Vermont 2021 {10/24: Little Jay Hike, Sheldon Junction Bike Trail, Enosburg Falls}

We have had some rainy days, and more are in the forecast, so when Sunday looked sunny, we made sure to spend as much of it outside as we could. Before church we hiked up Little Jay Mountain via a segment of the Long Trail, then cut into the resort and walked to the top of the Jet Lift. We did this same hike last year and loved it, and this year did not disappoint, either. We even worked in our primary lesson about hard times making us stronger and being good for us with the perfect object lesson: hiking! We were up and back in two hours, with plenty of time for watching the Tabernacle Choir and showering and getting dressed for church.

After church and a quick lunch, we hopped in the car with our bikes still strapped to the back, to ride on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail starting in Sheldon Junction. We've passed this spot a few times and I've wanted to stop and ride each time, so it was fun to finally get out and ride. We didn't go far, but we enjoyed the big old iron bridge and the lovely farm views and leaves along the trail.

On our way back to the condo, we stopped at Enosburg Falls, a town we pass through often, too, but have never really stopped in. The falls are part of a dam (what I learned later is called a weir) and are quite pretty. When we got to Montgomery, we took the long way home over Hazen's Notch and through Lowell and Westfield back to Jay. It was a lovely day for a drive.

We came home to a warm crockpot of split pea soup, a fun facetime chat with Grandpa and Grandma Elwood, and an ice cream party with the McClungs.

I love this late fall forest look!

Good mushrooms to be found here, too.

And ice in a stick! Weird and cool.

I love the camouflage details these fungi
have figured out. One looks like the wood
and one looks like dry leaves. Pretty clever! 

My new Jay Peak beanie with Jay Peak in the background!

Birch bark is my fave.

Birch bark is Sam's fave, too.

Crossing the Missisquoi River on the rail trail.

That's how the cars pass, and how I knew this would
be a fun spot because as we drove by on that bridge,
I'd see the rail trail bridge off to the side.

The farms around here are pretty dang pretty.

Tree tunnels for the win!

A little about Enosburg Falls.
(And this spot is along the Northern Forest
Canoe Trail which goes from Canada
into New York and sounds pretty amazing!)

The falls of Enosburg.

Downstream.

That white building houses an old diesel
generator.

Straight up from the road is Jay Peak in the distance.
I don't know why I never noticed it from this angle
before!

We had seven minutes left on this one
when we finished our drive, so we turned it on
and listened to the very end while we ate our dinner.
Fun story, well-told and excellently narrated.
We all enjoyed it!

Ice cream time! Take your pic from twelve different
flavors! (It's harder than you think to choose!)