Phil's Phirst Ophphicial Pholiage Report

[pwt54]

My brother was busy today so I decided to scout out the foliage. It was a cloudy day so many might think it would have been a bad day to watch the colors. Actually is a good day to look at the foliage from a car. The clouds defuse the sunlight and spreads it all over the trees equally. When it’s a clear sunny day the intense sunlight hits only part of the tree and reflects downward. That means the best viewing is with the sun behind you. A cloudy day isn’t the best for photography but there are possibilities. I took route 15 east to route 16 north to start. The colors were nice from Johnson to Morrisville, but from Morrisville to Hardwick… Eyosah! It’s not easy to get a native Geezer who has seen decades of foliage to go Eyosah! Maybe a wow once in a while. It is peaking here right now. And the colors are intense. The best I’ve seen in 2 years. Route 16 was good but there are large areas of evergreen trees on this road so there are areas without color. But the colors that are there are great. The colors seemed a little dull around Barton, however. I went to the Candlepin Restaurant, but they were full, so I went back to Barton and took route US 5 south after I stopped at the General Store for a Green Mountain Coffee and a yummy chocolate chip cookie. Below Crystal Lake the colors were popping again. It’s close to peak. When I got to Lyndonville I headed for the Miss Lyndonville Diner. The cars were parked on top of each other so I decided to go to St.J. I took I-91 so I could get up high up to check things out. At exit 22 it occurred to me that I wasn’t all that far from the P & H Truck Stop in Wells River. (pronounced Wells Rivah down there) Then I remembered that my brother and I may be down there tomorrow. Wait a minute. There ain’t no law that says I can’t eat at P & H 2 days in a row. Besides, I can do the breakfast buffet today and we won’t be there tomorrow before lunch. Perfect !! Did I mention that the colors were early along here? No? Blame the bacon. Or maybe the chipped beef gravy on a biscuit. Coming out of the driveway I turned right onto route 302 west and went about a mile and turned right onto the Boltonville Road. After this road merged with the South Bayley-Hazen Road next to Ticklenaked Pond I continued to Ryegate Corners. Nice colors along this road. After Ryegate Corners the South Bayley-Hazen Road becomes the North Bayley Hazen Road. This road goes to Mosquitoville where it blends into the Mosquitoville Road. This road ends at the Harvey Mountain where I turned left to get to West Barnet. Nice color but still a little early. At West Barnet I turned left and went to South Peacham and turned right to head for Peacham. I changed my mind and turned left onto Maple Tree Lane to bypass Peacham. Looking right I could see the trees around Peacham and there was a lot of green still on them. Looking left I could see the hills were near peak and just bloaded with bright red and orange maples. Looking down the Worcester Road I could see 2 “firecrackers” that sent my transition lenses into convolutions. When I came to the Macks Mountain Road I turned left and headed for route US 2. Eyosah! It’s peaking in this area. When I could look down the valley I could see it was peaking all the way to Marshfield. At route US 2 I turned left and at the bottom of the hill I turned right onto the Danville Hill Road and headed to Cabot. More great color right down to Cabot. You poor out of state leaf peepers have to pick and choose you time to come up here and keep your fingers crossed that you picked correctly. We native leaf peepers can just walk out the door and hop in the car and enjoy. I felt so guilty I decided to go to Bragg Farm for a maple creamee. The colors after Plainfield were still early and not bright. Setting on the porch at Bragg Farm with a large maple creamee I could see the colors around here were still early. Oh great, now I feel guilty about the maple creamee. I wondered how route 12 between Montpelier and Morrisville was doing, I went to Montpelier and took Main Street up to the roundabout, went in and then took the second right out of it to Elm Street and turned right. This is route 12 north. The colors were early up to Worcester, but after Worcester, Eyosah! It’s peaking here also. Past Elmore I came to the round barn. They have finished the siding and are painting it red. Looks great. About a half a mile from the barn I turned left onto the Elmore Mountain Road and went to Stowe. It’s all early peak colors around here. It should hold up until this weekend. I took the Von Trapp Road all the way to the Moscow road so I could see the Scot’s Highland Cows. There were cars all over the place.I spent a few minutes taking photos and a half an hour giving advice and directions. Then I headed for home. All I can say is Eyosah!!!

[ctyanky]

pwt: MON DIEU! What a report! My eyes were bulging just reading it! You lucky man and you got a maple creemee to top it off! You would have to mention that!

"I took the Von Trapp Road all the way to the Moscow road so I could see the Scot’s Highland Cows" PWT can you take us to see these cows and Moscow Road on the afternoon tour???

I'm planning on some of your routes next Sunday, 12,15 and 16! Will I be too late? How did peak happen so fast! I guess you'll have to consider me a poor out of state leaf peeper! This week coming up including the first weekend for the northern sectors seems to be the pick!

What a great, exciting report! Now I won't be able to get to sleep!

[pwt54]

Yes I can take you to the cows. I don't know if route 12 will hold out until next weekend but 15 and 16 should. I'm thinking that most of the roads around Stowe will still be good. I couldn't get a read on Mt.Mansfield because the cloud were so low.

