west river trail

Birding on the West River with the Vermont Land Trust
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Birding on the West River with the Vermont Land Trust

birding on the west riverDATE: Saturday, May 17
TIME: 7:30 –10:00 am
PLACE: Riverstone Preserve, Brattleboro
River corridors provide important habitat for migratory and breeding birds. Grab your binoculars and join VLT’s Kerry Doyle on Saturday May 17 for a morning of birding along the West River Trail in Brattleboro. Co-sponsored with Friends of the West River. RSVP appreciated but not necessary. Meet at the Rice Farm Road trailhead access to the West River Trail. Click HERE to register. Click HERE for a map. If you have questions, contact Sharon at 802-262-1241 or sharon@vlt.org. Hope to see you there!

West River Trail Detour Open at Southern Trailhead
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West River Trail Detour Open at Southern Trailhead

Great news! The trail detour around the I-91 bridge construction has been completed, and the southern trailhead near the Marina Restaurant is now open. The ephemeral spring wildflowers are profuse. It is a good time to get out and explore the Riverstone Preserve and the West River Trail. Photos by Alex Wilson.

Here’s the update from Jason Cooper:
Over the last couple of weeks we have been able to re-route the part of the trail between the interstate bridge and the trailhead by the Marina Restaurant. Thanks to the generous support of: Adam Winstanley, who permitted us to move the trail on to his property, PCL, the interstate bridge contractor, J. Evans construction, who skillfully built the new trail segment, and several volunteers, we are open at last.
The new section of trail passes under the interstate on the hill just below the bridge abutment. This location offers a great vantage point to watch the bridge construction. Today I watched them drilling holes for the new bridge footings. Happy Trails.
To access the detour trail from the Marina trailhead, look carefully for a small yellow sign & turn right up the hill. Look closely and take care – the sign is easy to miss. See photo below.

IMG_20140501_133557_894

Brattleboro Bridge Replacement: The Lower Section Trail is Open
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Brattleboro Bridge Replacement: The Lower Section Trail is Open

sign on the west river trail, photo by Elin Waagen

Though the lower section of the West River Trail is closed at the Marina Trailhead, the northern trailhead at Rice Farm Road is open.

The Friends of the West River Trail are developing an alternate trail route that will be available for use soon. Notice will be provided when all measures are completed for the alternate trail. Stay tuned!

If you’re out on the trail with your pets and animals, please clean up after them. While most people clean up litter and waste from their dogs, there are some that don’t. Please consider other users and the environment and clean up after you pet.

West River Trail Section in Jamaica Vermont
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West River Trail Section in Jamaica Vermont

wrt jamaicaThe  Vermont State Parks and the Green Mountain Club recommends the West River Trail at the Jamaica State Park as a place to hike in early spring. Hurray for spring!

Here is an excerpt from the Green Mountain Club webpage: Click HERE for more info.
Plan spring hikes in hardwood forests at lower elevations. If a trail is so muddy that you need to walk on the vegetation beside it, turn back and find another place to hike. Avoid spruce-fir (conifer) forest at higher elevations and on north slopes before late May and from the end of October until frozen or snow-covered.
Some recommended places to hike this spring are:
Southeast Vermont:
• West River Trail , click HERE for details.
• Jamaica State Park Trails

Recreational Trails in Jamacia State Park:  West River Trail, 2.0 miles from park entrance to Cobb Brook Bridge.
One of few converted rail beds in southern Vermont, the section in the park is universally-accessible and great for easy walking, jogging or biking. Open to all foot travel and bicycles. The trail meanders along the West River, following the old bed of the West River Railroad. Look for “The Dumplings,” a group of large boulders about one half mile up the trail. Follow the trail for another 1.5 miles to reach Cobb Brook. After crossing the brook, the trail continues to Ball Mountain Dam (another 0.5 mile on federal property). Completed in 1961 for flood control, the dam stands 265 feet high and is 915 feet long. The section of trail in the park is part of a rail trail that is managed by the Friends of the West River Trail.

