Experience the First Weekend of Fall on the Sally Drew Trail

September 26, 2013
Anna Slack, Programs Coordinator

This weekend will be the first full weekend of fall and you can certainly see, hear, and feel it around the Upper Valley.  Canada geese and other migrants can be heard in the skies and seen on water bodies as they make their long journeys south.  Neighborhood trees and far off ridge lines are beginning to blush with autumnal oranges, yellows, and reds.  That crisp feeling has returned to the beginning and end of the day and some mornings you can even see your breath!

This is a time of year I find myself stopping a little more often to appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells of the Upper Valley.  If you’re like me and would like to spend some time this weekend taking in our Valley you can join folks in Vershire on Saturday to participate in the 9th Annual Rivendell Ramble!  This event is hosted by the nonprofit Rivendell Trails Association (RTA) and is their major fundraiser of the year.  The mission of the RTA is to create and maintain the Cross-Rivendell Trail, a 36 mile recreational and educational resource that connects the four towns of the Rivendell School District, Fairlee, Vershire and West Fairlee VT, with Orford, NH.  Read more about the history of the trail here.  Participants will run and hike along different sections of the trail and then gather at the Westshire Elementary School in Vershire for lunch.  Registration and suggested donation information is available here.

This year UVLT will lead the family hike up Patterson Mountain along the Sally Drew Trail.  The trail begins on private land previously owned by Jim and Joan Ashley and runs onto land owned by the Town of Vershire.  The Town acquired their property as a gift from Sally Drew in 1985 as a gesture of her interest in protecting the area around the peak of Patterson Mountain.  The Ashley’s donated a conservation easement on their property to UVLT in 1991.  Together these two parcels represent a significant area of land on which recreation, wildlife management, and timber production are the primary emphasis.

The original Sally Drew Trail was built in 1993 by townspeople, students and staff from The Mountain School and Vershire Elementary School.  It later became part of the Cross-Rivendell Trail and continues to be a popular local spot for a quick but moderately difficult hike with spectacular views.

Consider joining us to support this community resource and enjoy a beautiful example of what early fall in the Upper Valley has to offer!

A shuttle will depart from the Westshire Elementary School at 9am – click here for all event details.