[pwt54]

OOPS, I got distracted, the Red Sox just went ahead of the Evil Empire. I would work the Peacham/Barnet/Groton area next Sunday.

[ctyanky]

pwt: I have so many routes planned for Sunday including coming down 12 into Montpelier from Eden area I think it is. I will be home "regrouping" Monday but heading back up at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to Waits River, Peacham, Danville, Marshfield and East Calais and then back over to our inn in East Burke.

Do you think the high colors will still hold up in Peacham areas just after next weekend????? Please Foliage Gods, let the leaves hang in there!!!!!!!!!

My guests are walking on egg shells hoping for the color you have just witnessed! Oh dear, I can't promise them peak but I can get them maple creemees!

[pwt54]

Okay, stick to your Sunday Plans. Peacham/Barnet look early. You may be missing a lot of red and orange on Mack's Mountain Rd, Danville Hill Rd, route US 2, and Cabot/Marshfield, but there were some maples that were still early and the yellows and the Ash Trees with their muted orange and rusty red are early and looking good. That's what I call late peak. When I was at Bragg Farm eating my creamee I was looking over to the East Montpelier and Calais area and that's early yet. I don't see peak over there before next weekend. Route US 5 from Barnet north to St.J looked early also. By the way, P&H Truck Stop has specials on sauage gravy and biscuits Tuesday through Thursday.

[ctyanky]

pwt: thanks for the thoughts on the Peacham areas. I'm a little disappointed about Macks Mt. Rd., Route 2 and Danville Hill Rd. and Marshfield but hey, we'll be satisfied with "just past peak". Those were going to be some highlights of our first day but it will still be beautiful. I can't lose all my energy worrying about chasing the peak! I just love being up there!

It's so hard planning trips, it's really a gamble every fall. Last year we struck gold going to Vermont on the two trips after Columbus Day which was just a result of previous commitments and this year we changed it to before Columbus Day. You are so lucky to be able to wake up and get in the car and go to where the colors are popping! So the color show seems to be a tad early but following a normal progression. I'm thinking the best time is really the last week in September and the first weekend in October for the NEK. There's always next year! Got to be optomistic! However, next season we are going to be in Burlington and North Hero. Not sure when the best time for that is but it's a long way off!

By the way, where exactly is this P and H truck stop? I hear so much about it..................

[wentworth]

My brother was busy today so I decided to scout out the foliage. It was a cloudy day so many might think it would have been a bad day to watch the colors. Actually is a good day to look at the foliage from a car. The clouds defuse the sunlight and spreads it all over the trees equally. When it’s a clear sunny day the intense sunlight hits only part of the tree and reflects downward. That means the best viewing is with the sun behind you. A cloudy day isn’t the best for photography but there are possibilities. I took route 15 east to route 16 north to start. The colors were nice from Johnson to Morrisville, but from Morrisville to Hardwick… Eyosah! It’s not easy to get a native Geezer who has seen decades of foliage to go Eyosah! Maybe a wow once in a while. It is peaking here right now. And the colors are intense. The best I’ve seen in 2 years. Route 16 was good but there are large areas of evergreen trees on this road so there are areas without color. But the colors that are there are great. The colors seemed a little dull around Barton, however. I went to the Candlepin Restaurant, but they were full, so I went back to Barton and took route US 5 south after I stopped at the General Store for a Green Mountain Coffee and a yummy chocolate chip cookie. Below Crystal Lake the colors were popping again. It’s close to peak. When I got to Lyndonville I headed for the Miss Lyndonville Diner. The cars were parked on top of each other so I decided to go to St.J. I took I-91 so I could get up high up to check things out. At exit 22 it occurred to me that I wasn’t all that far from the P & H Truck Stop in Wells River. (pronounced Wells Rivah down there) Then I remembered that my brother and I may be down there tomorrow. Wait a minute. There ain’t no law that says I can’t eat at P & H 2 days in a row. Besides, I can do the breakfast buffet today and we won’t be there tomorrow before lunch. Perfect !! Did I mention that the colors were early along here? No? Blame the bacon. Or maybe the chipped beef gravy on a biscuit. Coming out of the driveway I turned right onto route 302 west and went about a mile and turned right onto the Boltonville Road. After this road merged with the South Bayley-Hazen Road next to Ticklenaked Pond I continued to Ryegate Corners. Nice colors along this road. After Ryegate Corners the South Bayley-Hazen Road becomes the North Bayley Hazen Road. This road goes to Mosquitoville where it blends into the Mosquitoville Road. This road ends at the Harvey Mountain where I turned left to get to West Barnet. Nice color but still a little early. At West Barnet I turned left and went to South Peacham and turned right to head for Peacham. I changed my mind and turned left onto Maple Tree Lane to bypass Peacham. Looking right I could see the trees around Peacham and there was a lot of green still on them. Looking left I could see the hills were near peak and just bloaded with bright red and orange maples. Looking down the Worcester Road I could see 2 “firecrackers” that sent my transition lenses into convolutions. When I came to the Macks Mountain Road I turned left and headed for route US 2. Eyosah! It’s peaking in this area. When I could look down the valley I could see it was peaking all the way to Marshfield. At route US 2 I turned left and at the bottom of the hill I turned right onto the Danville Hill Road and headed to Cabot. More great color right down to Cabot. You poor out of state leaf peepers have to pick and choose you time to come up here and keep your fingers crossed that you picked correctly. We native leaf peepers can just walk out the door and hop in the car and enjoy. I felt so guilty I decided to go to Bragg Farm for a maple creamee. The colors after Plainfield were still early and not bright. Setting on the porch at Bragg Farm with a large maple creamee I could see the colors around here were still early. Oh great, now I feel guilty about the maple creamee. I wondered how route 12 between Montpelier and Morrisville was doing, I went to Montpelier and took Main Street up to the roundabout, went in and then took the second right out of it to Elm Street and turned right. This is route 12 north. The colors were early up to Worcester, but after Worcester, Eyosah! It’s peaking here also. Past Elmore I came to the round barn. They have finished the siding and are painting it red. Looks great. About a half a mile from the barn I turned left onto the Elmore Mountain Road and went to Stowe. It’s all early peak colors around here. It should hold up until this weekend. I took the Von Trapp Road all the way to the Moscow road so I could see the Scot’s Highland Cows. There were cars all over the place.I spent a few minutes taking photos and a half an hour giving advice and directions. Then I headed for home. All I can say is Eyosah!!!

