OutdoorsVT
Let's hit the trail in Vermont's outdoors
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A sign welcomes visitors to the West Rutland Marsh at the beginning of the trail. The marsh is one spot that offers hiking and biking opportunities, along with the chance to see a variety of bird species and other wildlife. DARREN MARCY |
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By Darren Marcy - Published: March 27, 2008
If you're anything like me, the snow, ice and cold are finally starting to grate on your nerves. Actually, it started grating on my last nerve weeks ago. I'm now ready for spring to finally spring.
Don't get me wrong. I love winter. I enjoy the cold and relish the snow. I even put up with the ice.
But by late March? I'm done. I'm ready for spring.
The urge to get out and about is strong among those who love the outdoors.
I am one of those people. I'm guessing you likely are, too.
Spring is a time for beginnings, which makes it the perfect season to launch this column focusing on outdoor recreation.
We're going to talk here about hiking, biking, backpacking, camping, wildflower and wildlife watching, as well as just about anything your imagination can conjure up — as long as it's legal.
We'll follow the Leave No Trace ethic on our outdoor adventures and take only pictures, leaving only footprints and tire tracks. We'll follow all laws and regulations.
We won't use bullets, arrows or hooks. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I hunt and fish. But we're going to leave that to Dennis Jensen's outdoor pages in the Sunday paper where he does a fine job.
Just how wide will we cast our proverbial net? How big is your imagination?
This is, after all, Vermont. Home of the Green Mountains and all the outdoor recreation splendor a person could ask for.
I've been writing about the outdoors in one form or another for nearly 16 years, including seven years as the outdoor editor of a daily paper in New Mexico. My first published words were printed in a state wildlife magazine in 1992 and have appeared in papers all over the West since then.
I'm a lifelong outdoor addict. I've been hiking, camping, fishing and hunting as long as I can remember.
Some of my earliest outdoor memories involve camping, fishing and trying to catch lizards while hiking among the sandstone outcroppings of New Mexico's high desert mesas and canyons where I was born and raised.
I lived in Farmington, N.M., in the Four Corners region — an outdoor smorgasbord of fun.
I was surrounded by huge tracts of wild country, from the lowland desert to the high desert to Utah's stunning red rock canyons and arches to the 14,000-foot peaks in southwestern Colorado. It was all within a few hours of my home.
The local Bureau of Land Management office managed 1.6 million acres of land. There were three Forest Service district offices to the north, south and east.
I spent a lot of time getting lost and then found.
I couldn't imagine any place better or one that offered more diverse outdoor activities than the Four Corners region, until I discovered this paradise.
Enough. I'm tired of talking about myself and, no doubt, you're tired of listening.
Unfortunately, the spring weather continues to be pushed back and the winter hangover continues longer than most people remember. But mud season is near with dry trails and tracks just around the corner.
Fortunately, there are some great activities going on.
One particular spot for mountain bikers or those on foot is in West Rutland at the West Rutland Marsh.
Local birders know the marsh, an 800-acre wetland, as a great place to spot a large variety of bird species year-round. But with spring arriving, so do many of the birds that left last fall and you never know what you might get to see.
Marvin Elliott, co-president of the Rutland County Audubon Society, said 134 different bird species have been seen at the marsh. That is "an impressive number for any place in Vermont," he said.
While many people associate the return of the robin as a sign of spring's impending arrival, Elliott said it is actually the red-winged blackbird that says spring is at hand.
The males of the species have arrived and the females will be following soon.
Other early arrivals that have been spotted include the grackle, killdeer and turkey vulture.
"This is an exciting time for birders though because new species are arriving back every day," Elliott said by e-mail.
For anyone interested in birding, the group will be taking a trip to Colchester this Saturday and have regularly scheduled birding surveys at the marsh.
For details on the trip or for more information, see the group's Web site at www.rutlandcountyaudubon.org or call Elliott at 775-2415.
The West Rutland Marsh is between Whipple Hollow Road and Marble Street Extension.
Another group that remains active in all weather is the Green Mountain Club's various chapters. The Killington Chapter plans weekly activities just about every weekend.
On Saturday, the group will be hiking in the Pharoah Lake Wilderness near Chilson, N.Y. The hike will lead to backcountry ponds and mountain summits.
The trek is open to all ages and is free.
To participate, be in Rutland's Main Street Park near the fire station and be ready to go by 9 a.m. Participants will carpool to the trailhead.
For more information about the event, call trip leader Allison Norton at 775-1627.
That's a start. Next time, we'll skip the introductions and get down to having fun.
So what do you think? Have an idea or tip? I'd love to hear it. Or just write and say hello. I look forward to meeting you.
Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. Find him on the Internet at www.DarrenMarcy.com or e-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.