With the trails in State Parks, check in with the VT Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation to see if the park and trails are open. Their phone number is (802) 241-3655.

 

Birding on the West River
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Birding on the West River

birding on the west riverRegistration is open for the Birding on the West River walk sponsored by the Vermont Land Trust.
River corridors provide important habitat for migratory and breeding birds. Grab your binoculars and look for birds along the West River Trail.
DATE: Saturday, May 17
TIME: 7:30 –10:00 AM
PLACE: Riverstone Preserve, West River Trail, Brattleboro, VT
Sponsored by The Vermont Land Trust. Click HERE to register. If you have questions, contact Sharon at 802-262-1241 or sharon@vlt.org.

Hitchcock Presented at Londonderry Depot
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Hitchcock Presented at Londonderry Depot

The_Trouble_with_Harry

Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense, mystery, at times horror and even humor. Two upcoming Londonderry Depot events on Hitchcock are featured in the Manchester (VT) Journal Arts section. To read the full article, click HERE.

The public is invited to two events in early May celebrating the career and legacy of famed film director Alfred Hitchcock, both taking place at the restored South Londonderry Depot on Route 100 and hosted by the Friends of the West River Trail.
The first, on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. will be a presentation of Hitchcock’s career, supported by clips of his most renowned works, by film expert Rick Winston. Two weeks later, on May 16 at 7:30 p.m., the Friends of the West River Trail will present a screening of “The Trouble with Harry,” perhaps Hitchcock’s most comedic venture, though still with a touch of the macabre.
The Depot is handicapped-accessible. The events are free and open to all.

The first, on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. will be a presentation of Hitchcock’s career, supported by clips of his most renowned works, by film expert Rick Winston.
Hitchcock famously said “Some films are slices of life; mine are slices of cake.”
Winston’s presentation consists of 12 film clips, from “The Thirty-Nine Steps” (1935) to “The Birds” (1963), with a discussion of the evolution of Hitchcock’s craft, an exploration of his favorite themes and motifs (innocence and guilt, ordinary people in extraordinary situations, thrilling climaxes in public places, inanimate objects which take on great significance), and his work with famous collaborators. Winston grew up in Yonkers, N.Y., and became hooked watching old films on TV at a young age. He went to Columbia College and University of California, Berkeley. He moved to Vermont in 1970 and founded the Lightning Ridge Film Society, which morphed into the Savoy Theater in 1981. He was a founder of the Green Mountain Film Festival and was its Programming Director until 2012. Since 2009, he has been teaching film at Burlington College and the Community College of Vermont.
Winston’s presentation is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council as part of its’ Speakers Bureau program. The Vermont Humanities Council is dedicated to creating a State in which every individual reads, participates in public affairs, and continues to learn throughout life. Thanks to the sponsorship by the Humanities Council, there is no cost to attend. Voluntary contributions to support the preservation of the Depot will be gratefully accepted, but are not required.

On May 16 at 7:30 p.m., the Friends of the West River Trail will present a screening of “The Trouble with Harry,” perhaps Hitchcock’s most comedic venture, though still with a touch of the macabre. The story is set, and partially filmed, in Vermont and, unlike some of Hitchcock’s films, will not afflict its viewers with recurring nightmares. Fledgling performers appearing in “Harry” include Jerry Mathers, before “Leave it to Beaver,” and Shirley MacLaine (her film debut) alongside veterans John Forsythe and Edmond Gwenn.
This is a community event hosted by the Friends of the West River Trail. There is no admission charge. Again, however, voluntary contributions to assist with the upkeep of the Depot will be accepted.

