On the road between Arlington and Manchester in the US federal state of Vermont, closer to Manchester, there is a turn that leads to Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home. This was in fact just the summer home which the oldest son of the US President Abraham Lincoln built here in 1905. Members of the Lincoln family used to live here until 1975 when the property was turned into a kind of a museum. Today, it is possible not only to visit the house, but also the whole property and the gardens, as well as to walk along regulated paths.
But, my friend Daniela and I had quite a different plan that included a walk along a trail through nature. To be more precise – on the slopes of the Green Mountains.
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in Vermont, some 400 km long. They are practically a continuation of the same range in Massachusetts and Connecticut that is called the Berkshires which is also the name for the whole region around that south section of the mountains. I have already talked a little about it before.
As for the Green Mountains, they are in fact contained in the very name of the state of Vermont. Namely, in 1609, a French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, as the first European reached a big lake that is nowadays named after him (Lake Champlain) and that is mostly located on the territory of the USA and only with a significantly smaller part in Canada. As the story goes, when Champlain saw the forest-covered mountains extending southwards from the lake, he cried: “Les verts monts!,” meaning – the green mountains.
A part of the Green Mountains close to the town of Manchester, Vermont, is covered in forests and that is all a part of the Green Mountain National Forest covering also a territory spreading to the west all the way to the border with the US state of New York. As we entered Vermont, Daniela and I practically drove the entire time through the territory of this national forest and the Arlington Covered Bridge that I wrote about in the previous sequel is certainly situated well within this area.
The term “national forest” is used in the USA to mark a protected federal forest area and there are 154 national forests in the country. This level of protection was necessary for the Green Mountains because of the overlogging and the area was formally founded in 1932. At first, the surface area of the forest was 413 sq. km (the federal government was the owner and managed only less than 8 sq. km), but at the beginning of the 21st century this area rose to over 3300 sq. km, out of which 1600 sq. km is owned by the federal government.
There are numerous hiking trails within the forest including a part of the Appalachian Trail that I have already mentioned before and that is a nationally designated trail. There are also several alpine and Nordic ski areas here.
In order to get to the trail that we had agreed upon, Daniela and I passed by our car through the town of Manchester and the deal was that we would return here later on in order to walk around the place a little. For the time being we headed to a clearing within the forest that is used as a parking lot and then we started with our hike. The idea was to go on the Lye Brook Falls Trail that in both directions has the length of around 7.5 km. The trail is not too difficult – in some places it leads over rocks and in some others it was like a dirt road.
Lye Brook Falls Trail
Lye Brook Falls Trail
Since it was October, i.e., the autumn, it was logical that the leaves had started to fall off and thus the colours of the autumn in Vermont were reflected on the ground as well. In addition to the fallen leaves, I could often see different fungi beside the trail and I found one to be particularly attractive. According to what I managed to dig up on the internet later, this was the white coral fungus (Clavulina cristata).
Lye Brook Falls Trail, a detail
White coral fungus beside the Lye Brook Falls Trail
The trail leads occasionally close to a stream, but at one point it also crosses it. There were some thick branches placed there in order to facilitate the passage.
Lye Brook Falls Trail
While we were walking here, the clouds finally started to disperse and we could see the sunlight along the trail from time to time.
Lye Brook Falls Trail, a detail
At some point, the trail leads completely straight and rather flatly which seemed quite unnatural. As far as I have read, before the national forest was established here, people used to cut a lot of trees and there was even a railway line that was used for the transportation of the cut trees. I am almost sure that there was the base for the railway line in this section back in the day (some 100 years ago).
Lye Brook Falls Trail
Still, over time, the nature slowly erases the traces of human presence and the current human interventions are brought to a minimum.
Lye Brook Falls Trail
Not only did I enjoy in the great walk through nature here and the company of my dear friend, I was often unavoidably fully aware of the time of the year that is so particularly beautiful in this part of the world. I was delighted to see trees with multicoloured tops on the slope of the neighbouring elevation, as well as by a fallen red leaf that stopped on the top of the leaves of some other tree that were still green. The effect was incredible.
Lye Brook Falls Trail, a detail
Lye Brook Falls Trail, a detail
After a very nice hike, we finally reached the Lye Brook Falls that are around 38 m high.
Lye Brook Falls
Along the trail we came across other people from time to time and some of them came here with their pets. Daniela and I took the opportunity of human presence at this point and asked one lady to take a photo of us by the falls who at the same time took a photo of somebody’s dog, too.
Beside the Lye Brook Falls
Following a short stay by the falls, very content, Daniela and I started to walk back following the same route. The trail was still beautiful and picturesque, but I did stop less often to take photos.
Lye Brook Falls Trail, a detail
Still, at one point I noticed something small moving beside the trail. By the time I prepared my photo-camera, the little animal had already moved away and I hastily took a photo before it would get too far. That’s why the photo is blurred, but the object of my interest can still be discerned. This was an eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) that inhabits the east parts of North America.
