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Southern Vermont, Sunday 10-4-2020 There's ALOT more great color forthcoming!

Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2020 5:51 pm
by ctyanky
Hello SOV foliage friends! Let me begin with the drive into Williamstown, MA on route 7 where the ranges open up to a beautiful vista. This could well be gorgeous Columbus Day Weekend, still a bit early; it needs another week. (One of my favorite drives into VT via Pownal altho we didn't end up going this way). The Berkshires will be ready to pop around that time, as well as the Adirondacks there. There was sooo much green! Unlike the NEK, this area is not as advanced due to the drought/cold snap earlier in the season (despite elevation). Route 22 NY had some nice color appearing and if you take that drive or the Taconic State Parkway, you will have excellent color in about a week. We tooled around North Adams, pretty early color, but turning north on route 8 into VT, we missed the Mohawk Trail. I have nothing to report on route 2. Mt, Greylock looked green at the base, couldn't see the top due to clouds and I wasn't about to pay 20 bucks to go up at this point. However, I've been there at peak and the views are mindblowing!

We got to route 9 via route 8 north out of N. Adams as I wanted to check out the Woodford area. Pretty much well past peak with sticks. Pretty bland. A future hike around the lake in Woodford State Park will have to wait till next fall. However, as we descended into the Bennington area on route 9, the color improved greatly. The whole route 7 corridor around Bennington seemed a lot earlier than I expected. During the end of this week and weekend, the color will surely pop from what I observed. Route 7 into Manchester showed excellent bright foliage but mid stage but some cool peak areas on the ranges, lots of oranges, reds, gold and yellow. We bypassed Bennington by way of the 279 interchange. There is a lot of color to come here so I would bet on Columbus Day Weekend. Yes, there were small patches of leaf blowout in some sections from the past rain/wind storm but quite minimal.

We bypassed as well, the village of Manchester and headed up route 11 east. Color was stunning on Bromley! Peak color all the way to the summit. OMG! It was also packed with adventurers! The higher elevations of route 11 were great, Magic Mountain beautiful! I would say our best color today was on 11 at these higher elevations. Heading down, the trees still looked early and route 103 into Chester town was pretty green. So much more to develop in these areas. I would suspect, that Andover and Weston might be similar but Ludlow could possibly be more advanced. I also think that if we had time to tool around the dirt back roads, we would have seen nice color close up in the tree tunnels. We decided not to take 35 into Grafton from Chester so I don't know how it looks there.

After Chester, the whole ride home on 91 was as green as summer, with patches of flares appearing in the ranges/hillsides with excellent bright color. I suspect this whole area will pop within 10 days. If I were to come back and I will, I would take 91 straight up or come up through the Berkshires or route 22 or the Taconic State Parkway into Vermont.

So these are my personal impressions. I don't describe the color in southern VT (esp. SW) as patchy, bland or past peak. I think it is early with a lot more transition to peak in the coming days. Don't write it off yet! It doesn't look like wind or rain in the near future so hold out hope for more great foliage in southern VT. I really feel Bennington and Manchester and the route 7 corridor up there will be the place to go this coming holiday weekend.

I am waiting to hear from the New Hampshire boys for our potential meetup in southern VT! Can't wait to see Bogey and Calguy as we first met last fall in Peacham. These guys got some real photography talent going on.

Hope this helps, I tried to say it like it was up there and not embellish anything that wasn't. If you are in the areas highlighted, I would be open to your impressions. We all observe foliage differently and I guess the saying goes, โ€œBeauty is in the Eyes of the Beholderโ€.

CT๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ

Re: Southern Vermont, Sunday 10-4-2020 There's ALOT more great color forthcoming!

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 9:05 am
by deaner1971
Thank you for the update!

I will be arrive EARLY on Wednesday and shooting through Friday so, you have my (ever rare) optimism peaked!

My drone has spare batteries ready to go and I am testing out an Arsenal device on my camera so, I am excited for a trip both familiar and new!

Thank you and everyone travel and peep carefully!

Re: Southern Vermont, Sunday 10-4-2020 There's ALOT more great color forthcoming!

Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:16 am
by ctyanky
Hi Dean! Have a safe trip up. I'm sure you will be rewarded with color. Are you entering from the SE? Please let me know how it develops on the SE side before the weekend. I'm looking at Forest Road 71 to Somerset Reservoir and then Pine Falls Road to Stratton. Charles (ixl) from this forum took me to the road leading to the reservoir a couple of years ago. He also has an off the grid cabin there, but he may have sold it. Views were great at the reservoir! If you go to Grout Pond, let me know how it looks. The hike around the pond is great! Someone wrote that Kelly Stand at the higher elevations was past but still had nice color otherwise.

Connecticut is going to pop this weekend up north, especially the NW corner so it will be a busy weekend with amazing weather once again!

Looking forward to your report and good luck with that new drone!

Happy travels!

CT๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ

Re: Southern Vermont, Sunday 10-4-2020 There's ALOT more great color forthcoming!

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:31 pm
by Andy
Hi Dean. I tried to send you a PM. I am interested in talking to you about drones. Would like some insight and maybe advice