Not sure but I think it’s dumb it reminds me of when obnoxious people make rock stacks in creeks

It’s good to do in case your dog gets loose so they know where the dog belongs even if you don’t pick up the phone number listed with their tags/microchip. I got fined $100 once in shelburne when my dog got without being licensed

It’s a weird question to answer for those of us who grew up here because unlike other places with all the same issues we have that attachment to it because of our hometowns….. i lived out of state for a long time and to me it feels like VT is the only place with normal people in it. so yes I would still move back because I love the people here and being near family but would I recommend it over other more affordable places to someone without family ties to VT specifically? Idk. There’s lots of places with mountains and lakes sometimes I think about picking up everything and going to Lander WY. Even western MA has a lot of the same stuff as VT but the wages are higher, I’ve had a few friends move down there for that reason, same with central NY and the Hudson valley.

My parents used to take us to swimming holes as babies all the time, if you’re knowledgeable about reading water and being able to spot what’s dangerous then you’ll be able to find tons of swimming holes that are baby appropriate. If you don’t know anything about rivers then lake Champlain has tons of baby safe Sandy beaches, there’s also Waterbury reservoir and a few other smaller lakes. Keep an eye on news about different beaches in case of closures for algae blooms (which are unfortunately becoming more common) it’s usually posted by whatever municipality manages the beach.

Part of the reason VT has gone back to being over 60% Forested is because of active management of our forestland. Our forests are far healthier than the forest preserve right across the lake in the Adirondacks because our public lands are managed (mostly through timber harvests). We’re more resilient to Forest pests, invasives, potential for fire, and it even gives us an economic argument for keeping it forested. If you look at the Adirondack and Catskills Forest preserves (where cutting hasn’t been allowed in any form on the state lands ever since they realized they needed trees to have water for the Erie Canal), it’s pretty obvious how detrimental a complete lack of forest management is.

It’s federal land so of course it’s a federal project, but it’s not like the wood just goes down to DC it’ll end up at mills in VT or at the paper plants in Ticonderoga so unless you live in a house made without a single piece of wood in it and wipe your butt with a cloth instead of TP you should probably be pretty grateful that we have the space to be able to pull off long term management plans of our forests that include sustainable harvesting.

This comment should be at the top 🙏 I’m so tired of people from out of state trying to complain about how VT is being managed when they don’t even know the first thing about what’s going on here. Theres literally people on vacation who complain that there’s not enough people working at the resorts and then turn around and complain that we’re building houses….. like excuse us for trying to survive

The idea that telephone gap is one of our “most valuable forests” is only a claim that a flatlander would make 😂 have you ever been there? It was once a very industrial area and had a road through it before.

In order for a forest to sequester more carbon than it releases through respiration you need there to be disturbances in the forest canopy. Without them you have just a bunch of aging trees that are actually only producing a little bit of wood while most of the tree rots and releases carbon. Old growth has its place and there’s many reasons to preserve old growth but telephone gap is not an area that has a structure remotely similar to an old growth forest, and we need to make some gaps in the canopy. Since we suppress fires here we are left with only windstorms and logging.

I think the best collection of stone walls is out at little river state park in the former ricker basin farming community, there’s old orchards and stuff out there too and it’s fun because the history is really well documented so you can read about who built the walls you’re standing by.

Catamount solar does off grid systems, they have a good reputation but I don’t know how far south they install. I would start there, it’s doable to be off grid on solar with enough battery space but if your goal is just to offset your usage a grid tied system is more practical. However there are arguments for being off grid with the incentives and cost/kW being changed constantly. The utilities have a chokehold on the legislature and they try their hardest to lobby against net metered solar all the time, it makes less and less sense every year.

The same people who are going to say this is normal since we’re such a white state are also the ones that will complain about there’s tons of cars at the trailhead from places like NY and NJ and other population centers with more non-white people than here. It’s not normal and the lack of diversity in the outdoors is present in every part of the country. It’s obviously not just about the lack of diversity in who lives in vermont.

This is a horrible thing to say this comment should be removed. I’m happy to talk about how entitled YOU are by saying this but I would prefer if you would learn how to spell it first.

Exactly! People are so quick to dismiss this article just because of how white VT is and it’s pissing me off, it’s an issue everywhere!

Thank you for posting this! It’s an important message to get out there!

For those dismissing this, please recognize that representation matters. It’s not about if you have ever seen or heard about racism on a trail, it’s about making people feel like they are safe on our trails as well regardless of the demographic they fit into. Just because you have never seen anyone get harassed on the trail does not mean that it isn’t a legitimate fear that someone can have.

Also: it does not matter that VT is a mostly white state, people travel from all over the northeast (and the country) and yet the population of people taking part in outdoor sports here is still mostly white. VT lacking diversity does not tell the whole story of what is going on.

Are the beans cold or hot?

The restaurants are always posting about job openings on Craigslist and fpf, pretty much all of them need at least support staff. Also Bolton Valley needs lift operators, the pay isn’t great but you get a free seasons pass and also the fringe benefit of being a Bolton person which makes your life instantly more interesting.

I love the inn at Shelburne farms, it’s super pricy but so is anything farm to table. The added bonus is that being at Shelburne farms is its own experience, super beautiful and you can make a whole day of exploring the farm before the meal.

This is littering! Can everyone please stop leaving their trash everywhere !!!!!

I know a lot of people that go multiple years without inspecting. Unfortunately they changed where the stickers go but you used to be able to just keep a boat on top of your car and the cops would never be able to tell what number was on your sticker unless you got pulled over.

Lol I let him take the credit sometimes 😂

It’s not a Nordic trail, I happened to be skiing on it but it’s a neighborhood snow machine trail that the landowners use to walk their pack of dogs, I don’t take my dog to designated ski trails I just ski with him on mixed use trails sometimes.

I’m resisting the urge to post a dog pic in that subreddit- they better hurry I can’t hold back for long.

Lol our doggy daycare is grandmas house and the jacket is one of those fleece ones from PFW but I’ll be sure to tell the paparazzi your version of events.

Thank you, he’s a responsible baby that believes in equal opportunity happiness for all doggos

I know me too, I wrote that because of the recent posts of people complaining. It annoys the dog owners too!! There’s a person on my road that leaves GIANT shit piles and I have no idea who it is it doesn’t look possible for a dog to make them and I will cause a scene once I find out who’s doing it.