State of the Trails: Nov. 4, 2020
On this trip to Sunny Hollow, I observed a barren overstory and a crunchy set of trails. The leaves are nearly entirely off of their trees, crowding the paths that make this recreation site so popular. There is still a bit of green poking through in the understory as you can see pictured in the gallery below. This changing of the seasons helps the stark white of the paper birch trees to stand out amongst the other vegetation as you enter the trail network. As these are my favorite trees, I am a bit biased as to how beautiful I think they can look even on a grey November day. The trails have been cleared of leftover sand to give a bit more traction for those of us that like to bike them. I wonder who is responsible for this; could it be the city of Colchester? Or perhaps a retired person with some extra time and love for the outdoors.
Some greenery peaking through the understory. 
Paper birch trees along the entrance to the trail network. 
A lone paper birch that stands out against grey of Nov. in VT 
The vegetation along the trail is turning quite brown! 
Most of the leaves from the maples and oaks are now on the Natural Area’s floor. 
A barren backdrop behind the trailhead. 
Look at the difference from last post to this post…no more rainbow of colors! 
Lots of leaves have accumulated as biomass on the Natural Area’s floor.
Event Map
Below is my hand-drawn event map that gives a glimpse into what a ride at Sunny Hollow Natural Area is like while surveying the phenology!
My event map (above) shows what a ride through Sunny Hollow is like on a grey day in November. Each event is labeled with a small number circled above it, beginning with entering the park via a flat, wide gravel trail leading to the trailhead. Taking a right turn over a bridge, the change in overstory can be seen as it shifts from Paper Birch Trees to a mix of Eastern White Pines, White Oaks and Elm trees. There is also some elevation change in the form of a downhill. As a mountain biker, I typically ride down this part pretty fast and cross my fingers that I don’t run into//run over any dogs or hikers. There are then some pretty narrow switchbacks (sections of the trail that curve back and forth in a row) where it is imperative to watch for fallen trees or any other debris that could be in the middle of the trail. There is then another flat section of trail the approaches Roosevelt Highway. The road noise can definitely be heard from the trail network which could explain the lack of active animals as this noise pollution disturbs their habitat. Now it’s probably a good time to take a water break and observe the vegetation, noting some Red Maples and more of the aforementioned species. Continuing along the trail, the subtle noise of running water can be heard as a small waterfall is approaching. There is then another bridge, somewhat windy and narrow, that must be crossed before gaining back that previously lost elevation in the form of a nasty uphill. This leads to another change in overstory as the Paper Birch trees can be seen again basking in the sun as they are a shade intolerant species. This leads back to the starting point, completing a successful trek or bike through Sunny Hollow.