Hazen's Notch Road

[sharan]

I know this is a dirt road most of the way and is about 10 miles from Montgomery Center to Lowell. I am wondering how difficult a drive it is for someone who is not that crazy about dirt roads. Two years ago we drove the Roxbury Gap road from Warren to Roxbury on the suggestions of people from this forum. And it really was worth it! How does the Hazen's Notch road compare? Thanks!

[pwt54]

It might be a little easier. It's worth it.

[Bellavance]

We went there yesterday. This place really is beautiful. I'd like to include a picture I took, but I don't know how to do it here...

Are there other forest roads like this?

Pierre

[ixl]

It's a pretty easy drive compared to some of the other notch/gap roads.

Pierre, image uploading is not supported on this forum. You need to upload to your own web server, then link to the image here using the "IMAGE" button under "Instant UBB Code". --c

[pwt54]

Pierre, got back one page and read my "Challenging Roads" post. You may also want to try the Stannard Mountain Road. It starts from Greensboro Bend Village of route 16 and goes to Lyndonville where this same road is called the South Wheelock Road. The Lincoln is the most challenging of our roads.

[Bellavance]

I don't mind challenging roads. I once did route 108 and liked it so much that I did it a few times, stopping here and there along the way.

Is route 108 nice at this time of the year?

Pierre

[pwt54]

Colors are coming along. I was there on Wednesday and it was a little early. Route 104 is showing so good early color also.

[Bellavance]

Let's see if this works. I'm uploading a picture taken in Hazen's Notch yesterday, October 1st.

Pierre

<img src="http://www.bellavance-grenier.com/CRW_0198.jpg" alt=" - " />

[dkramer]

That is REALLY nice...never done the Hazen's Notch Road. Probably will be well past peak by next weekend (that's when my trip is). Weather looks rather benign for a good chunk of the next week. Hoping colors hold in the Mad River Valley and vicinity.

Daniel

P.S. Sharan--so glad to hear that you tried those roads (was it last year?). We told you it wouldn't be that bad. Wasn't the view from top of Roxbury Gap worth it? I got some nice shots up there last year. Still have to go enlarge them. I now have shots from that spot in each season (except Spring, I guess...not living in VT that's a tough one to catch).

[ixl]

Very nice, Pierre.

Daniel.. if you had to pick one season not to be in Vermont, spring would be the one. Well.. late spring is nice for wildflowers, but most of spring is just.. yuck. --c

[dkramer]

Hi Charles--

Did come one March for some later season skiing at Mad River Glen. Caught sugaring season...that was cool. Sugar on snow with pickle and cider donut was quite the treat. But...we did a trip to the Trapp Family Lodge via Moscow Road, and let me tell you, the trusty Civic was NOT pleased on that thawing dirt (read: muddy quagmire) road we drove to get up the hill.

Daniel

[ixl]

Heh yeah.. March can be great for sugaring and other Vermont specialties. But excepting a late snowstorm, it can be rather ugly.

IMHO April is the ugliest month of the year up here in the mountains. But it can be nice in the lower valleys. --c

[sharan]

Hi Daniel,
I was wondering if we would here from you! You were a great help to us last time--it was two years ago. And that Roxbury Gap road was fantastic. But all of Vermont is, as far as I'm concerned! That's why we are going back. We leave here on Wednesday and will be in the Hazen's Notch area on Friday,the 8th. Do you think we should skip it because it will be too far past peak? PWT, what do you think? We are going to be limited on time but we will squeeze in as much as we can. Thanks everyone for all the great advice we get here!

[sharan]

Hi Pierre,
That picture was great. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[dkramer]

Hi Sharan--

Thanks for the kind words. Hard to find a bad place in Vt. As far as Hazen's Notch on the 8th...pwt54, ixl, or bm will have better first-hand info than me during this week, since they'll be in-state. However, based on Pierre's wonderful pic from the 1st, I think that Hazen's Notch will be past peak by the 8th. The colors are great in Pierre's pic, but look at the contrast from the colors...it's not colors contrasted with green (excepting the fir trees)...it's colors contrasted with a bit of bareness evident. That's just my take based on the picture. However, my bet is that there will be some color still left there, and I have no idea what the rest of Hazen's looks like (just the picture). Happy traveling...I'm starting to anticipate my trip quite a bit.

Daniel