< more recent | 13-21 September 2025 | older >
21 September 2025: Spent much of the day on Isle La Motte, a smaller island, but one that has some interesting history and most notably very ancient fossils at the Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve and the Fisk Quarry site. I also took some time to visit St. Anne’s Shrine, which has a church but also a very beautiful outdoor park with the stations of the cross in nature. I appreciated just walking around the site and had lunch on the water’s edge before continuing on and heading back to Grand Isle for the night … READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
20 September 2025: It truly was the longest day. I left camp in the black of night and returned to camp in the black of night. After catching the sunrise on Grand Isle, I continued north to the border with Canada and New York looking for the ruins of Fort Montgomery, which I was able to see from a distance, but could not access because of locked gates. I did find a random border crossing point which I had initially thought was just an RV boondocking under the bridge, but which I soon found out was an official border and customs location. From there I turned around and drove east almost across the entire state, to the region known as the Northeast Kingdom where I hoped to find a moose. I spent the rest of the day exploring around the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge, but didn’t see any moose (or beavers) though the habitat was perfect for them. Once the sun set and I couldn’t photograph anymore I drove all the way back to camp, arriving after midnight… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
19 September 2025: Left the “mainland” and headed for the Champlain islands where I set up base camp at Grand Isle State Park. The drive to the island included a segment that was a very long causeway across the lake, where it almost felt like we were driving ON the water itself. And the coastal area had some incredible wetlands with so many birds arrayed along the sand bar at the edge of the lake. I could have stayed there all day, but I needed to get the tent up before sunset… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
18 September 2025: Started the day on the Winooski River Delta in an otherworldly ambiance as the morning light transformed the sandy beach into a strange landscape with ghost trees and beached logs scattered across puddles that glistened. Got a promising lead on the beavers from some local birders while I was there. Then headed to the Shelburne Farms to learn how cheddar cheese is produced and see the unique farm estate property. After that I followed up on the lead from the birders with the intent to just scout the area, but to my happy surprise I encountered a sole beaver swimming downstream and was able to click off a few frames before he disappeared… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
17 September 2025: Broke camp this morning and headed north to the area around Burlington that once was a major mill town, along the Winooski River. The old industrial red brick buildings and tall smokestacks still exist there and have been turned into a vibrant artsy neighborhood centered around Winooski Falls. There are still a few bits of “ruins” at some of the old industrial sites, but mostly it is all renovated and full of life. At the same time the surrounding area still has a lot of wild spaces and it is said that there are beavers in the Winooski River (though probably not near the town center)… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
16 September 2025: Gave up on the beavers today and went for a nice hike at Thundering Falls where the waterfall was just a trickle due to the long drought Vermont has been undergoing. It was a very pretty site anyway, and the hike was nice going first through a field of wildflowers and across a wetland before entering the woods at an intersection with the Appalachian Trail. The waterfall should have been spectacular if it was flowing, but the dramatic eroded rocky path where it runs was an interesting visual even without the water. In the afternoon we went “chasing” some of Vermont’s historical covered bridges as if they were “checkpoints” plotted on the map in a route that meandered around the countryside making for a fun adventure… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
15 September 2025: Got up even earlier this morning and headed back to Lefferts Pond to try to catch the sunrise and a glimpse of the beavers, but didn’t get either, as it turns out the view of the sunrise was “blocked” by the trees and the beavers stayed out of sight. Still it was a gorgeous morning and I did find their lodge in the middle of a beautiful swampy marsh at the end of Wildcat road. Then I went scouting along Forest Road 10 (the Darby Tabor Mountain Road) which went through beaver habitat and where I saw a lot of evidence of the elusive animals’ activity, before completing my loop back to camp on pavement via the “scenic byway” US RT 100 … READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
14 September 2025: Up early to explore around Lefferts Pond and go looking for beavers, but I wasn’t quite early enough to catch the beavers at work. Later in the day I headed over to Baird Farms to learn about maple syrup, or “sugaring” as they call it here. A final stop at the Woodchuck Cidery where I picked up a few different flavors of cider for tasting back at camp… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
13 September 2025: Up early and first leg of the journey started with the Ferry crossing of the Long Island sound at dawn, then the long drive up into Vermont. We are beginning this road trip around Vermont in the Green Mountain National Forest and setting up basecamp there at Chittenden Brook. Took some time to do some exploring along the way, taking the “scenic route” via Kelley Stand Road, then stopping at Mad Tom’s to pick apples before going the rest of the way to camp… READ THE DAY’S COMPLETE FIELD NOTES
THIS MONTH:
An overland journey around Vermont with some interesting exploration of the varied ecosystems around the state as well as a deeper dive into history and culture…
Heading to Brattleboro Vermont for the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center’s Beaver Camp — a weekend of learning and exploring with the center’s experts. Classroom sessions include: Beavers and Healthy Streamscapes, Beaver Biology 101 and Beaver/Human Conflicts and Solutions. Plus a Streamtable Demonstration and a hands on installation of a “Beaver Deceiver” flow device. Participants will also take field trips to a variety of beaver sites as they learn to identify the signs of beaver activity and assess habitat…
COMING UP SOON:
Joining with the folks from the Long Island Orienteering club to take part in three events this fall that will help hone map and compass skills while enjoying the outdoors …
Returning to the “city of light” after a way-too-long hiatus and reconnecting with friends, favorite places and some urban exploring to change things up a little bit …
Taking part in a World War Two battle re-enactment at the Museum of American Armor on November 16th. The event features some of the museum’s armored vehicles in action during a simulated combat scenario from the allied liberation of France in 1944…
December is Holiday Roadtrip time, and this year we are heading back to a few favorite locations in the southeast as well as exploring a couple of new ones…
Nesconset | Paris | Belgrade | Chittenden | Winooski | Grand Isle | Brattleboro | Bridgeport
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
1-12 September – New York
16-31 August – New York
1-15 August – New York
July – New York
June – New York
May – New York
18-30 April – New York
8-17 April – Eastbound
1-7 April – Eastbound
22-31 March – California
17-21 March – AZ to CA
8-16 March – Arizona
1-7 March – Glamis
22-28 February – Roadtrip SW
15-21 February – Roadtrip SW
1-14 February – New York
January – Paris
23-31 December – Holiday Roadtrip
16-22 December – Holiday Roadtrip
18-15 December – New York
8-30 November – New York
1-7 November – Roadtrip South
23-31 October – Roadtrip South
15-22 October – Roadtrip South
8-14 October – Roadtrip South
1-7 October – Roadtrip South
Archive
ROADTRIP
An epic journey crisscrossing the USA from east to west and back again, exploring some of the beautiful wild spaces that make up our “public lands.” The roadtrip covered almost 15,000 miles, much of it off-grid and off-pavement, focusing on the deserts of the American southwest. Some locations were truly “iconic” while others were little known, and the segments of independent exploration where punctuated with some fun events across the region… [read]
SPECIAL REPORT
All about exploring ghost towns and abandoned places in the USA and beyond, with tips, and information on the many different types of sites to be found across the globe, including detailed guides for eight specific sites… [read]
