Travelogues
2009 New England Trip

Sunday, October 11

 

We put off driving the northeast Vermont loop for a day with good weather. Today wasn't great weather, but it's the best we've had for several days. Our first stop was to climb to Owl Head Summit. Of course, it's more like a big hill than a mountain. Owls Head Summit is a granite knob overlooking Kettle Pond. The trees were definitely past prime color, but it was still our best wide-expanse view of the trip. It would be gorgeous if you could hit it at prime color and a blue sky. It definitely was a popular place while we were there. The hike back down to the car was through hardwood forest with thick shade. It was a fungi paradise.

Kettle Pond We put off driving the northeast Vermont loop for a day with good weather. Today wasn't great weather, but it's the best we've had for several days. Our first stop was to climb to Owls Head Mountain.Google Earth View Of course, it's more like a big hill than a mountain. Owls Head Summit is a granite knob overlooking Kettle Pond. The trees were definitely past prime color, but it was still our best wide-expanse view of the trip. It would be gorgeous if you could hit it at prime color and a blue sky. It definitely was a popular place while we were there. The hike back down to the car was through hardwood forest with thick shade. It was a fungi paradise. We shot mushrooms for at least a half hour.

We drove the back roads toward Peacham, Vermont.Google Earth View Side roads were golden arches of maples. The light filtering through the trees gave everything a soft yellow glow. It looked more like a painter's dream than a photograph.

The classic shot of Peacham across the field to the church was a bit of a disappointment. Everything looked a bit rundown. A week or two earlier and the trees may have covered most of the blemishes. Most of the leaves had dropped and there wasn't much color. The cemetery just up the road was another story. It has some of the best maple trees and color of the trip. The cemetery was on the top of a hill so its "residents" could look down on the town of Pecham on the one side or the rolling hills and farms on the other side.

Pecham Side Road View from Pecham Cemetary Pecham Cemetary
Side Road View from Peacham Cemetery Peacham Cemetery

The Pecham area is a gorgeous area to drive the side roads. We were looking for Hillside Farm, but the entire area was amazing. The farms that dot the hillsides are maintained with great pride and remind me of the farms in Nebraska when I was growing up. The one thing they all had in common were tin rooves on all the buildings to handle all the snow they get. The horses and the cattle in the pastures made an idyllic scene.

The Farm at Molly's Pond By the time we finished shooting at Hillside Farm, the light was starting to fade. We decided it was time to head back to the motel, so we wouldn't have to try to find our way after dark. As we climbed a long hill, I looked down into the valley across the road and recognized a scene I had seen when researching the trip. There was a huge parking lot up head, so we pulled off to get a better look. Then, I remembered. This was The FarmGoogle Earth View at Molly's Pond. We had accidentally found one of the better Vermont dairy farm shots, and we were reaching the golden light just before sunset. I don't know how they get in or out of their farm after big snow storms. Their lane had to be over a mile long from the next secondary farm road.

Today was a very good day. Driving the back roads around Peacham was one of the highlights of the trip.