Tuesday, October 6, 2009
2009 Park of the Year Awards
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Venture Vermont 2009 Outdoor Challenge
I’m at the top of Jay Peak. It took just about an hour and 15 minutes to climb up this time. I’ve already been rewarded for my effort as the weather has cleared and I am enjoying a beautiful view. This morning, I really struggled with whether to make the trip over from St. Albans Bay. The paper called for “partly cloudy” skies and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms but tomorrow didn’t look any more promising. So, I decided to take a chance.
I wondered how many times have I made this climb? I’ve probably been coming here for over 30 years. And I never get tired of it. I pass the huge, flat boulder where Grandpa Mac waited for me that time. When was that trip? Ten years ago? Twenty? More?
I was staying with Grandmother and Grandpa Mac and decided to climb Jay Peak. Whether he really wanted to climb, was being chivalrous, or was truly worried about me going alone, I don’t know, but he decided to come along and that was that. So, just that quickly, now I was worried about him and none too pleased about the prospect of his accompanying me on my adventure. He had to have been in his late 70’s or even early 80’s. He was quite forgetful and not at all sure on his feet. But he was also ridiculously stubborn and competitive. I didn’t think that I could get him up the mountain and I definitely couldn’t keep him off of it.
Sweet Grandmother intervened and, in her quiet way, saved the day. She suggested that he pack a lunch and, when either hungry or tired, take a break while I climbed. She made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and packed it in an old Army knapsack. I picture him with that knapsack over his shoulder, wearing khaki pants, a red sweatshirt, and his ratty old brown work shoes.
We walked together to that big flat rock and that’s where he decided to rest. I was really worried about leaving him. Worried he’d fall from the outcropping and seriously injure himself; worried
So, I took a deep breath, turned around, and headed straight to the top. Grandpa Mac was waiting at the big flat rock when I returned, having finished his peanut butter sandwich but still enjoying the Newsweek magazine. On the way home, he bought us each an ice cream cone.
Today may be the first time I’ve climbed Jay Peak completely alone. It’s usually a family trip. Once, I just brought my dog. Twice, I climbed with friends. I’ve also taken the tram up a couple of times but it’s just not the same. Maybe it’s all the noise coming from the tram itself. Maybe the trip is just too quick. Maybe it’s the fact that the view is immediately impressive. Or, just maybe, the view means more when you work for it.
I miss my family but know they never would have let me stay this long. It’s quiet. Peaceful. Although the view is more hazy than it was even an hour ago, the sun is shining and warm. I have no desire to move but told my brother he could begin to worry around 6 o’clock and it’s already 3. And so I must head back down the mountain. But first, just one more look at the view.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Coolidge State Park Nature Center
Bill and Janey Schreiber came to Coolidge in 2000.Bill became Park Ranger mid-season of 2000.
Bill and Janey’s son, Pete Corradino was a naturalist for the State of Vermont and presented nature programs for campers at Jamaica State Park. He would also present programs at Coolidge when he had time.
Bill and Janey envisioned CSP having it’s own nature center. Because the State of Vermont couldn’t give the park financial backing for such a project, Bill and Janey began fund raising to fulfill their vision. Unfortunately Janey passed away suddenly on December 27, 2005. Not wanting to let their dream slip away, Bill continues to work diligently towards the completion of the nature center.
The nature center will be named the “Janey Schreiber Memorial Nature Center”.
Over the years fund raising has included such items as:
Specialized CSP t-shirts
Cutting Boards
CSP Photo Frames

During the 2009 season, Bill made a jewelry box and held a silent auction to raise funds for the nature center. The jewelry box was constructed using wood from a fallen cherry tree in CSP. Bids were very close and it was Bill’s decision to build a second jewelry box using the same pattern. The boxes were limited editions and numbered 1 of 2 and 2 of 2, along with the year. Box #1 generated $505.00 and box #2 $520.00. Both boxes had winning bids from campers who have been coming to CSP for many years and appreciated the fact that wood from the park was used in making the boxes.
CSP has been very fortunate to have many individual monetary donations towards the construction of its nature center. They have also had a long time camper of CSP donate his skills to survey the area for the nature center. All of the donations, in any form, are greatly appreciated and without these generous people, CSP wouldn’t be able to build a nature center.
At the end of the 2008 season, Bill was informed by his regional management that enough money had been raised to begin construction on the nature center in 2009. Knowing that more money would have to be raised, Bill was excited to at least begin the construction phase.
Bill drafted plans for the log structure and presented them to the Town of Plymouth at a meeting on 7/7/09. At the next town meeting on 8/4/09, Bill was issued a building permit and could finally begin construction.
All of the logs used for CSP’s nature center are being harvested from the park. They are spruce trees which have been collected through the marking of “hazard trees”.With the help and support of Ethan Phelps and Reuben Allen, a group was recruited from the NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) to assist in the building phase. On August 17, 2009 the group from the NCCC arrived. This group of young adults will spend four weeks working at CSP. They reside at Camp Plymouth while working on this project and commute Monday – Friday to CSP.
