The Salmon Hole is a beautiful spot on the Winooski River, along US2 near McAuley campus. On one side, a large cliff face rises out of a pool of water which is more often than not occupied by at least one person fishing. On top of this cliff and along the bank spans a thin yet relatively old forest, which squirrels seem to be thriving in. On the other side of the spot sits a relatively industrial part of Winooski. The spot itself is rocky, with a medium speed water flow fed by elevated pipes from the Winooski side of the river. The surrounding forest is largely deciduous, with maples dominating the forest. The spot is easy to find because it is at the end of the first trail after the sign that says “The Salmon Hole.” I live in McAuley Hall, so I simply turn right onto Colchester avenue, and then make my first left onto US2. Being there is very calming because of the colorful nature as well as the noises of the flowing water and birds. According to a sign at the top of the trail, Lake Sturgeon can be found in this part of the river, though it is illegal to disturb any because they are endangered. I think it’s really interesting that Lake Sturgeon (a very large fish) would travel so far upstream, especially considering that the river is divided here by the impassable dam. I noticed many Paper Birch, Yellow Birch, and Norway Maples. Clear signs of beavers can be seen on the trunks of the trees along the river, though the only dam in sight is industrial. The exposed stone in this area interests me because of how unbroken it is in some areas as well as its strange, wavy texture/shape. I think that this texture is likely caused by the flow of the water over the rock when the water level is higher. Still, I don’t think that this part of the river is usually underwater, because it has always been significantly above the water level while I have been there, and there is little sediment build up on most parts of it (suggesting occasional submersion, with any deposited sediment being easily washed off by rain). This could be caused by snowmelt in the spring.