Scenes of Vermont Forums

Hi All- I'm planning on going to St. Johnsbury and points north tomorrow(Fri.) and I'm wondering if anyone has any reports for this area. Has anyone been out to Lewis pond yet. Any recommendations for the area would be very much appreciated .
Thanks
Al

I haven't been up to the Island Pond area this week but the St J/Lyndon/Sutton region is still a little early. I expect peak in 4-5 days. However, there are good pockets of color.

I was up near Island Pond on Monday. Colors were early but coming along. Things have been moving fast the last couple of days. Don't expect peak color anywhere in VT. The early turning stressed out trees are showing peak colors, so you will find some firecrackers and hotspots up there.

I went on From The NEK's central NEK loop today. Even with a few days to go to the peak it is a very wonderful route, so many places to stop and gape, so many wonderful vistas. If there is good light Monday or Tuesday it will be a great drive.

Also this, along 105 on From the NEK's wonderful route today. The reds and oranges just starting to pop.

91 from Barton to Lyndon also looked very good, pockets that were full of red and orange.

MinnestoaMan, which Wheeler Pond is in your photo? There are a few of them.

MinnestoaMan, which Wheeler Pond is in your photo? There are a few of them.

Off Wheeler Mtn Road (which is off Rt5 just west of the Willoughby State Forest). This road becomes quite rocky and a bit of a challenge.

On Sunday, my wife and I and our 4 Dallas friends visited Strafford and Chelsea in the morning. Headed back to Simon Pearce for lunch, then blasted up the interstate to Lyndonville. From there we did most of the famed NEK route that starts at the Colonnade Motor Inn. Foliage is still a few days away from peaking, but still strong. Our friends, who've never been to VT, thought they had been dropped into heaven.

We cut short the aforementioned route at Lake Willoughby since I wanted to show them the iconic Peacham scene before the sun got too low. We got there just in time. I've posted a Strafford shot and a Peacham shot below.

We're going for Owl's Head and Kettle Pond this morning.

Glad you had a good time Sunday. Colors are still not peak yet here in the central NEK. Especially above 1200' in elevation. I think the frosts we have had so far had been confined to the valleys (until this morning's) and the upper elevations still needed the cold kick to get the change going. At any rate here are a few pics from yesterday and this morning.

I had 27 degrees at the house this morning and everything was frosty white.

Saturday Evening golden hour glow: Umpire Mtn (just east of Burke Mtn)-
Umpire Fall by Tim_NEK, on Flickr


Some crazy cloud layers around the Passumpsic River Valley this morning caused by temperature inversions.

Layers by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Misty Mountain Hop by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Good Morning by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Good Morning BW by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Sutton Morning by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Morning Glow by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Looking the other way...
Farm on the Hill by Tim_NEK, on Flickr

Wow, you had some dreamy clouds. And again, glad to see the color appears to be merely late and not just skipping the season as some had feared (including me for a while).

The jury is still out on the season down here. We have time -- I've got pictures of peak foliage around Bennington as late as 10/26 or so -- but so far the color is both early and dull.

@ixl - so it's all dull/early still in the greater Bennington area? Have you tried Kelly Stand Rd? Is that still all early or dull too?

I feel that in a day or two I will be too late for NEK but was hoping to hit at least the southern part this year and get something really nice.

A day or two will actually be closer to peak in the NEK. We haven't hit peak yet in most places. Everything should stay in place at least until Friday of this week.

Kelly Stand is in the Bennington area but much higher up so it peaks earlier. I plan to drive it this weekend.

Bear in mind that while Kelly Stand is a beautiful drive, it's not generally a star color location. Trees in that area tend to turn more yellow than any other color, in my experience. But we'll see.

As From_the_NEK said, there's still a lot more color in places where it would normally be gone by now.

I've seen excellent color right around Bennington almost up to Halloween, and this may be one of those years.

ixl wrote:Kelly Stand is in the Bennington area but much higher up so it peaks earlier. I plan to drive it this weekend.

Bear in mind that while Kelly Stand is a beautiful drive, it's not generally a star color location. Trees in that area tend to turn more yellow than any other color, in my experience. But we'll see.

As From_the_NEK said, there's still a lot more color in places where it would normally be gone by now.

I've seen excellent color right around Bennington almost up to Halloween, and this may be one of those years.

I drove up to the start of Kelly Stand from USFS 71 and it was predominantly mixed coloring with red and yellow and orange. I agree with you that its mostly yellow on Kelly stand due to the large number of Beech Tree's. Last year at this point USFS 71 was 75% bare.