Sheila Fowler has been a tremendous support with this project. Sheila is the maintenance coordinator for the region and has worked closely with Bill, providing the materials he needs for this project.
PROJECTED TIME FRAME FOR NC PROJECT:*Fund Raising-continuously until project is completed
*Basic structure of building to be built during 2009 season
*2010 Season:
Chink structure
Begin work on inside display cases
What is AmeriCorps NCCC?
AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18–24 who serve under the direction of a team leader. Members live on one of five regional campuses, located in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Perry Point, Maryland; Vicksburg, MS; and Vinton, Iowa.
The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with nonprofit organizations, state and local agencies, and faith-based and other community organizations, members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned.
Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs. Read More......
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A Place for All Seasons- Mt Ascutney
My special location is Mount Ascutney in Vermont, about seven miles from my home in Claremont, New Hampshire. Why is it special to me? Because this is where I went for physical healing after an accident forced me to have a total knee replacement a year ago. There I also found spiritual and emotional comfort, as well inspiration for new hobbies I’d like to pursue --- such as nature photography and animal track identification. In short, Mount Ascutney gave my life a whole new start. I’d like to quote two people who have also found Mount Ascutney a place of special meaning and joy:After years of producing enormously successful calendars for General Electric, Parrish finally announced, “It’s an awful thing to be a rubber stamp. I’m quitting my rut now while I’m still able.” He decided to turn to landscapes. “There are always pretty girls on every city street, but a man can’t step out of the subway and watch the clouds playing with the top of Mount Ascutney.”
In A Passion for Freedom: My Encounters with Extraordinary People by Leonard R. Sussman, the author states:

…writing the history of one’s own place in the world: that is a major avocation of Edith Hunter. At eighty-three she appeared frequently as a historian-commentator on Vermont Public Radio.
…she writes, “and beyond the woods looms our great monadnock, Mount Ascutney. As always when I stand in that field I think of all those who have stood where I stand and have looked up at that mountain. Surely generations of Native Americans snow-shoed here. Surely they, too, marveled at the sight of this ‘peaked mountain with steep sides’, a definition for the Algonquin word ‘cas-cadnack’, from which some think the word ‘Ascutney’ is derived.
Others stood there, Edith recalls. Submit Hawks Grout with her three small children were taken captive on July 27, 1755 by French and Indians. They journeyed along the Black River into Weathersfield and on into Canada. Four years later, Submit was ransomed by her husband, Hilkiah Grout. And in 1722 [sic] the family settled by the Black River in Weathersfield. Edith writes, “What thoughts must have gone through [Submit’s] mind whenever she lifted her eyes to Mount Ascutney!”
When the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette made a grand tour of the United States in 1825 some local patriots started to build a road up the side of ‘Ash-Cutney Mountain’ to provide Lafayette a better view of the scenic wonder. Edith is not certain the road was ever completed. But she is sure that “Lafayette at least saw Mount Ascutney before being greeted by five thousand people in [nearby] Windsor.”
Additionally, I would like to cite a third work which, although I am a man, has special meaning to me. It’s from Women with Disabilities: Found Voices by Lillian Holcomb:
Like Maxfield Parrish, I, too, like watching the clouds playing with the top of Mount Ascutney. Even more, I like being in the clouds playing on the top of Mount Ascutney. The clouds shroud the ledges and boulders in a soft, wispy grey, giving the summit a surreal effect like being on alien, primal planet. In the winter I’ve seen the clouds move in, hurling snowflakes across the summit with wind roaring like a demonic train. And in more gentle times, I’ve marveled at the beauty of sunrise at the summit while looking down on clouds below, viewing distant peaks like islands poking through a scalloped sea of white.
Like Edith Hunter, I, too, like to think of people in the past who have viewed and experienced Mount Ascutney as I have. My ancestors who came to Claremont in the 1800s saw the same beautiful mountain I like to gaze on. Claremont has changed much since they were alive, but the mountain has remained the same --- a timeless, changeless constant --- connecting me with my distant past.
And, like Lillian Holcomb, I too like the challenge of risk. I like striking out on my own on snowshoes, breaking a trail where no one else has walked except the animals to whom the mountain belongs. Despite the intense effort required and the many falls that are, for me, inevitable, I feel exhilarated, energized --- totally alive. And, for a brief while, I, too, feel the mountain belongs to me.

