Driving the Mountains

Fall in New England is justly famous for the spectacular pageant of the changing colors of the leaves. The brightest glowing reds and golds are in the maple trees; the rust, greens, and browns are in the oaks; the darker greens are in the spruce; and the soft yellows are in the fluttering birch leaves. In late September and early October many tree-lined roads are covered with vivid color. Vermont, with many tree-covered mountains and hills, is a perfect place to watch the foliage. The colors appear first up north and move south between the last week of September and the first two weeks of October—but the weather changes the timing every year, so exact dates are impossible to predict. Listed here are some of the special places to see this warm rainbow of color.

Northeast Kingdom

This a special area, in the northeast corner of Vermont, which is largely undeveloped. An especially pretty spot is Lake Willoughby, 28 miles north of St Johnsbury. The dramatic scenery would not be out of place in the Scottish highlands. Glaciers carved out this 500-foot deep lake. The cliffs on the lower reaches of Mt Pisgah and Mt Hor form the northern edge of Lake Willoughby. The scenery is fabulous for a visit any time of year. Hikers can climb the mountains for dramatic views. Also in the Northeast Kingdom is Peacham, an unspoiled, traditional village, northeast of Montpelier. There is the Bayley Hazen Country Store 1 mile south of the village, a small archeological site to explore, and escorted ghost walks in the evening to learn the history of people who once lived here. The last week in September is the Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Fest, which runs for more than a week. At the nearby church, there are suppers, craft sales, and organ concerts given by talented local musicians. Besides Peacham, several surrounding towns are involved, such as Barnet, Cabot, Plainfield, Groton, and Marshfield. The area is very good for cyclists too, with great scenery and less traffic than in many other parts of the state.

Smuggler’s Notch

Visitors beginning at Stowe can drive northwest along Route 108 through Smuggler’s Notch—a dramatic pass winding past massive boulders. Madonna Peak is on one side and Mt Mansfield is on the other. Small parking areas along the way are perfect for picnics and viewing the magnificent scenery. Snow closes the road in winter. An excellent place to visit is Little River State Park, also near Stowe. It is 31⁄2 miles north of Route 2, 2 miles east of Route 100. Visitors can see the changing colors from above by climbing Mt Mansfield or Camel’s Hump on hiking trails. Another way to see the wonderful colors is to rent a boat and view them from the river.

Waitsfield to Bristol

In central Vermont, just southwest of Montpelier, is Waitsfield. Drive west through the Appalachian Gap, crossing the Long Trail. The road weaves through the mountaintops and comes down into Bristol for some of the best views in the state. The driving is tricky, but worth it. Just south of Waitsfield is Warren and the ski resorts Sugarbush and the wildly popular Mad River Glen (no snowboards allowed). At Stowe is the beginning of a 21-mile road with stunning views of towering Mt Mansfield. Take Route 100 north, then Stagecoach Road to Morristown, over to Morrisville and finally, turn south on Randolph Road. Try the Mountain Bike Shop on Mountain Road for organized cycling tours.

Southern Vermont

In early October the maple trees are still changing color further south. Visitors can wander from Arlington on Kelley Stand Road East to Green Mountain National Forest and any of the roads from there. They can continue over the mountains past Stratton Mountain Ski Resort, then turn south on Route 100 to see Harriman and Somerset reservoirs. The reservoirs are halfway between Bennington and Brattleboro. Many travelers in the United States think of visiting the big cities like New York, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas and forget about the large tracts of wilderness still here. Even along the well-developed East Coast, there are unspoiled places. The Long Trail in the Green Mountains National Park is one. The Long Trail is a perfect place to watch the seasons change. You can still hike for days, weeks, or even months in the wilderness. The Long Trail runs north to south through the Green Mountains.

Maple Trees

Maple syrup is made from the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and the black maple (Acer nigrum). Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States. Thirty to 50 gallons of sap are boiled down to make 1 gallon of syrup. The season is only four to six weeks long, and the dates vary every year according to the weather. It starts in mid-January in the south of Vermont and in March further north. The sap stops running when the freezing nights end in mid-April. Native Americans made maple syrup in the Great Lakes region and in the St Lawrence River Valley, long before the arrival of European settlers. Collecting sap begins with a walk in the woods with a bag of spouts and a hammer. The spouts are hammered into the trees and metal buckets are hung on a hook to collect the sap as it drips out. Most people now put plastic tubing onto the spile (or little spout that goes into the tree) and leave the tubes up all year. It saves time for serious producers. The tubes feed into a collection vat. People who do still travel around to collect sap from buckets use vehicles a bit like skimobiles, with small tracks like a tank has, to travel easily on snowy or muddy ground. The sap only runs when the nights are still freezing—so it is a cold job to collect the sap. The buckets are covered to keep out debris. Each hole can yield about 10 gallons of sap. Genetics, the local weather conditions, and the soil all change the yield. A tree may produce sap for 100 years if cared for properly. Tapping the tree for sap does not damage the tree. The buckets are taken off the trees and emptied into the gathering tank one by one, and then replaced on the tree. When the tank is full, it is pulled back to the sugarhouse to begin cooking. Once it is collected, the sap must be evaporated as soon as possible. The sugarhouse is in a small clearing in the woods with a big woodpile against one wall. There is a vent in the roof to let out steam. The gathering tank is dragged inside and the sap is poured into a large flat evaporating pan, a bit like an oversized baking pan. The pan sits on an “arch,” a kind of firebox. A large slow-burning fire is built underneath to boil down the sap. Oil, gas, or coal can also be used as a heat source. The fire is tended through the day and checked hourly until only sweet sap is left. It is then strained and bottled while still hot. In spring all over the state visitors can see demonstrations of how maple syrup is made.