I own three weeks of timeshare in central VT (the Mad River Valley). The first, which I have had for almost 35 years, is in the summer - usually around the thrid week of July. A few years ago I acquired two more weeks (weeks 39 and 40) which start around right around the end of September and sometime after Labor Day. This year, the two weeks run from 1 October to 15 October.
This area is one of my favorites, and there aren't many places better than central VT to spend peak foliage time. I can't always make it here for the entire two weeks, but I always make sure I'm here for part of the time at least. It's peaceful, beautiful, lots of places to be outside (walking, hiking, sitting) and there are lots of art galleries and small bookstores still around. Two of the very few types of shopping I actually enjoy.
The other thing I really like is that this small resort is all standalone residences. Nobody on the other side of a wall, or over or under you to think about. The inside is a very Scandanavian/ski chalet kind of vibe. Here is a picture of the resort and one of the inside of the main room, which combines living, dining and kitchen. Oh, and one of the ceiling/rafters, which are just beautiful. So again, peaceful, calming - and I don't have to feel guilty that I'm not doing things that have to be done around my own house!
I have cousins up here with me this week, and we have been out walking/hiking multiple times. Our first foray was to an area called Wu Ledges. I had actually never heard of it prior to this week, so went looking for some information. This is part of what I found.
This 145-acre forest, owned by the Town of Waitsfield, includes extensive woodlands, diverse habitats, bedrock outcrops, shore lands along the Mad River, and open land. Its signature feature, Wu Ledges, is a large outcrop and cliffs with outstanding views of the Mad River, Mill Brook, surrounding hillsides, and the spine of the Green Mountains. Town ownership of the land and trail rights-of-way on some adjacent parcels was made possible through several generous donations to the community between 1999 & 2017. Most of the Wu Ledges Town Forest has been permanently conserved by the Vermont Land Trust to protect its valuable natural resources and provide diverse recreational opportunities.
The path we took was a loop off trail of about 1.6 miles (about 2.6 km), and it was a relatively easy path. There were one or two places where the trail was a little steeper but they were short, and otherwise it was just a nice (not much groomed) dirt walking path through the woods. This was Monday (3 October) and the foliage was not still before peak, but it was beautiful nonetheless! If you wonder about the house, these trails actually are through a residential - in the VT mountains sense - area. This house was beautiful and just off the path as we started our walk.
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