors appointment in Burlington, everything is going to take longer and forget about dinner reservations. My husband and I have a Columbus day wedding anniversary and dinner out, simply isn’t an option. Grocery lines are out the door and the traffic is absurd, not to mention all the tourists that think the law stating that pedestrians have the right of way, means you can cross the street anywhere without looking. I can’t tell you how many times I have almost hit someone popping out from behind an SUV! I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “It’s called Tourist Season, does that mean we can shoot em?”, which had me erupting with laughter and although I understood the sentiment, but the truth is, Vermont needs the tourists. 70 percent of our economy is based on them showing up and buying what we have to offer. So my advice to you is to highlight you calendar, from the last week in September to the first two weeks in October, and know that EVERYTHING you need to do, are going to take about thirty percent longer. If you give yourself more time and don’t schedule all of your doctors appointments these three weeks, you will be much happier! Also, don’t forget you moved to Vermont, in part, for the beauty, so get out and enjoy it. be a tourist in your own state and you will be less likely to want to kill the tourists from other states.
This should provide you with a decent blueprint for how to enjoy our state during its peak plumage, whether or not you are visiting or are blessed enough to call it home. Flatlanders Welcome.
Ps. The photo above is actually a free stock image from Pixabay, but it happens to be of Mount Mansfield and a little bit of Spruce Peak, on the right. It is shot from the upper golf course and can be accessed via a trail system that anyone is welcome to use. Park on the Mansfield side and take the free gondola to the other side. Pop into the lodge and the concierge will be happy to provide you with a map of their on property trails. I would have loved to have used my own photo, but the weather has been a bit iffy, so I just wasn’t happy with any of the images I was able to capture. Next year!
