I get a great deal of pleasure hiking up in the Northeast Kingdom, especially in winter. Wilderness still exists there, but it's a slightly tamed wilderness; you're never too far from a snowmobile trail or road, but you can be very much on your own with nature. Essex is Vermont's largest county, but also its least populated; many towns only host one village in 36 square miles. The Canadian boreal forest comes southward here, creating an intermingling of boreal woodlands and bogs amongst the low mountains.
The Kingdom comes alive in wintertime: logging, ice fishing, and of course snowmobiling. There's a VAST trail right into downtown Island Pond, ; cars often have to wait their turn behind Skidoo's and Arctic Cats at the Mobil station. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers maintains an extensive network of groomed and well-signed trails throughout the region, and these make great trails for accessing the backwoods. What I love most of all -- the ghostly echoes of the snowmobile engines whining from across the valley. The sound from afar is very non-mechanical, and ebbs and flows just like a howling wind, but on a calm bright winter's day.
the only northern (boreal) birds observed this afternoon were a Northern Goshawk that flew right over my car, and a pair of Gray Jays. The region is also the place to find many of the other Canadian species in Vermont: Northern Hawk-Owls and Great Gray Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, Boreal Chickadees, White-winged Crossbills, Snow Buntings, Horned Larks. Unfortunately none were seen today. Fortunately, I like exploring this wilderness area!
CHECKLIST FOR BRUNSWICK & BLOOMFIELD:
Black-capped chickadee, Blue jay, Gray jay, Northern goshawk, White-breasted nuthatch, Red-breasted nuthatch, Golden-crowned kinglet, Barred owl.
The Kingdom comes alive in wintertime: logging, ice fishing, and of course snowmobiling. There's a VAST trail right into downtown Island Pond, ; cars often have to wait their turn behind Skidoo's and Arctic Cats at the Mobil station. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers maintains an extensive network of groomed and well-signed trails throughout the region, and these make great trails for accessing the backwoods. What I love most of all -- the ghostly echoes of the snowmobile engines whining from across the valley. The sound from afar is very non-mechanical, and ebbs and flows just like a howling wind, but on a calm bright winter's day.
the only northern (boreal) birds observed this afternoon were a Northern Goshawk that flew right over my car, and a pair of Gray Jays. The region is also the place to find many of the other Canadian species in Vermont: Northern Hawk-Owls and Great Gray Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, Boreal Chickadees, White-winged Crossbills, Snow Buntings, Horned Larks. Unfortunately none were seen today. Fortunately, I like exploring this wilderness area!
CHECKLIST FOR BRUNSWICK & BLOOMFIELD:
Black-capped chickadee, Blue jay, Gray jay, Northern goshawk, White-breasted nuthatch, Red-breasted nuthatch, Golden-crowned kinglet, Barred owl.
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