Stick Season is Vermont's second most unheralded time of year. We are in it. As soon as the peepers have finished driving back south to the flatlands, the last few leaves will fall off the trees and there will be a month of snowless, colorless landscape. It is a landscape that is left in monotones, reminiscent of a black & white photograph. The sky and clouds take on a gray, foreboding color. The sun tries to shine through but only manages a weak, white light. It's a warning that snow is on the way.

In southern and central Vermont where more land has yielded to paved roads and people, ski resorts are gearing up their marketing hype to entice people back again so that they can eat wood (ski into trees) and freeze their extremities off. The marketing machines pervade everything in Vermont life, from the souped-up, hyped-up ads on local radio to ski discounts for buying an extra roll of lavatory paper or a minimum 10 gallons of gas. Ah! Ski Vermont and be happy!

In northern Vermont, local stores are busy catering to hunters. In the ubiquitous auto parts stores, there's a sudden run on million candle power lights. Contrary to popular belief, these lights are not used for deer jacking, but to treat serious cases of sensory light depravation.

Meanwhile, those who have provided hospitality for the peepers are in a recovery period...absolutely exhausted from the onslaught. Many owners of b&bs and inns try to get away, leaving only a skeleton staff. Even big corporations like Stowe Mountain Resort are prone to this skeletal phenomena. A recent call to the "Cross Country Desk" to find out about X-Country Events, was transferred to the kitchen! "Who are you trying to reach?"

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A Vermonter Remembers..

Although Stick Season was not always my favorite time of the year. (Cold bus waits, wind, brownness etc.) I used to love that we got one more channel on our TV because the leaves no longer blocked our reception.

You see, with every bad thing comes something good!!!

Some other thoughts about stick season....
Being a native of "The foothills of the Adirondacks" here in northern New York, I can identify with the "stick season" and must admit that next to the fall foliage season, stick season is my favorite time of year. There is something magical about the land during this time of closure

Thadd Ferguson. Ogdensburg,New York'
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