Vermont bound tomorrow help please

[AmyN]

We are headed to VT tomorrow. Would love to hear an updated on where to go and not go. We will be flying into Burlington and driving down to Woodstock tomorrow. Suggestions on where to see the most beautiful color right now would be greatly appreciated. We aren't afraid to go back roads and get out of the car. I am so excited for my first visit to the area!!

[admin]

After two days of rain and high wind, a lot of the foliage has blown away. I can't tell you exactly where to go, but definitely you should not bother with mountainous areas which have been exposed to the recent wind. Look for drives in sheltered valleys and stick to southern VT.
A couple of days ago, there was a post showing pictures of Jamaica....this is south of Woodstock. You might start there.
You will find that a lot of the trees are missing their leaves at their tops...this is where the wind got them.

If you find some nice locations...please tell us about them and post some pictures!

[dtc]

Normally I would try to drive down Route 100, but we were on a short piece of it today (Rochester to Hancock) and it was pretty disappointing compared to normal, although there were certainly spots of color - mostly yellow/gold/rust; little bright red. Route7 has some good spots, but it is just starting to develop. The eastern hills of the Champlain Valley have some good color, although not the spectacular vistas people are looking for. I would look for reports on the south.

[deaner1971]

One other thought: seek out water and exposed rocks of all kids. My experience is that wind knocks down lots of nicely colored leaves and those leaves tend to stick to wet exposed rocks. While slippery as all get out, that can still make for great shots and gorgeous viewing.

Streams in Vermont rise quickly but also recede quickly, leaving lots of leaves stranded on boulders and stones in the streams. As a flyfisherman, the foliage in the water is a nightmare but, as a photographer, they represent opportunity.

Also, look for waterfalls along your travels. They tend to carve out nooks that are somewhat protected from high winds and the year-round source of water tends to build stronger trees who hold leaves a little bit longer than ones elsewhere.

Just a couple of thoughts.