A refreshing change of pace from the Gilbrook reserve in Winooski, the Bolton Valley backcountry area is a lush, healthy area full of thriving wildlife. On a 3100 foot summit between Bolton Mountain and Ricker Mountain is an area rich with coniferous trees and sweeping vistas of the Green Mountain Ridgeline. On my most recent visit, animal tracks were few and far between due to immense snowfall from the last few days. Cold temperatures and recent precipitation likely caused animals and other wildlife to stay dormant temporarily and wait until precipitation subsides and sunlight becomes abundant.

Similar to Mount Mansfield, there is a very noticeable transition between deciduous trees and conifers as elevation increases. At lower elevations of 2000 feet there is an even mix of maples, oaks, and pines, and but the presence of deciduous trees significantly dwindles near the 3000 foot mark and conifers take over almost entirely at that point. Near the summit are towering Eastern White Pines and Balsam Firs, all of which were thickly blanketed in snow during my visit. This was an enormous contrast compared to Northern Vermont groundcover in mid-December, where even the highest peaks were mostly bare in December but are now covered with several feet of snow.

To reach the Stowe View summit there is a network of trails along the southeastern face of the backcountry area. The most popular starting point is the Bolton ski area parking lot, but the backcountry zone connects down to Bolton Center and also features two connector trails which travel all the way north to Stowe.