Middlebury Gap Today, Route 100 to Warren and more....

[ctyanky]

So, today I started back on the Middlebury Gap as I just had to get another foliage fix and the colors did not disappoint once again! Every time I turned a bend the colors were beautiful and grouped together in reds, oranges, yellows and golds. There was one tree, a flaming red maple next to a small white house on Brook Road heading east (Widows Clearing Trail and Sucker Brook Trail intersection with 125) that made me stop in my tracks. I got out and shot a few pics here and then a nice couple from Georgia stopped. We were in awe of this scene! I took some time here to help them with some back roads around Woodstock (thanks to Minnesotaman's help a few years back). They couldn't believe their eyes as they don't get many reds in their home area.

I continued on route 100 north, admiring once again what I saw yesterday (Granville Gulch stunning) and turned onto Plunkton Road, Warren (off 100). OMG go on this road to Blueberry Lake! So beautiful! Reds and oranges, etc. I got to the far north corner pull out of Blueberry Lake and walked to the beachy area. Last year this was on fire in the afternoon but much earlier. Here is what I saw. The immediate ring around the lake was blazing red but with the breeze, there were no reflections on the lake. Foliage is high color in the mid elevations behind the lake and the upper elevations were still emerging. I think this area will be peaking in a few days! A great stop indeed!

Drove up Plunkton to Fuller Hill Road and turned left. The views at the top of Fuller Hill Road are like being on top of the world. The long views are outstanding! I would say it was 50% peak with more on the way. Again, another maybe 3 days at best and the whole mountainsides will be in prime color. I stayed there awhile and just was awestruck at the views! Fuller Hill Road comes down into Warren just at the Warren Store.

From there I traveled to Brook Road to East Warren Road and Common Road. Beautiful emerging colors, almost peak, but give it another 3 days at best.

Interesting, on Common Road, there was a farm in noted decline. Strange, the entire herd of dairy cows (Holsteins) were gathered on the front lawn of the farm house to my right. I have never seen such a sight! A good 50 of them. I took a lot of photos of the cows all staring at me just above the road. They must love being near their owner for sure. He could step out his front door and become one with the herd at any time...........

Continued on to Waitsfield to the Farmer's Market where the rain came down steadily but not too heavy. I walked around with my umbrella and then decided to get some lunch in town. I was going to go over the App Gap but with the rain, I just felt like meandering back down 100 to 125 and then on to route 23 in Middlebury to get to the tail end of Dead Creek Wildlife Day!

An amazing and fruitful day with some intermittent showers, but boy, did the colors pop like crazy!