Back in June when Wayne and I were scouting all roads into Vernon as part of a quest to locate state line markers, we decided to drive up Bald Mountain road in Bernardston even though the map showed it falling short of the border. We ended that expedition at the western side of Satans Kingdom at the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary with a gate on the right, a narrow road to the left, and another hike added to our bucket list.
It was on the third weekend in September, that we decided we'd better get after that hike as the flying teeth and rainy weather which had plagued us all summer had miraculously relented. Prior to this hike and a couple of summers ago, Wayne and I had found ourselves good and lost in Satans Kingdom Wildlife Management area and so we better prepared and brought with us trekking poles, a backpack with first aid kit, water, our best bug spray and our hiking shoes. What we found however, was a family friendly two and a half hour round trip hike with cell service the entire way.
There is a pull off just before the gate that will accommodate a couple of cars.
We took the narrow road to the left of the gate.
We found the trail wet in some places but otherwise very well maintained.
Though I was able to locate this brook on
the map, I wasn't able to find its name.
Though the trail is uphill, it is a gradual incline.
We hiked past a second gate about a mile from the first.
Logging in the sanctuary allows for new growth thus increasing biodiversity.
There is another choice to be made. You can either go north westerly towards I-91 and an old airport field or head north east towards the Vernon Town forest. We chose the trail to the town forest which is nicely marked by large White Pine perched atop an outcropping.
Here the trail begins to change from what looked like an old road to more of a woodland hiking trail.
We had seen coyote scat along the trail and now began to see deer tracks.
I began wishing that I had worn mud boots!
Red blazes on either side of this tree and a check of Google Maps confirmed that we were at the state border.
Wayne decided to press on to see if we could recognize the town forest trail system and in doing so we skirted the state border heading north east for a bit.
The trail of course split again and so we thought to follow our animal friend's tracks only to discover that they it seemed couldn't make up their minds either. Wayne checked Google Maps once more and discovered that though we didn't recognize the trail, we were in the south western most corner of the Vernon Town Forest.
Pause for the beauty of the forest around us.
A Black Gum stands at the edge of a swamp in the Vernon Town Forest
We came across the familiar green diamonds of the VAST trail system which is overseen by the
Vernon Trail Breakers Snow Mobile Club; but on this day, both directions lead to flooding on the trails.
We decided to hike back to where the trail split and hike towards the old airstrip. Those who know me, understand my delight at finding this cryptic rock on the trail! I think it was trying to inform us that many vehicles had scraped bottom on their way to hunting grounds.
Here the trail turns to mowing and we found a cultivated rosebush along it.
There is a large building which is clearly visible on Google Earth and Wayne later found on a map that there is a pond behind it.
A post leaning against a tree marks the end of Bald Mountain Rd.
The large open airfield isn't far from the end of the road. I-91 is clearly audible at the field.
We decided to hike towards the state line and Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area. We found an old apple tree along the way and a hunter's blind at the edge of the field.
The vegetation that had been at shin height in the field, changed to waist high about a mile out from Roaring Brook WMA. Wayne and I thought it was better to save the rest of that hike for a winter's day on snowshoes. So we decided to backtrack again and try the hike where Bald Mountain Rd had ended down to the first gate. - Norma Manning
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