Jake Burton Moves Mountains, or at Least the Stone Hut

We recently received an email from our co-worker, Jay Maciejowski, Forestry District Manager. He writes, "When I found out that my daughter, who works for marketing for Burton Snowboards, was setting up this Burton display at the US Open Snowboard Championship, I asked her to send the pics of the display so that Parks knows what a big fan Jake Burton is of the Stone Hut. 

The "All Nighter"





Kate Maciejowksi, elaborates, "Hey Dad, Here are the photos from the Stone Hut shop at the US Open. We chose to model it after the Stone Hut at the top of Stowe because of an idea that Jake had. The exterior of the tent itself was printed with an actual photo of the Stone Hut, and for the inside, we merchandised product on fixtures that we thought went along with the look and feel of the interior of the hut.

Display interior



Big talking points throughout the event were that we used the same exact "All-Nighter" stove that's in the actual Stone Hut (found from a guy on Craigslist) and the pulley coat hanging system that we installed to mimic the one found in the actual Stone Hut - we had a friend build this. We bought all the furniture at local antique shops, and built the two big wooden walls in the back out of 2x4's and repurposed wood.  All the product is Burton product and you can also see some archive stuff sprinkled throughout that we borrowed from our archivist for the event (snowshoes above the stove, old boards on US Open product wall, etc.) Oh, and there's your stack of wood next to the All Nighter!



The "real" Stone Hut

  



Smoke-free Zones Proposed for Some Park Areas and Other Proposed Rule Changes for This Year

Every year or so, we review park Rules & Regulations and make changes as needed. Part of the process is soliciting feedback from you on proposed changes. We would like to share with you the proposed changes for this year, and let you know how you can comment and give us feedback.

The main rule change for this year is a proposal to designate smoke-free zones at playgrounds and some busy day use areas in the parks. This is in direct response from requests from park visitors, and known health concerns.Smoking would still be permitted elsewhere in the parks, except for these specifically designated areas.

Another proposed change is to increase the fees for Burton Island waterfront lean-to's from $25/per night to $35/per night. Dock fees would go up 25 cents per foot, and a $2.00 ferry rate for day users would be established. Because Burton Island is,well, an island, it is more expensive to operate than our mainland parks, and we hope these increases will offset some of the rising operating costs.

Other proposed pricing changes include rental fees for Kingsland Bay event facilities, which will now include per person day use fees and rubbish removal. We are also establishing fees for the newly rennovated Elmore Beach House and the Kill Kare Hotel (a.k.a. Rocky Point House) buildings. Camping at Green River Reservoir will be $5/per person/per night with a $15 minimum. Prime sites at Green River will be $6/per person/per night with an $18 minimum.

Otherwise, the rest of the changes are just removing unused rules and correcting language.

If you like you can read the entire annotated proposed rule change.

We invite your comments. You can send them via email to craig.whipple@state.vt.us; or via snail mail to Craig Whipple, Director of State Parks, 103 South Main Street, 10 South, Waterbury, VT  05671.

You are also invited to attend a public hearing to discuss these rules that will be held Friday, June 1st, 5:30 PM, at the Agency of Natural Resources District Office at 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT  05452.

Thank you for your support of the parks and we look forward to seeing you out there soon!

Step Outdoors for an Incredible Family Adventure: Becoming an Outdoor Family Weekend

Are you looking for outdoor adventures for your family but aren’t quite sure about taking on the adventure by yourself or would you like to add something new to your outdoor experience? Join us for the 15th annual Becoming an Outdoor Family Weekend – June 1-3, 2012!

You’ll join many other families taking part in workshops presented by expert instructors providing basic hands on experience for a variety of topics including outdoor cooking, GPS skills, wildlife photography, kayaking, kite making, making jam & jellies from wild Vermont fruit, fishing,building rustic furniture, birding by ear, trail running,  mountain biking, lots of family time, and much much more. There are over 50 workshops to choose from and something for every age group is sure to be found. Some families have been joining us for over 10 years and for many this will be their first year camping with us.

We’ll stay at both Stillwater and Big Deer State Parks on beautiful Lake Groton. At $175 for the weekend for a family of up to 8 people, its a great deal, too. One of the highlights of the weekend is the Saturday night potluck where we all come together to eat as one big family sharing delicious food provided by all the families. We’ll serve moose burgers, hamburgers and hot dogs to round out the meal. It is always an unbelievable smorgasbord of delights and everyone has a marvelous time sharing tidbits of their day’s adventure. We’ll follow dinner with a blast off of water bottle rockets over the lake!

