For this semester I switched my Phenology location from Gilbrook Nature Area to Bolton Valley. Bolton Valley is about a 30 minute car ride from campus and holds a ski resort, and also many trails for hiking, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing. For this project I will be focusing on the trails and areas that are off the on-piste resort trails. My goal for the semester is for each visit to be a part of a different ski spot.
For our first trip, we followed the backcountry trails to Bryant cabin which is just over a kilometer from the resort parking lot. From there we skinned up to the fork that would take one to Stowe view marked by the red star on the map. From there we skied the glades down to the parking lot.
To the left is an image of the start of our descent. This area has been consistently covered in snow since we’ve been back from Christmas break. The environment consists of a high number of both coniferous and deciduous trees. On top of this there is a lot of tall grass and shrubs. Most of these trails are designed for skiing so they are not maintained for hikers.
Unfortunately, for this first visit, we were not able to see any tracks. I feel there are a couple of reasons why this is. Firstly, I considered that with our proximity to the lifts and lodges that wildlife might be less inclined to be near and that more would be found on the far left of the valley or the backside. Besides that, when we went the trails and new snow had already been packed down a lot. This very well could’ve concealed some signs of animals.
Generally, this spot is very different from my past phenology location. This is area is much higher in elevation and you can really start to see this as you get closer to the ridgeline as the trees diminish in size. For future trips and as the area warms, I am anticipating seeing lots of birds and smaller mammals as opposed to large animals like deer. Hopefully I am able to find tracks for next trip.