May 3, 2009
Hiking Pregnant
certainly i did make the hike!! such a beautiful hike it was over streams and through beautiful woods along the brook. My 3 year old daughter hiked on her own for quite a distance, maybe even a mile, jumping over streams and balancing on rocks. then came the scramble. she went up on daddy's back and i began huffing and puffing. what a climb. the weight of my belly and my balance questionable as i waddled up the large boulders. my daughter calling out to me wondering why, just why, i could not keep up with them as i usually do. but i was tired as i never have been. How much weight have i gained? will i have the baby here on the trail?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Ride Guide "Vermont"
"Ride Guide" is a mountain travel TV series, where the hosts and guest pros, share their travels of skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking from locations throughout the world. "Ride Guide" is distributed into 60 million homes in 60 countries worldwide. Throughout Canada, Ride Guide airs on OLN, Rush HD, Shaw Video On Demand, Rogers On Demand, and Men TV. "Ride Guide" can be seen in 20 million homes across the USA on The Ski Channel. Ride Guide is broadcast into 55 countries throughout Europe on The Extreme Sports Channel and into 1 million homes in Australia on Fuel TV. Ride Guide is also distributed on-line through Dose.Ca, BikeMag.Com, and Norco.Com. We'd like to share a few clips from their Vermont edition with you.
Ride Guide "Vermont" - Segment 1 (East Burke / Kingdom Trails)
Ride Guide "Vermont" - Segment 2 (Pittsfield)
Ride Guide "Vermont" - Segment 3 (Killington)
Ride Guide "Vermont" - Segment 4 (Rutland)
To try these rides yourself:
Killington- Bikes can be rented at the resort. Since the trails are accessed by the ski lifts, you will need to wear protective equipment when riding. Camping is available nearby at Gifford Woods State Park.
The Pittsfield trails are also in this area; ask at the Pittsfield General Store for information. These trails start at the Amee Farm in Pittsfield.
Rutland/Pine Hill Park- folks can also camp at Gifford Woods or Bomoseen and can rent bikes from the bike shops on the Killington. For more information on the Rutland/Pine Hill Trails go to: http://pinehillpark.org/php/Pine_Hill_Park_Welcome.html
Kingdom Trails/East Burke- they can rent bikes at East Burke Sports, and the trails start right at the Kingdom trails office in the village of East Burke. Their website is http://www.kingdomtrails.org/. Camping is available at Maidstone State Park.
If your looking for a little bit calmer ride, check out these links for more information:
Read More......
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Flowers of Grand Isle State Park
Have you ever wondered who cares for all the plants in Grand Isle State Park? Or even where they all came from? Maybe you are just interested in flower gardens no matter where they are. Click below to read Doris Sless' story of Grand Isle's flower gardens and one woman who tends them.Summer Trip to Grand Isle
Last summer Gary and I camped in Grand Isle State Park, outside of Burlington, Vermont. After setting up camp we walked around the grounds, noticing many beautiful flowers in the woods. I have never seen such beauty in a campground. Within a day I spotted a woman on hands and knees, tending to a group of native flowers. I figured she was the person responsible for all this natural beauty, so started a conversation with her. I was very impressed by her dedication, showing what one person and a love of nature can do.
This is Kim Jackson’s story:

“I first started working here 3 years ago in the butterfly garden, planting mostly annuals that first year and now, finally, the perennials are starting to show off. We have the basic plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed, salvia, phlox, Jo Pye weed, etc., and plants to attract hummingbirds such as trumpet vine and scarlet runner bean. The favorite plants of butterflies seem to be purple coneflowers and a catmint, “Nepeta Walkers Low”. I planted that when it was about 4” tall but by next spring it grew to a 4’ by 4’ bush-- pretty amazing. We had a Shasta daisy “hedge” along the front of the garden but it grew too tall and full, blocking the garden, so I had to move them outside the garden border.
Most of our plants are grown for us by a program at the St. Albans Correctional Facility. There is a greenhouse program that teaches inmates job skills that can be used when they get out. It had been a men’s prison up until now but is being switched over to a woman’s facility in the next year. In this program plants are grown for 9 state parks in this region of Vermont, and for several town gardens as well. Last year I was able to give them seeds for the perennials grown and have already selected seeds for next spring. We received about 22 flats of annuals and 24 flats of perennials from them. After giving to other towns, we got the leftovers, about 24 more flats! There is also a commercial greenhouse near us that shuts down after July 4th, when they let us come and take any leftover plants--mostly annuals, but this year there were about 40 lupines and a few other perennials. Grand Isle Park consists of 156 campsites sitting on 225 acres. We used annuals around the 5 restroom buildings and office, and the perennials in the theme gardens. In addition to butterfly gardens we have an 80’ long daylily bed, a 100’ long bed of lupines and Oriental poppies, followed by black-eyes Susan’s, a sunflower bed, a woodland area, several shade gardens and a rain garden. The rain garden is at the bottom of a hill, which is fairly wet all summer. On this website about rain gardens you can print a really nice manual: http://vacd.org/winooski/winooski_raingarden.shtml.
Our next project is an area of only native-Vermont species. Basically I do my job in the morning then get to play in the gardens all afternoon. One of my main interests is improving the soil. Our soil is made up of heavy clay so I’m able to get truckloads of lakeweed from nearby state park’s beach. Lakeweed has a lot of sand sticking to it, so combined with the leaves I rake, and with wood ashes from our campers’ fires, the soil is constantly improving.”Kim Jackson, Grand Isle State Park
-Doris Sless
Read More......



