Before we start our hike to Pond Mountain, I want to take a paragraph to speak to the seeming unrest regarding accusations that a conflict of interest exists within VT Fish & Wildlife. The conjecture is that conservation in particular wildlife management decisions are biased towards those who fund the department. I reached out to my resource on this subject who responded with the following:
Unless money comes from a specified grant, state and federal wildlife projects are funded by two main sources - migratory bird hunting stamps, and Pittman-Robertson tax. PR tax is a tax imposed on the sale and purchase of firearms and primed ammunition. so unfortunately, hunters are paying for 90% of all wildlife conservation. to justify this, state agencies and federal refuges are required to allow some form of access for consumptive use activities, such as hunting or trapping...most of these designated areas are poor for these purposes because the purchase of the land was intended for the protection of other non-game species...(in their opinion) PR should also be imposed on items like binoculars, canoes etc. which would allow non-consumptive use wildlife enthusiasts to contribute to the general fund. It would also help prevent some of these socioeconomics. The migratory bird hunting stamps (Duck Stamps and the VT Migratory Waterfowl Fund) are also available for purchase by anyone, and technically your hiking pass to federal land; but the percentage of non hunters who purchase them is virtually non existent.
Looking west over Huckle Hill from the pull off just beyond the state line.
After attempting to hike from Scott road west to Pond Mountain in February (We Pushed Beyond The Devil), several readers offered Wayne and I suggestions on easier trails to the mountain. We were offered an ATV ride, told we could start at the VAST trail on Silver Lane or catch the trail at the end of Hemlock road. We investigated Hemlock road which is off of Huckle Hill and while the trail is clearly visible here, we opted to park off of Huckle Hill road just over the state line. Wayne and I try to avoid privately owned land as much as possible and we had hiked east at this location with Martin once before (The Quest to Locate Marker B&N) The trail picks up just east of the pull off which is located along the MA WMA yellow boundary diamonds.
Walking into the woods from the pull off we intersected a north south trail. We walked south (to the right) on this trail. The trail (above image) continues southeasterly to privately owned parcels (green on image), then gradually swings northeasterly to Pond Mountain. I would classify this trail for its entirety to be a family friendly easy hike. Indeed the most difficult part of this hike was avoiding the numerous other trails which intersected with it. We spent just over three hours in the woods which included some off trail hiking.
Our aim was to hike to Pond Mountain during that sweet spot in the spring when the trails are relatively dry, the flying teeth have yet to emerge and before the leaves obstructed the view.
A small brook and mixed woods.
My original thought was to follow the state line blazes and flagging due east to Pond Mtn. Wayne's plan to my mind, resembled an attempt to travel between Vernon and Maine where it makes perfect sense to travel south in order to go east. So at this fork in the trail, we continued southeasterly.
Wayne explaining the errors of my directionality.
The forest for the trees
At least the next intersection was a little more clear?
When I start finding art on the trail, you know that the hiking is easy.
There seemed to be no end to decisions on which trail to choose. Here Wayne checks his app to keep us on the correct one. Before he had an app, we spent a good deal of time backtracking. This is an area where, though the trails are easy to follow, there is a high probability of taking the wrong one.
We came to a flooded area that looked to be a result of mudbogging. A bypass has been formed by people trying to avoid going through it. This is also an issue on the access road to Lily Pond due to foot and vehicle traffic veering from the road to avoid ruts, mud and bumps. In some instances this practice widens the trail causing soil erosion in others soil compaction as a new path forms.
Seed travels on the wind, in water and also will be transported by animals and people. This "lawn" in it's uniformity, seemed intentional and sometimes native grass is installed to stop erosion; but I wondered if seed had hitched a ride on ATVs. I'm not an expert on
grass, sedge and rush; but a good rule of thumb is that native plants are of greater value to wildlife.
This small swampy area is my favorite part of the hike. While I admired it, Wayne spotted deer further up the trail. Wayne is often the first to notice wildlife on our hikes.
I typically am the first to notice...
I have a friend who has given me an assignment. he would like for me to report back to him whenever I locate a particular something. I think that Ian is starting to figure out that he chose the wrong person for the job. I gave him directions to the find it (are you seeing the problem already?) and took his lunch break searching for it. When we again met up, he had me so confused about left and right that I fear he thinks I intentionally got him lost! So, here is my photograph showing you the approximate location of the find. I hope this clears everything up.
Wayne is often impatient when it comes to following prescribed trails. Here I am consumed with anticipation as Wayne recharts our course to the summit.
Another map of the trail system leading to Pond Mountain
The summit as it turns out is fairly nondescript. I think I would have passed it by entirely had Wayne not announced our arrival. I had imagined it being much like the moment when arriving at the edge of the high dive at a swimming pool. Instead it was more like finding a nice family picnic area.
I decided that I needed an exact point to declare that we had reached our goal at last and so chose this rather prominent rock.
This view of Vernon from Pond Mountain is proof that it's not always the mountain, it's the getting to the mountain wherein lies the reward.
I wasn't planning on ending our journey here; but somehow it feels right to take pause and contemplate how from east to west in late winter, the hike to Pond Mountain was beyond our resolve to get here. And so I will for now, leave you here on top this 1,250ft high peak, clearly in view of those doing yard work in the town of Vernon below. - Norma Manning
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