A UVM blog Salmon Hole with Rebecca

Salmon Hole has definitely changed since the beginning of the year. The water level has risen and fallen, the water was frozen at one point in the winter, and the amount of green and foliage decreased going into winter. The amount of fish does not look like it has changed but I wouldn’t know how to measure that. The major landmarks I would say are certain rocks that I can remember the shape of as well as the apartment building in Winooski. If I am sitting with the building right across from me with a square rock to my right, I am in the right spot. Nature and culture are very connected at Salmon Hole. There is fishing, hiking, and people bring their dogs. Salmon Hole is also next to a bus stop so there are many ways to get there and enjoy it. I would consider myself a part of Salmon Hole. I think anyone who has been there is there forever. A footprint can leave a much bigger impact than just a footprint. It could be there for years.

This was my first time back to Salmon Hole in a few weeks and it looks very different. On my last trip, the site was covered in snow and this was a new view as well.

I did not notice any of the four tree species given, but these trees are Cedar! I did see a few of the look-alikes. There was a cottonwood tree down by the river and neither tree showed evidence of flowering or budding.

I spent my spring break in San Diego which seems as different from Burlington as a place could be. They are almost polar opposites in terms of geography and climate. The little valley where I was outside of school had so much green. The one week I go to California, it rained however I noticed the difference in just 24 hours.

Today’s journey lead my friend to a part of Centennial Woods neither of us had been to. The app was hard to use at first due to technical difficulties, but it worked well in identifying trees and plants.

In the two photos above we went back and forth between dog and coyote. We know it was not a cat because there is no leading toe and there are nails. There is also an x-shape in the negative space compared to an h shape.

There were a few phenological changes I noticed during my trip to Salmon Hole. One very large one is that there is snow! The rocks are visible under the water if you look closely.

I traveled to Salmon Hole in the morning so it was still a little icy. The whole place was covered in snow. I wasn’t able to see any rocks. The water was definitely high and there is much less green and foliage. On my way down from the street, I noticed little prints which looked like there was a little creature who scampered across the path. I believe it was a bunny because of the long foot and three circles up top.

Today on my way down the trail, a squirrel greeted me for my 8:00 am visit to Salmon Hole. There were sadly no leaves on any trees. The water has started to freeze over in certain spots and the leaves seem to be decomposing. With the recent rain, it makes sense that the water level was higher than the last visit. I couldn’t even see my original spot!

Salmon Hole is overall a super cool spot. My favorite aspect of it was honestly the location. The convenience of taking the 2 bus to Winooski five minutes down the road is hard to complain about. It is gorgeous and easy to access. I also enjoyed how there are so many elements of nature in such a small plot. Sitting down in my exact location, you can see still water, rapids, rock, forest, urban life, and wildlife! Salmon Hole is very diverse in what it offers.

If it were not for Rock Creek Park, growing up in Washington DC would have been way more difficult than it was. I am not a city girl. Rock Creek is no Salmon Hole, but I was very happy to be back home in my little wilderness.

Like Salmon Hole, Rock Creek Park is the perfect example of an urban wilderness. The trail is right next to the road and you can hear the construction and cars nearby. There are no super big rock formations I noticed. It was not the prettiest day to visit for a phenology blog. The ground was soggy and cold with rain droplets hitting me every minute or so. I am not familiar with the history of the area or the park, but the species of plants covered a much smaller variety than what I have seen around Salmon Hole. I was not planning on bringing a gift for the land, but I brought my pup along with me and we chased off some disruptive squirrels…my gift to the environment.

This trip to Salmon Hole was a good morning to be there. Arriving I noticed the water was higher than last time. I was confused at first because there was somehow less rock at first glance. While sitting on the rocks and absorbing the sun, I noticed three different ladybugs which made me smile. The patterns throughout the rock were cool to me as well. I even found a bunch of little divots to perfectly hold my skateboard! Sitting in silence was interesting to me because it allowed me to focus on my sense of hearing. I noticed things I don’t think I would have considered without doing that activity. The wind rustled throughout the trees, the rapids were smoothly flowing and the small grass plants around me were rustling. The vegetation looked similar, if not, the same.

Salmon Hole is an incredible place because of its contrast. The way I arrived was just as if I was in my home city of Washington DC. I skated to the bus stop and took the bus through Essex to end up next to a Domino’s. Once reaching Salmon Hole, I immediately noticed how it was next to so much urban civilization which made me appreciate Burlington. Salmon Hole is just below a parking lot followed by trails that lead down to the water. I chose it because I went fishing earlier in the school year and caught some sunfish!

I noticed fish and tadpoles in the water close to the bank. There were countless sugar maple and American beech trees walking down toward the water. Very few trees were just starting to lose their foliage and all of the colors are still bright. I was happy to see my phenology site in the peak fall season before it started to get dark and cold outside.

Welcome to UVM Blogs. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!