What to do during Mud Season

Go for a drive. Off one of Vermont's Scenic Byways, between routes 7 and 30, lies the tiny town of Whiting Depot. It exists primarily because the railroad crosses Otter Creek there, and at one time it had at least two factories. One of them is now a grain storage facility and farm store; the other is just a decaying limestone foundation and chimney hidden back in the puckerbrush. Now the town's main features are a small church on a knoll overlooking the former factory, and one truly dead-man's-curve corner that winds around a honey locust tree, so slow down!
 

Here's the view looking east towards route 7. This farm keeps goats.

The road through Whiting Depot winds through the edge of the Great Swamp. The swamp is lovely any time of year, but never more so than at dawn in the spring. It's one of the first places to see red-winged blackbirds on their return, with their celebratory "curdle-WHEE" call...

... Actually "celebratory" is a bit too anthropomorphic. I think they sound relieved that winter's over, but they're probably just shouting, "This is MY tree, MY woman, STAY AWAY!"

Mud Season is here

Winter hung on as long as it could, but mud season has started. The light is changing.

Down at our elevation, we're developing wallows. The driveway's "greasy" -- bring your hip boots!

Goodnight, winter. See you again next year.

Spring skiing!

Believe it or not, April can be a great time for skiing in Vermont. Killington makes so much snow that it typically lasts well into May! And good sugaring weather = good spring skiing weather. That is, the same conditions that make the sweet sap begin to rise in the maples -- freezing temperatures at night, with warm days -- make the snow corn up. But there's no point getting up super-early to catch the first run, because the slopes will be frozen solid until 10 or so. Peak hours for optimal spring conditions are roughly 11 to 3, depending on the weather. Before 11, the snow's too icy; after 3, it's too sloppy. (Once it gets into the 60s during the day and you can ski in shorts and a T-shirt, all bets are off -- except that you need really strong knees and ankles!)

I went to the Middlebury College Snow Bowl today because I knew it wouldn't be crowded. Got there early, to find midwinter conditions: lots of snow!

How to get here

The Moose and Squirrel has no sign, but you can't miss us -- we're right under the big "X."