Eastern chipmunk beside the Lye Brook Falls Trail
When Daniela and I reached the car it was already the time to think about a lunch. Again my friend chose well and soon we settled at a restaurant close to Manchester. After the introductory pumpkin soup, we moved onto the main dish – a sandwich with roasted pork.
Late lunch in Manchester
Following the lunch we returned to Manchester and parked the car in one of the two main segments of the town. Namely, the town actually consists of two parts – one is Manchester Village and the other one is Manchester Center. They are connected by the Main Street, i.e., by the 7A road, and they are some 2 km apart.
I was very content with the place where we left the car, for this provided me with an opportunity to take a photo of a golf course that is cut through by the street that had just brought us from the direction of the Green Mountains where Daniela and I had hiked earlier.
Golf course and a street in Manchester
Needless to say, I am not interested in the least in either golf or golf courses, but here I had already spotted a spectacular detail that perhaps in the best possible way illustrates the autumn in Vermont, which out of respect I will refer to in continuation as the “fall [in Vermont].”
Fall in Manchester, Vermont
Fall in Manchester, Vermont
I have already mentioned before that the main reason why I wanted to come to this part of the USA right at this time of the year was that famous “Fall in Vermont.” Wherever I looked around me I could enjoy the incredibly beautiful sights.
Fall in Manchester, Vermont
Fall in Manchester, Vermont
I think that the main element of the beauty of the sights comes from the fact that the leaves of different types of trees get quite different colours, plus this colour change does not happen all at the same time. In addition, some plants have the leaves of completely unbelievable colours.
Fall in Manchester, Vermont
But, Daniela and I also came here in order to walk a little and thus we got to the main street and there I noted a couple of buildings within Manchester Village that was founded in 1761. In the very centre, you can see the county courthouse, as well as the First Congregational Church in front of which there is a monument erected in the memory of the people from Manchester who participated in the wars from 1775 to 1865.
County courthouse in Manchester, Vermont
First Congregational Church and the monument to the warriors
Walking along the paved path alongside the main street, we headed on foot towards the other part of the town, Manchester Center, and that was a very pleasant walk indeed. Along the way, we could continue to admire the autumnal treetops, as well as the houses and well kept lawns that we were passing by.
Manchester, Vermont
Manchester, Vermont
Manchester, Vermont
The owners of some of them had put in a particular effort to decorate their yards in line with the season and this was also done by some local shops and restaurants.
Manchester, Vermont
Manchester, Vermont
In any case, the walk was very nice and the colours were magnificent.
Manchester, Vermont
Manchester, Vermont
After a while, we reached Manchester Center.
Manchester Center
So, Manchester Center is that other part of the town and it looks like a proper town centre, since it is much livelier than Manchester Village.
Beside a larger roundabout in the centre of this part of the town, you can see Mill Pond that is created by a small local river and that was named after a mill built here. One of the interesting details in this part of the town is a walk beside the river, which Daniela and I did a little later.
Manchester Center: Mill Pond
For now, we just walked for a short while along the main street, the Main Street, that includes numerous picturesque buildings with clapboard facades.
Manchester Center: a bookstore
Manchester Center: First Baptist Church
Manchester Center
Manchester Center
Manchester Center
At some point, I could see the Green Mountains in the distance that were lit by the setting sun and that now looked mostly – red.
Manchester Center
Then Daniela and I went to a small park by the pond from where we got down to a trail leading beside the river. Through some branches I could notice a waterfall by which the water from the pond continues to flow down as a river.
Manchester Center
It was interesting to walk here along the trail called Manchester Riverwalk, because it seemed occasionally as if we were deep in nature somewhere, outside the civilisation, while all of this was just a few dozen metres away from some piece of asphalt.
Manchester Center
Since it was starting to get late, we did not stay here for too long and thus we went to the closest part of civilisation which in this case was a local parking lot. I was again mesmerised by the surrounding treetops.
Manchester Center
Manchester Center
Now we had to return to Manchester Village because that was where our car was parked. This was, of course, not a problem for us at all, since we both love to walk.
In the meantime, the Sun had set and it was getting dark. In the east, above the Green Mountains, the Moon was rising and although it was still not full, I was inspired. Here is just a small fragment of my version of the famous song: “Moonlight in Vermont” in the shape of Mlog no. 7:
Since in this way I provided some glorious fun for myself, I caught up with Daniela and soon we reached Manchester Village where the monument was still facing the luxurious Equinox House hotel.
Manchester Village
We did not stay at this hotel, but rather drove to a quite nice motel several kilometres to the south that we had already drove past, but it was important for us to stay in this area because of the plans for the following morning. More about it in the next sequel...