Members Only
Saturday, April 1 — WRWA Members Only Field Trip — Somerset Old Growth Forest Tour
County Forester Bill Guenther will lead a tour to a stand of old growth on a 60-acre property that was a gift to Leland & Gray High School. About 12 – 15 acres are stocked with the big birches; the remainder is in spruce/fir and beaver flowage. We offer this trip only to WRWA members, with group size of at least five and no more than 12. Bill will need to hear from you by March 21st if you want to participate.
As parking near the forest is very limited, we will meet in West Brattleboro at 9:30 a.m. to carpool to Somerset. From the road at the western edge of the property, we will bushwhack east to the old growth. Bill recommends that you bring X-country skis for the road and snowshoes for the woods where brush complicates movement on skis.
At about noon, we will have a picnic lunch at the campsite. It will be a nice warm-up if you also bring a thermos of your favorite hot beverage. After lunch we will continue to the birch stand to see these magnificent specimens, many with diameters greater than three feet. We expect to end our day around 3:00 p.m.
Somerset is the icebox of Windham County; Spring comes very late at the Somerset Old Growth Forest! Although our trip will be in April, we could have severe winter conditions, so dress warmly and in layers. We want to assure a safe and enjoyable day for everyone.
Please call Bill Guenther at 802-257-7967 (ext. 305) to reserve a spot, get the specific meeting place, and to make sure you’ve got the right gear. This trip is moderate to somewhat strenuous, and we’ll be a long way from anywhere. Bill also needs to ensure that the access road has been plowed, and he will notify the registered participants if adverse road conditions necessitate cancellation of the tour.
