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| Just over the ridge, in the distance, is the way to Mad River and Sugarbush ski areas. |
It appears
we live in the Banana Belt. The
Deep South part of the Banana Belt, judging by the snow we haven’t got right here, on our road, that is. ('Banana' is relative, of course, as we’re
talking about Vermont.) There are
dustings of white and frozen puddles underneath that snow, but the fields show as much brown
stubble as white, and the woods are half white, half brown, the trees
bare. So it is surprising
to travel a few mere miles to the east, toward the high mountains, and find fresh
snow, plenty deep enough to ski on, and, a bit closer to the mountains, abruptly discover a world of white on white on white.
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As soon as you drove up one of the gaps (i.e., mountain passes) the world looks different.
This happens to be Appalachian Gap. |
How did that happen? We had a day of warmish
(30’s) weather during which it rained, then sleeted, and then, while the
temperature still hovered around freezing, there came a layer of wet snow. The wet snow glued itself to the trees,
and was followed by several inches of light, fluffy snow and very low
temperatures. The cold (in the
minuses, and no higher than about 15-20 degrees) allowed every bit of fluff to
stay exactly where it was. Not
even bright sunshine managed to loosen the trees of their burdens. But all of that didn't happen right here. But close.
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| A creek along the Robert Frost Trail on Middlebury Gap. |
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A row of trees or perhaps bushes, bowing as if in homage
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Branches form an arbor on the Robert Frost Trail.
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"The woods are lovely, dark and deep..." (Frost)
But today they have an inner light. |
Many trees
had already shouldered a load a month ago when they had to carry a tremendous
load of ice and snow. That wasn’t
pretty. And there was so much damage. Sadly many of those same trees never
had an opportunity to try and straighten again before this fresh, albeit somewhat more
gentle, assault. Along the Robert
Frost Trail on Middlebury Gap the path I walked was often blocked by limbs bent so low
they formed a kind of arbor. I
noticed with pleasure that although there was one set of footprints before
mine, whoever had walked the trail had taken care not to disturb the snow on
the limbs he or she had slipped beneath.
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| At the top of 'App Gap' |
The effect
was more pronounced on Appalachian Gap.
But as you drove over the top the phenomenon abruptly ended, the trees
showing only some fresh snow, nothing frosted. At Sugarbush, if you looked back at Mt. Ellen, you could see the top third of the mountain
covered in white.
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Beautiful conditions, but brutal wind, plus cold!
Couldn't take the ride up, we left early. |
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| This side of Ap Gap, looking ahead to Mt. Ellen |
The large view is not the only angle for seeing something beautiful.
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| The very cold mornings sometimes make frost on the side of the house, like these butterfly crystals. |
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| A seat from which to contemplate the view, at the Robert Frost Trail. Aaah! |
