On this hike in North Vernon, Wayne and I encountered razor wire stretched low and across what appeared to be the entrance to an offshoot from a main trail. Wayne has become proficient in spotting abandoned agricultural fencing in the woods and for this I am grateful; but this razor wire might be serving a purpose other than reminding us that the land and its use has changed over the years.
I have always found street names to be of interest for some of the same reasons I find barbed wire and stone fences deep in the woods to be interesting. For example; when the sign for Lily Pond Rd was placed, I discovered that Pond Rd wasn't named for Lily Pond but rather it is a sur name. Fort Bridgeman Rd when you stop to consider it, is the road to the former Fort Bridgman (1737) named for Orlando Bridgman. Today, that road is more often than not referred to as 142. As time has passed, Depot streets are often lacking depots, Elm and Chestnut streets are absent of American Elm and Chestnut trees, deep in the woods, pastures are often missing from the confines of stone walls and barbed wire, yet like old dirt trails, all of these things serve to mark the history of the people and the land they inhabited.
Just about a year ago, Wayne, Kayden and I hiked from the parking area above the falls and west of the Broad Brook bridge. We hiked behind the VT Welcome Center and down a very challenging ravine in an attempt to reach a patch of land owned by the Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area. The hike was almost entirely on Fort Dummer State Park land. As we neared the goal, we crossed the northern end of the Lesure property but we were stopped short of our goal at the base of a steep, icy cliff.
We began our New Year's Day hike on 142, then crossed Cersosimo Industries' land to the RBWMA parcel. On our way back, we looped around and dropped in on land owned by the Brattleboro Retreat. Looking at the map below, the short blue spur on the upper part of the loop is where I gave Wayne bad advice. If we had continued on Wayne's path, our hike would have been a whole lot easier!
I hope at this point, that your mind is filled with the same sorts of questions that I have: For what reason does the Brattleboro Retreat own land in Vernon? And why does VT Fish & Wildlife own a small patch of rocky land that is exceptionally difficult to access?
We parked at the small pull off on the northwestern shore of the setback on 142 in Vernon.
Across the road are three narrow fingerlike ravines carved from the hill by water.
This first part of the hike is hard going as the hill is covered in thick organic material.
I recommend trekking poles, hiking boots and the occasional grape vine
Wayne decided that it would be best if we ascended along the "knuckles" instead of in the streambeds.
Looking towards 142 from the hill, Renaud Brothers is visible through the trees.
With no snow and leaf cover, anything with some color in it was easy to spot.
I couldn't resist taking another picture of Wayne from above as it is very seldom that I am ahead of him on the trail. Of course, I don't have a single picture of me crawling up on all fours after falling and sliding back down on my knees!
The area reminded me of both the terraced fields at Miller Farm and the finger like ravines along Governor Hunt Rd above the dam next to the portage trail.
Vernon's terraces were created by four glaciers pressing down and scraping away rock and soil. The melting glaciers formed
Lake Hitchcock. The lake's changing water level eroded the soil away at its shores up until it drained when it's natural dam let go. The process continues to this day with erosion caused by the CT River.*
Though I'm not entirely certain that this particular hill is explained by the same phenomenon as what is at Miller Farm, but when we reached the first such area, we discovered numerous roads taking advantage of the narrow yet relatively flat surface.
At this place, we had a choice of three paths. Wayne chose the middle path; but I wanted to continue up the hill. Remember that spur on the upper loop that I mentioned?
I should have listened to Wayne; because my trail of choice was so much more challenging than necessary.
Being a good sport, Wayne conceded and we backtracked to my choice. This was the trail we found razor wire installed where it branched off to another trail. This is also the trail where I fell (below picture) and proceeded to crawl back up the slick hill.
At the end of this trail, we found a second flat area,
more roads,
an old stump,
With coyote scat on top of it!
One way to tell coyote scat from domestic dog scat is seeing fur mixed in it. Then there is the fact that one would be hard pressed to find domestic dog scat on top of a stump. This Coyote must have been leaving a message for the others.
Someone used a hatchet or ax to blaze this tree and so we decided to head up their marked trail.
Of course this "trail" ended at no place in particular and so we were back to bushwhacking. Not that I mind bushwhacking in Vernon; but marking your own trails with blazes and carons is confusing to others traveling across the land. I'm grateful that Seth introduced us to the OnX Hunt app to get us back on the right path.
Eastern Mountain Laurel made an appearance,
as did the ledges. If you are a rock or Geology nerd, this third level is your hike. If you are a hunter, there is plenty of water, cover and scat in this area as well.
It's interesting to see the dramatic change between the lower levels and this one. Standing water, rock and a greater amount of felled hardwood.
A new flag is tied at the northeast corner of the Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area parcel.
We noted several rounded boulders of varied sizes on this hike. Could these be
erratics brought here by glaciers? We located what might be another clue nearer to the Retreat parcel.
The pin was set in rock that is more representative of what is in the area.
Like in the Black Gum Swamps at the municipal forest, the upright position of ledge holds the groundwater. This scene reminded me more of a spring vernal area than a December day.
Gravel deposits revealed by a felled tree from another hike on the western shore of Lily Pond. The Outwash Plain Pondshore of Lily Pond was formed by glaciers Lily Pond is at an elevation of approximately 380 ft.
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Gravel deposits uncovered by a felled tree at an elevation of approximately 600 feet on this hike in North Vernon.
Wayne decided to walk the ridge to see if he could find the the exact location we were turned back on last winter's hike.
It was while walking the ridge with it's sharp jutting rock that we came across what looked as though uniformly sized stone had been tossed on top of the ridge.
Well within a small patch of land in north Vernon conserved as Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area, we were no closer to understanding why this parcel, isolated from the the state's larger holdings between Lillis Pasture and the MA line is significant.
It's true that we found a lot of surface water, deer, coyote, Piliated and porcupine signs in the area; but there seemed to be nothing extraordinary. Perhaps we arrived in the wrong season?
My speculation on the connection between the formation of valley and these hills, didn't seem to bring us closer to deciphering the mystery. Wayne reminded me that last winter we had found a road that led to a stone gate at the bottom of ledge. At the ridge, we found that the stone seemed somehow out of place.
In the second part of this hike; Wayne and I head to the larger Brattleboro Retreat lot. On the way we find more clues to the history of this land. - Norma Manning
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