What's happening at Lillis Pasture?

 It was in March that Wayne and I ventured into Lillis Pasture via Lillis Pasture Rd. Lillis Pasture is a 400 acre lot on Tyler Hill that was acquisitioned by Vermont Fish and Wildlife in 2020 and added to the Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area. If you recall in my post, Walking in Circles on Tyler Hill, Wayne and I followed the trail to the right at the fork. This trail looped around into Munson's property before exiting further up on to Tyler Hill Rd. In this post we take the trail on the left to the pond.

Our intention on Easter weekend was to hike the path suggested by Don up to the summit of Pond Mountain; but with rain in the forecast, Wayne and I thought better of it. The rain was to begin at 9:00, then noon and then again pushed back to 1:00. Eventually, Helen, Kirk, Wayne and I found ourselves hauling out the lawn furniture and sitting around an unlit fire ring under clearing skies. It was 2:00 before we decided that we should tempt fate and head up to Lillis Pasture. 

Wayne decided that it would be a good idea to actually park on Lillis Pasture road just in case it did rain. This seemed like a rather bold decision in light of the fact that on our last visit we felt like we were sneaking into the place. As it turned out, we were the third car to park by the gate.  It didn't take us very long to begin noticing that things had started to change in the course of a month.

Even though the VT Spring 2022 turkey season doesn't start until May 1st, someone has been using their turkey shotguns for target practice on the VAST signs. I can only imagine that this is a major headache for Don who is a Vernon Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club coordinator as well as an avid hunter.

The state is shoring up the road with riprap stone. It's not much fun to walk on; but it prevents soil erosion. 

Sometimes I become fixated on the trail itself and forget to add the context of what the trail is cutting through. There is a lot of water up here and with Lillis Pasture now being a main access to Roaring Brook, flood mitigation is necessary. We noticed flags marking wetlands along the road.

I often wonder what Helen and Kirk think of our natural community here in Vernon. It turns out that Kirk was telling Helen how nice it was to walk in a quiet warm rain. 

Helen pointed out some turkey tracks.

I pointed out a bit of local history.

Walking in muddy tire ruts isn't any easier than walking on riprap.

I once read an article that claimed that flooded tire ruts can serve as vernal pools. I think about how we both unintentionally and intentionally impact our environment and whether that impact is a detriment or an asset. 

Kirk and Helen point out that a deer has been eating the bark on this hemlock sapling. An invasive species, Hemlock Woolly Adelgids  also feed on Eastern Hemlock and threatens this wildlife resource in southern Vermont.

We headed towards the yellow state lands signs.

Culverts have been installed in some areas.

Other areas appeared to be untouched.

Helen noticed another sapling being stripped by deer. I took two pictures to show you how difficult it was for me vs an expert to find these things. 

We came across the main VAST trail intersection where 1 and 1-A meet. Note the fresh orange blazes independent of the VAST system.

I'm not sure what this was all about, perhaps a catch basin? 

I was starting to get the hang of spotting deer browse.  

I mentioned to Kirk, my concern over the potential loss of  our American beech trees to bark blight (pictured) and now beech leaf disease. Wayne mentioned that there are plenty of acorns to feed the deer. Kirk explained that the red oak's acorn is nutritionally poor,  that it is the white oak that produces the better acorn for deer. Even so, "American beech nuts are high in both protein (20 percent dry matter) and fat (50 percent dry matter), Something that acorns are not; with over 1/3 of its composition made up from carbohydrates." National Deer Association, Know your Deer Plants: Beech. Hard mast production is vitally important to many mammals and birds. Find out more about it by clicking here.

We kept seeing gravel pushed up into mounds along the path. At first we quipped, "that trail is closed", then I decided to investigate.

Behind this gravel mound is a pit filled with water.

The rain picked up just as we reached the pond.

The flowers didn't seem to mind a little extra water.

I asked Kirk why hunters don't police their shells. He said that these were practice and that they should have been picked up. Kirk said that when hunting, the priority is to track the animal that was shot and this makes it difficult to find the casings and pick them up later.  

It only takes a few reckless and careless individuals to prompt landowners to post their land. In the case of Lillis Pasture, the state has purchased this land for its deer yards, ease of access and wildlife management. Clearly they are investing a lot of effort and money here to ensure that outdoor enthusiasts like hunters have the space and game that they need to participate in their heritage sport. 

A diverse, open and healthy ecosystem shared by many different outdoor enthusiasts should be everyone's priority. 

Coyote scat with fur and bone in it.

Kirk mentioned that this was an "urban coyote" as it had sunflower shells in its scat.

So that's what has been happening at Lillis Pasture this spring. Ginny would like to remind everyone that she likes turkey if you are inclined to share and to take good care of Vernon's natural resources by picking up after yourself and your pets. - Norma Manning.

Further reading:

VT Fish and Wildlife, 18.WTDeer PDF, Part Seven, Habitat Management for Game Species

Part 2 of Two Hikes on a Spring Trail

Last week I took you on a hike in Roaring Brook WMA and as promised, here is the same hike along the same trail on the same afternoon in March. To my thoughts, Wayne's objective for this particular hike remains obscure; but the dogs and I were more than happy to tag along.

This is the VAST trail that connects the Vernon Town Forest to RBWMA . It descends Huckle Hill to Vermont Woods Studio, crosses Huckle Hill road and continues through the Village. 

We've hiked up and down this way many times. Ginny and Luna know the way well.

Wayne looking to satisfy a curiosity about a trail he thought branched off from here. 

While Ginny was more interested in taking her first swim of the season.

 Luna hikes the same trail time and time again with her nose in the lead. To Luna, this trail changes with every hike. Without her long lead attached, she would be off chasing bears.

As for me?  Sometimes Wayne grows impatient with my inquiries into nature. 

He follows his path and I follow mine.

Until something captures both of our attentions and gives us pause. We see this practice often in the RBWMA. One mature seed tree in a stand of saplings.

Even though this trail is well worn and straight forward, this upturned tree on the trail is a landmark for me. I have no sense of direction whatsoever and so coming upon it brings with it a sense of place. Someday, as it should be, this tree will be reclaimed and I will have no choice but to move on from its comfort.

We find ourselves walking atop of last year's bounty. Last year lays on top of the year before, which has turned into soil from which new growth comes. It takes about two years for oak leaves to decompose.

Here is where Wayne went off script and reclaimed his hike from me. We had arrived at the steep hill snowmobile sign and he decided that we had missed the elusive branch in the trail he was in search of.

 

He walked right through what only can be described as a paper birch graveyard and past what looked to be an old cellar hole. Wayne had heard rushing water and decided to find it.

Streams forming several paths intersected at this one place even though our maps didn't show any in this area. Wayne chose one and we followed it.

All new paths seem to go uphill.

One last look at the remains of winter flowing down into the valley awakening all that it touches.

We decided to follow the stream up to its headwaters. 

What we found was a catch basin surrounded by hills and ledge.

A horseshoe formed of stone.

Wayne once again waiting for me as I made connections,

at the place where the water sprang up from the earth and where water flowed down the rock to fill the basin on it's way down to the pools and river. 

Then rejoining Wayne,

to discover that we were at yet another place just steps from the main trail. A place where nature repeats her message on another canvas. Two hikes on the same day, on the same trail, at the same time. -Norma Manning