Registration for this event is open now for you to join us. Go to www.uvm.edu/extension/outdoorfamily for all the details. You can also see many photos from previous years on our facebook page, Becoming an Outdoor Family – Vermont.

This event is a joint effort by the University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Departments of Fish & Wildlife and Forests, Parks & Recreation.

We look forward to seeing you in the forest June 1-3, 2012!!!! Register today and tell your family and friends!

 This blog post was written by Lisa Muzzey. Lisa Muzzey works for University of Vermont Extension and has been involved in Becoming an Outdoor Family Weekend since its inception. If you are looking for a fun family weekend full of outdoor adventures in Vermont State Parks and would like to add something new to your outdoor experience, Becoming an Outdoor Family weekend is a fun filled experience for people of all ages!

Vermont Fairy Tales

Here at Vermont State Parks, we often get requests for information about our parks. Recently Courtney from Michigan contacted us for information about our parks for a school report on Vermont. We love speaking with students about everything Vermont State Parks has to offer, and we were even more thrilled when we received a drawing and note from her this week! Thanks Courtney for the beautiful drawing and note! We like fairies too and we especially love that she is wearing Vermont State Parks colors!

A Quiet Afternoon in Allis State Park

Spring is here which means warmer weather and bright sunshine! This is the perfect time to get outside and explore Vermont State Parks!

You may be familiar with some of our popular and busier parks, but do you know about the quieter spots off the beaten path? When you need a quiet afternoon away from it all, Vermont State Parks has hidden spots away from crowds. Whether you want to sit back with a book along a stream, take a stroll on a grassy trail, or have a quiet picnic we have parks that provide a relaxing setting for those who want to take it easy for the day.
Once such spot is Allis State Park located in Brookfield Vermont. With the Bear Mountain trail taking you into the woods where there are several places to sit and relax, the fire tower offering wonderful views, a restored log picnic shelter built by the CCC (with grills and a stone fireplace that can be rented for weddings or group gatherings), and individual picnic spots scattered throughout the park, Allis is a great spot to spend a quiet afternoon! One could say Allis Park is one of central Vermont’s best kept secrets!

The property was in the Allis family for several generations as a working farm. The entire hill was open pasture land with excellent views from just about any spot. You can now enjoy the incredible views from the fire tower. On a clear day, Killington, Pico, and Mt Ascutney peaks are visible to the south; Camel's Hump and Mt. Mansfield to the north; Abraham, Lincoln, and Ellen to the west; the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the east.
The park is named for Wallace Allis who allowed the public to enjoy the views from his Bear Mountain Farm and its popularity led him to leave it to the State to be developed as a campground and recreational area. Beginning in 1932, the park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
This relaxing afternoon can be enjoyed for free! Allis State Park does not have a day use fee! After a relaxing afternoon in the park should you want to extend your stay, camping has returned to the park after a two year hiatus.

For some return visitors, the park may look a little different from past years. There are fewer campsites and lean-to shelters. The decrease in these sites will provide campers with more privacy allowing you to turn your relaxing afternoon into a quiet evening.

While there are still bathrooms available, showers and hot water are currently unavailable at this park. However, rather than keeping the park closed until these issues are resolved, it was decided to open up the campground again with fewer facilities adding to the parks' rustic character which many find appealing.


If you're looking for a quiet and relaxing experience, Allis State Park is a great choice!

Have a great time!

Are You Ready for Adventure? Venture Vermont 2012 is Here!

It's that time of year again and Venture Vermont is back! That means it's time to get ready for exciting adventures in Vermont State Parks this year. This year's Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge just started on April 1st and the challenges are better than ever this year!

This popular statewide scavenger hunt invites participants to download a score sheet and complete fun outdoor activities. You take photographs of your activities to keep track of what you've done.

When you reach 250 points, all you have to do is send us your score sheet along with your photos and you will receive a VIP Gold Coin, good for free park entry for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012!

You will also have the chance to tackle some weekly bonus challenges that you can add to your scorecard, these will be posted on the Venture Vermont Page instead of Facebook this year. Check back often so you don't miss the bonus challenges as they change weekly!

With challenges such as paddle a boat on a river or stream, build a shelter with natural objects for one or more people, have a tent setting up race, and go fishing, you are guaranteed to have fun in the parks this year!

There are three main rules to the challenge:

1. Fill out one score card per person

2. Take photos of all your activities

3. Have a blast!

If you would like to do the challenge as a family, each family member needs their own score sheet, but you can take group photos. The Venture Vermont page has all the info! We are looking forward to the challenge this year and can't wait to see all the fun you're having!