--fantastic report---but I'd hardly say "you poor out-of-staters'lol--after all,From Nov to March, Vermonts tree color is gone,so there are barren hillsides everywhere, with those icy near-zero temperatures sending the windchill down to near Alaska like...yikes... but down here its sunny and 75 degrees all winter with our blue-green ocean--guess that's why 1000 people a day move to Florida---anyway, Vermont's just a 3 hr plane trip away--and we loveeeeeeeeee Vermont/New Hampshire in the Fall and we always will:)

[ctyanky]

bm: thanks for the reply. I will look on my map and see if we can fit P&H into an already insane schedule. I'm actually looking forward to my horseback trailride in Waitsfield and the gondola ride when I can really, really relax and enjoy the scenery....... Other than that, we are on the go 24/7.

I have heard lots about this P&H truck stop so I would hate to miss it! I'm trying to save this week's calories for Vermont!

[wentworth]

ct, you should never worry about "missing the peak", there are so many areas that will still be peaking this weekend and early next week, and not just in Vermont either--Abby said the whole state of New Hampshire's colors look good! plenty of time to see those reds!

[pwt54]

P&H is on route 302 right next to I-91, exit 17. Thanks for the sympathy wentworth. However, you will find more retired Vermonters in Tampa in the winter than in Vermont.

[courtmel]

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION I HAVE TO SAY---

I love Vermont anytime of the year; especially fall and WINTER! I am a resident of the second most beautiful state I have ever been in, CT aka God's country. Unfortunately we had to live in that Godforsaken hellhole Florida for 8 long, depressing years. You spend more in A/C costs than heating cost up north. Florida is hot, humid, flat, dead, and ugly all throughout the year and I lived in Royal Palm Beach which is supposedly one of Florida's nicest areas. Sorry wentworth, but you must admit you DO get tired of seeing that damn sun day in and day out. God the weather was so boring I looked forward to a Cat 2 hurricane every now and again!!!! So many people move down there thinking that life in Florida will be similar to the Florida they have experienced on a weeks' vacation but it is quite different at least for me.

Give me VT and the glorious change of seasons any day!!!

[pwt54]

ctyanky; if you are doing the icelandic horses, you are going to love it. The horses have a smooth trot and the trails are up in the hills. courtmel, I feel the same way about Florida. I wished my sister had moved to Asheville,NC instead of (yuck) Jacksonville ,FL. The trip down is almost worth the 2 weeks in Jax.

[ctyanky]

hi pwt: yes, we are still scheduled for the two hour or maybe more, trailride on the Icelandics Saturday morning, Oct. 11th!!! I am more than excited - this is when I truly relax and just fade into the saddle and take it all in! We have one expert rider in our group and the rest of us are intermediate - doesn't matter, it's a trail ride. Next year I am thinking of doing the inn-to-inn trek that they offer for 4 days. Three days is too short and the 5 and over days would be too long for me. You are on the horse the whole time going to beautiful inns (and you stay there) with great prepared lunches on the trail and dinners at the inns. I have to seriously think about that though, because if it rains, well you still ride.......... Anyone interested????

[courtmel]

pwt-

I need some roads and sites out of Killington and up to Lancaster, NH departing Killington on Thurs, Oct 9th. What do you think? I have to agree on the Asheville! I hear the mountains and foliage in that area are fabulous. Still, once my butt crossed over the FL state line I promised God and myself I would never step foot there again. My heart and soul shouted, "Free at last, free at last, thank God almightly, I'm free at last!" Then I was on my way back home, where I belong. That was in 1995 and I thank the Lord everyday I was one of the lucky ones who was able to escape and return home. Anything closer to Vermont has to be good, no?