Anyone thinking about their 2011 Vermont Fall Foliage trips?

[ctyanky]

Hi MMVT! I would be more than happy to help you organize the meetup at your house in Killington! It sounds like a lot of fun! My suggestion would be for lunch because I don't think Phil would be too thrilled about driving me back to Central VT to my inn and then having to drive back to his house in Johnson in the NEK late at night. In the alternative, my thought would be that, depending on weather conditions for the gondola ride, we could either do the ride in the a.m. and then have lunch or meet at your house for lunch and then do a gondola ride. Any thoughts?

Also, I'm leaving VT on the Saturday of Columbus Day Weekend as I am arriving in Vermont in late September. During the first weekend in October, on Saturday we are meeting at the Mad River Glen Single Chair Lift for the foliage ride and chicken BBQ at their festival and on Sunday we are going to the Lewis Pond Overlook. (I still have to clue Phil in on all this.... ). MMVT: What do you think about a mid-week Killington meetup between the first two weekends of October then??? (By the way, anyone who is interested in meeting at the Mad River Glen festival is also welcome to come and join us for a lot of fun! We may also do some back road drives around Waitsfield).

Gretchen! Get those 2010 photos up! You sure have some amazing shots and I look forward to seeing them on the forum.

P.S. bm our moderator from Vermont came to visit me in suburbia this weekend and I showed her around my neck of the woods. We took a sweaty and humid, mosquito-filled 2 hour hike into the state forest. What a workout! I could barely keep up with her! She rolled her eyes at my idea of a long view/overlook but kept her thoughts to herself. I was also scared to death about the recent bear sightings in the state park and thus had to withstand relentless teasing about you "city folk". We had fun tossing around some ideas for foliage rides and excursions in October. I think she had enough "city life" and was glad to head back to the Motherland. Although I do know for a fact, she loved all the stores and we shopped our hearts out!

[BostonRott]

We'll be up just for the weekend. With kids in school, and my dau on the gymnastics Team, earlier is not possible. Hubby and I are planning to run the Harpoon Brewery 3mi race (race entry = tshirt, a brat, beer mug, 2 fills!), can't wait for it! We've got a Half Marathon in Newport RI the following weekend, so this will be a great warm up. Race is on Sunday, I believe (of Columbus Day weekend).

[ctyanky]

Gretchen: that sounds like so much fun! Hopefully you will be able to meet up with the forum members at some point in the future! A great bunch of folks who know how to have a good time! Maybe next season!

[Andy]

I was also scared to death about the recent bear sightings in the state park and thus had to withstand relentless teasing about you "city folk". We had fun tossing around some ideas for foliage rides and excursions in October. I think she had enough "city life" and was glad to head back to the Motherland. Although I do know for a fact, she loved all the stores and we shopped our hearts out!

Hmn. I'll bet those bears don't care a bit whether they eat "city folk" or "country folk"

[ctyanky]

Yes, Andy. I got a good chuckle out of your reply. I guess if the bear wants you, well, it doesn't matter where you hail from.

Anyways, I had a whistle with me, but bm thought that was a bit too much so she charged on ahead without a care in the world. I for one, thought every scrunch in the woods meant a bear was fast approaching. Once we got deep into the forest, it was VERY isolated and I felt like the bears were watching me from a distance. Really, there have been a ton of bears and their cubs roaming my neck of the woods the last two months and it pays to be cautious! I read my dos and don'ts before I left but I was still looking over my shoulder at every twist and turn!

Actually, the drama gets better. When we reached the turnaround point, I couldn't remember which trail to take back! Everything looked so different with all the heavy green foliage! I had been hiking there last in late fall and early winter and trails were more open. So I told bm that we should go left and she thought, hmmmm, I think we should go "that" way (right). No, no I said, it's left but I'll call the person I was hiking with to check. Suddenly a couple came by and confirmed bm's instinct as correct.

I ALMOST made us turn on a trail that headed up to the Mass border with no outlet! Thank goodness for my Vermont friend's natural sense of direction. It would have been a disaster, considering that it was hot, humid and full of mosquitos, not to mention the bear population increases as we head north!

I think I need some orienteering lessons. AND SOON. End of Story.

[Andy]

CT: Go to Dick's or Walmart and get your self an inexpensive GPS unit. They have a feature called "trackback" which you turn on when you start your hike. You can then follow it back out. BUT remember they are not infallible (batteries and other electronic issues and inability to pull in the satellite signals) -- so also get yourself a compass and check it when you start and ocassionally as you hike. I always have a compass in my vest. Cheap insurance that one day you won't have to meet the Search and Rescue team

[ctyanky]

Andy: I am going to get the compass to start. My local community center has a compass orienteering class this fall where you get to use it in the woods and they have different scenarios to follow. It sounds like a lot of fun.

No, I don't relish the thought of a Search and Rescue mission either. Especially when nowadays, you can end up paying all the rescue fees for your own lapse in judgement! Thanks for the advice. Well taken.

P.S. I think this could have all been avoided if we had taken the time to reach in the state park's box full of trail maps and taken one with us. Upon reading it, I saw where my mistake was. We glanced at it and kept going because when bm asked me if I knew where I was going, I responded by saying "of course!".

[ctyanky]

Next month is Fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't wait to declare, "I am starting my annual Vermont fall foliage excursion NEXT MONTH ". Counting down now - 52 days till the first day of Autumn to be exact - and soon after many of us will be on our way to Vermont!

I hope everyone enjoys the remaining summer days. In a couple of weeks, usually around the 3rd week of August, we see some early leaf changes in the higher elevations and around the swampy areas in my area. As a matter of fact, some of the stressed trees are already showing early signs of color.

Keep your eyes peeled upward!

[deaner1971]

I am forced to hope for a late peak this year. I convinced some friends to get married in Vermont, which is great as I always like being an advocate for the state. However, due to family conflicts, they ended up choosing the weekend after Columbus Day.

A few years ago I had to delay my trip until those dates and I arrived on the heels of a storm that had some strong winds. In terms of color, I might as well have arrived in November. I made lemonade out of those lemons by focusing on shots that would convert well to black and white and did get some good shots.

Hoping for better luck this time as selling people on the beauty of a Vermont fall is really tough with black and white photos.

[ctyanky]

I'm reviving this post because I hope no one is "RE" thinking their trips to Vermont for foliage season. Please, Vermont needs our tourism dollars and our support. Keep your plans! The foliage will be beautiful. Be prepared - there will be detours and places we may not be able to visit or get to this year, but Vermont will be open for business and ready to take us in with open arms. Mother Nature will not disappoint.

The sun will shine. Amen.

[WXMAN76]

The same is true in neighboring NH. A few roads are closed most they hope to open for foliage. Been reading a lot of people cancelling plans for this weekend. I will be spending the weekend in Littleton NH. I am not changing my plans. And look at it this way a detour may take you somewhere you have never been before and maybe you can get a few new shots instead of the old stand bys. Please help the twin states out and don't *RE*think you plans as CT would say.

btw

SEPT 1 is Meteorological Fall so welcome to fall from your local Meteorologist!