Author: Ashley Fox

The light brown grass peaks out from a light layer of snow, the sky is grey and this afternoon the birds are quiet, not providing their location with song. This is a familiar trail, one that holds adventures and memories. I have walked here before, when the leaves were turning bright with color, in the  golden hour and blue skies. Then I walked along side my family, now I am alone. My walk today reminds me of walking this land with my mother and as I remember, I make my way into the forest, a part of the Otter Creek Gorge Preserve. This area is a section of the TAM and has been owned by the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT) since 1999. Under conservation, the Otter Creek Gorge Preserves 340 acres of land and was previously owned by the Otter Creek Gorge Land Trust. Trustees of the Otter Creek Gorge Land Trust, Linda O. Johnson, Willard T. Jackson and Steven Rockefeller donated the land to MALT, thereby allowing for a more continuous path for recreation in the Middlebury community. The forest is beautiful, diverse and quiet. At times the terrain slopes and narrows, causing me to be cautious on the slippery ground. I am joined by an American red squirrel (Amiasciurus hudsonicus) and I wonder how this creature views the forest. It is my first company and only company. I pass a great Red oak (Quercus rubra) and in the distance I am surrounded by American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) and Paper Birch(Betula papyrifera). Now I am ready to see Otter Creek and know I am approaching the gorge, but if you don’t know the land you come across the scene abruptly,  surprised by the beauty and variation of the land. This view of Otter Creek leads me to wonder where it begins and the journey it takes to reach its mouth at Lake Champlain. As Vermont’s longest river, Otter Creek has its headwaters in the Green Mountain National Forest and originates on Mt. Tabor, located in Peru, Vermont. The creek flows 112 miles south to north as one of Vermont’s prized attractions for recreation. This afternoon I become a small part of its journey, and I see the water that has passed so many before me.

Drawing from the perspective of a Red squirrel(Amiasciurus hudsonicus) on the forest floor. (Attached by email because of limited storage space)

Sources:

Conserved Properties

http://middleburymountaineer.com/water/otter-creek

Making a journey to Silver lake, I become part of a story, part of the history of the Green Mountains. The ground is frozen, covered in fresh snow and ice, and protected by the Vermont National Forest. I wonder who has ventured through these woods before me, and who will come next. The Green Mountain National Forest has changed drastically over the centuries. The evolution of the land and climate has taken place at the heart of the Western Abenaki tribal home. Creation of the national forest was spurred by extreme land use beginning in the early 1600’s. The landscape became tarnished, leaving the once thriving natural habitats, hydrology, and vegetation behind. Long term and unsustainable logging practices where a key factor in the creation of the the Vermont National Forest, which was founded in 1932. The Green Mountain National Forest encompasses 400,000 acres, in which over 2,000 historical and archeological sites are documented.

The dark character of the Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) lies in stark contrast to the light ground. Ever since I can remember my family has spent time hiking in the North Carolina State Park, and each summer when we return Mt. Mitchell and to the crisp waters of the South Toe River more Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) are victims of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an invasive species from Asia. The beauty of these hemlocks gives me hope and a glance into the past- -of being carried on my father’s shoulders through the once healthy Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) of North Carolina.

The woods are quiet and the path is on a slight incline. I hear the Falls of Lana hidden just beyond the bare trees, carrying Sucker Brook. I walk on the same land that the US General Wool crossed in the 1850’s, the general who gave the falls their name. Llana, wool in Spanish, remembers the General Wool and his explorers who ventured about Lake Dunmore many years ago. In the summertime these falls are vibrant and colorful, now it is subdued, white snow and dark waters lie upon various types of bedrock including Cheshire Quartzite, Forestdale Marble, and Moosalamoo Phyllite. I think about General Wool and the men who accompanied him, wondering when they stumbled upon this site and what they recorded when they came.

Sources:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gmfl/learning/history-culture

http://www.northeastwaterfalls.com/waterfall.php?num=128&p=0

https://www.uvm.edu/~conserve/lands_website/previous_projects/NNIS.pdf

https://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/hemlock/hwa05.htm

Ashley (Photograph emailed because of size limitations)

The air was cool and damp and the sky was grey, casting a cloak of dimness over the trees. I made my way along Otter Creek following the meandering trail, soft from recent snowmelt and decayed leaves. With every step I sank into the ground, and the surrounding shoe prints remind me I am not alone on this trail. Close to the banks the river is frozen, the ice is opaque and clings to the uneven edge, holding onto Blue-joint Reedgrass (Camalagrostis canadensis). Across the creek I see a murder of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) digging into the earth for an afternoon snack. 

Walking to the river I passed by a great Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Eastern hemlocks are remarkable in stature and grow patiently, waiting for their turn in the sunshine. Next a Blue spruce greeted me (Picea pungens), its needles sharp to the touch and its color ever beautiful. Along the river, the forest is primarily deciduous. Red oaks (Quercus Rubra) are prevalent, tall, thin and bare,  their leaves lining the forest floor. One Red oak (Quercus Rubra) is adorned with a great basal scar, but the cause remains a mystery. The White ash (Fraxinus americana) grow amongst the Red oaks (Quercus Rubra). The colors are dulled, the wind soft and the sound of the river is constant.

In a setting so quiet the call of the Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) is piercing, soon I am able to see the birds responsible for the singing. The little Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) keep me company as I make my way down river.

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) entangles itself among the young White ash (Fraxinus americana). Invasive Wild grape (Vitis vinifera sylvestris) has reeked havoc on these woodlands. Slithering up several trees like a snake and encompassing their limbs. The Wild grape (Vitis vinifera sylvestris) sprawls across the forest floor and takes no direction from the other species. The forest is beautiful in its imperfections, a reminder of mother nature’s course.

Ashley Fox

Cold wind and snow flurries accompanied my journey to the Jackson Property. With bright blue skies the snow glistened in the sunlight beautifully, almost unreal. I made my way across hay fields, over the frozen ground. In a nearby pasture men hunted with their beagles, the neon orange which accented their camouflage was difficult to ignore. It is clear that cattle grazes this land in warmer weather, the fields are uncut and remnants of their presence is clear. The tree lines are distinct, tall white pines (Pinus strobus) overshadow deciduous neighbors. Young eastern red cedars ( Juniperus virginiana)  grow in these fields, one struggles make a home between the the cracks of a boulder. A New England cottontail ( Sylvilagus transitionalis ) is startled as I walk by and moves deeper into the brush for protection.

Suddenly I come upon the far end of the lake, unsure if I have come to the right place. Tall cattails (Typha ) line the frozen water. The ice is rough and bright from the sun. Great scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) have shed their cones along the edge of the water. Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), an invasive species, entangles itself among young sugar maples (Acer saccharum).

As I make my way towards the far end of the lake,  the path is flanked by several great black spruce ( Picea mariana), and I must crane my neck to see the top. The scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and black spruce (Picea mariana) compete to reach the sunlight. Young sugar maples (Acer saccharum) line the path ahead, some still cling to their leaves and will not let go until spring. A white birch (Betula papyrifera) is unmistakable among the white pines (Pinus strobus) and tall eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis). Walking into the old growth portion of the property, the wind between the trees becomes eerie and the trees creak as they sway. The scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) are beautiful, and their bark a warm reddish brown. Large holes in the pines suggest pileated woodpeckers (Hylatomus pileatus) are in the area. A red oak (Quercus rubra) stretches toward the clouds. These woods may be 100 years old, the fallen trees show that this land was not logged and perhaps the spacing of the growth is due to cattle.

Ashley Fox, walking to the Jackson Property, January 15, 2017.