Ruby-crowned KingletJoin Rutland County Audubon and Slate Valley Trails for weekly slow-paced (3 to 4 miles, 3 to 4 hours) bird & wildflower hikes in the Poultney area, Tuesdays at 7:30 am. All are welcome. No worry if you can't identify many birds. There will be friendly birders in the group who will happily share their knowledge with you. Bring water and a snack (and insect repellent if you use it), binoculars, cameras, field guides, if you have them. There is usually an opportunity to cut it short if you need to leave early. They are at a slow pace with lots of opportunities for observing & photographing.
The walks will be limited to 8 people. Contact Joel Tilley to reserve a spot: jptilley50@gmail.com (preferred method), or 802-598-2583, evenings 7 to 8pm. We will be abiding by the most recent State of Vermont guidelines for social distancing. Please wear masks/face covering (when spread out on the trail we may be able to remove masks).
Tuesday, April 27 – Fairgrounds West
Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy terrain.
Tuesday, May 4 – Poultney River & Rail Trail
Meet at the D&H Trail crossing on Main Street, Poultney, at 7:30 am. For this outing we will walk the SVT Poultney River and Rail Trail (3.3 miles, Easy terrain). Expect to be out for about 3-1/2 hours.
Tuesday, May 11 – Fairgrounds East
Meet at the Fairgrounds Trail parking area (131 Town Farm Road, Poultney) at 7:30 am. The hike will be about 3 miles on Easy to Moderate terrain.
Tuesday, May 18 – Endless Brook
Meet at the Endless Brook trailhead (Endless Brook Rd, on left, 0.9 mi in from VT Rte 30) at 7:30am. Easy to Moderate terrain (250 ft elevation gain), 3 miles, 3 hours.
Tuesday, May 25 - Castleton University Trails
Meet at the D&H trail crossing on South St, Castleton, at 7:30 am. Visitor parking is behind the Stafford Academic Center in the Stafford lot (#39 on the campus map; click here for a PDF of the map). The map gets downloaded as a pdf, and has South at the top.) Easy terrain, 2.6 miles.
Tuesday, June 1 – Delaney Woods
Enter Delaney Cross Road off North Street in Wells, across from the Lakeside Park, and look for the parking area on the right. Meet at 7:30 am. Easy to Moderate terrain, 3.4 miles.
Tuesday, June 8 – Poultney River & Rail Trail, revisited
Meet at the D&H Trail crossing on Main Street, Poultney, at 7:30am. For this outing we will walk the SVT Poultney River and Rail Trail (3.3 miles, Easy terrain). Expect to be out for about 3-1/2 hours.