The West River Trail Run June 7, 2014
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The West River Trail Run June 7, 2014

trailrunpostrSave the date!
The West River Trail Run
June 7, 2014
A spectacular run along the West River from South Londonderry to Jamaica in beautiful Southern Vermont. Open to single runners & relay teams of 3. Hikers and walkers are welcome and will start about an hour before the runners.
For more information, please call 802-824-4200 or check the The West River Trail Run website. Or follow on Facebook. 

Brattleboro Bridge Project: Week of March 24, 2014
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Brattleboro Bridge Project: Week of March 24, 2014

west river trailThe West River Trail is open from the northern trailhead to a point just north of the bridge construction area. The northern trailhead access location is on Rice Farm Road, about a mile south of the Iron Bridge. The trail is closed at the Marina Trailhead and through access will not be permitted from the north. Truck activity on the West River Trail will be increasing heavily throughout the spring and summer. For everyone’s safety, recreational users of the West River Trail should seek out alternative access points to the West River Trail or one of several other trails available to the community. Signage at the Marina Trailhead and Rice Farm Road Trailhead will indicate current trail status. Check the project’s website for the current status of the trail.
If you would like additional information, or would like to add others to this distribution list, please contact Cindy Cook, Public Relations Officer, Adamant Accord, Inc. ccook@adamantaccord.com.

Public Invited to Trail Talk for I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project
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Public Invited to Trail Talk for I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project

wrt trail talk 10The PCL+FIGG Team will conduct the next on-site “trail talk” for the Public on Saturday, March 8, 2014. These trail talks will discuss the status of the I-91 Brattleboro Bridge Project and allow the public to ask questions. The talks will originate at the West River Trail near the marina. The trail talk will be led by Caleb Linn, Project Manager for PCL (lead contractor), and Garrett Hoffman, Design Manager for FIGG (bridge designer).
Interested participants should meet the PCL+FIGG Team at the West River Trail trailhead on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at 8 a.m. and the talk will begin at 8:15 a.m. Participants will walk the trail to the I-91 bridge site, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
The project’s website features up-to-date information about the project, construction photos, and live traffic cameras. If you would like additional information, or would like to be added to the email distribution list for all project updates, please contact Cindy Cook, Public Relations Officer, Adamant Accord, Inc. at ccook@adamantaccord.com.

36 Miles of Trouble: The Story of the West River R.R
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36 Miles of Trouble: The Story of the West River R.R

The following is a guest post by Dan Snow.

Excellent cross-country skiing conditions can be found these days on the newly established West River Trail. The former rail bed along the east bank is ideal for gliding over the snow pack. Glimpses of the frozen waterway and woodlands are peaceful today but the stillness is deceiving. It masks a time not so long ago when the air was full of anticipation. The driving wheels of a steam locomotive made the iron rails sing underfoot and soon a thirty-car train would come chugging by.

Evidence of the days when trains passed through West Dummerston twice a day have mostly disappeared. What’s left to see is an old station house in the village and the granite piers at the river’s edge that once held up a bridge. Fortunately, a lively remembrance of the Brattleboro and Whitehall Rail Road Company was written by Victor Morse and published by Stephen Green Press in 1959. 36 Miles of Trouble: The Story of the West River R.R. chronicles the slow rise and long decline of the line. Morse earned college money on the West River line. As an adult, he operated a saw mill in Brattleboro that made railroad cross-ties. Growing up, I knew him as my father’s no-nonsense friend who’s wool pants were permanently caked in sawdust. His wry sense of humor only came out full-force on the pages of 36 Miles of Trouble. By turns, a historical document and a personal remembrance, the slim volume is a testament to the first, and last, time that the citizens of West River Valley were hitched, for better or worse, to a mode of public transportation.

“The West River Railroad’s best years were its first. In the two decades before the turn of the (20th) century it enjoyed its greatest patronage, which was nothing to rejoice about and gave its best service, which was nothing to excite praise. Unreliable as West River trains came to be, it was never strictly true that they would wait at the station for a hen to lay another egg so the farmer would have a dozen to send to Brattleboro.” (From 36 Miles of Trouble)