12/08/2023
1:30pm / Cloudy, 29 degrees F
Salmon Hole, Burlington VT
On my last visit to Salmon Hole this semester, I noticed immediately the difference in the weather compared to the past couple times I have been here. The temperature was around 10 degrees colder than last time, and at this point in the year, the area has gone through a few freezes. It was not cold enough for the Winooski river to be frozen over, but small puddles on the rocky shore had a thin ice covering.
Celandines (?)
In terms of tree cover, it is close to completely gone. The only cover that remains comes from a few scattered Eastern Hemlock. All deciduous trees in the area, mainly red oaks and sugar/red maples, have dropped their leaves to the ground. The color has been lost, making for a gray and brown forest cover. One exception is a small plant known as “celandines” as far as I could tell using iNaturalist. These were the only vibrant plant on the ground.
No animal activity was obviously present. The rocky terrain and lack of snow made looking for any tracks difficult. I did not see any birds at the site, unlike my other visits, and I also noticed less human activity. In past visits, there were consistently other people walking, exploring, and fishing, but me and my friend were the only ones at the site today.