We wanted to take a day to celebrate spring in Vermont, and envisioned a morning of sweet cross-country skiing on sun-softened trails to the Trapp Family Lodge sugar house where we could watch maple sap boil then lick the new syrup drizzled on an ice cone. Sugar on snow is an annual tradition at sugarhouses across Vermont. The second half of our Spring celebration would be a gallery walk around Stowe Village in the afternoon sun.
Alas, the best laid plans are always at the mercy of New England weather.
When our ski day arrived, Vermont seemed to have mid-winter on its mind. The sun shone brightly, but the wind it was a-blowing and the temperature was in the low 20’s when we pulled into the Trapp’s parking lot at 9am. We picked our way over frozen snow to the cross country ski center to buy our trail passes and ask about conditions. But we needn’t have worried – the conditions were fantastic with a couple of inches of fresh snow sitting atop perfectly groomed trails! No need for waxless skis . . .
Our original plan – to ski to the sugar house located a few kilometers from the lodge – was quickly aborted. Sugaring had come to an abrupt halt. The sap, which usually runs fast in late March, was not even dripping. And the sugar house wasn’t running, either. In fact, it wasn’t even open and we were the only humans in sight except for a lone driver buzzing around the trails in a grooming machine. The day did not promise to warm up above freezing, the temperature needed for sap to flow and for gathering to begin.
But never mind. The ski trails were lovely in the cold sun, and the wind was just a whisper in the trees. We glided along for most of the morning, then returned to the center to change clothes to prepare for our gallery walk. Our cheeks were aglow from the exertion and our spirits were singing from the beauty and peace we had enjoyed in the woods.
While waiting for our orders, we took our hot tea in hand and wandered around looking at the photos exhibited on the walls by none other than our own Pat Lyon-Surrey! Some of the photos captured scenes from Italy, Bali and backwoods Vermont, while others presented digitally arranged and blended collages and montages of stones, fruit, and flowers. Eye candy for the clientele (kudos to Pat!).
After finishing our lunch, our gallery walk began in earnest. There are, as near as we can count, 15 galleries accessible from Stowe Village’s sidewalks or the famous Stowe Recreation Path. You can hit them all with a gentle 4 to 5 mile walk.
Here is a profile of the galleries we visited in our afternoon wandering:
West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park, located by the west branch of the Little River. An indoor/outdoor space that promotes contemporary art in varied media by emerging and mid-career artists. Aside from their own collection, when we visited the gallery was featuring a joint exhibit by Susan Wahlrab and Marella Bisson titled Outside/New Visions of Nature. Wahlrab’s work featured lushly pigmented landscapes (printmaking and painting) with her newest work done on Clayboard. Marielle Bisson uses a mix of painting and collage techniques to create the effect of snowcapped mountains and rushing streams. We were captivated by both.
The Vermont Ski Museum, at One South Main Street (look for the traffic light at the junction of Route 100 and Route 108 in mid-town Stowe) is a happy place to relive the early days of skiing in Vermont and to celebrate Vermont’s skiing history. In the 1818 Old Town Hall, memorabilia from skis and boots to parkas and pins, and even a gondola bring the history of vermont skiing to life. We enjoyed a look at the exhibit called Lost Ski Areas of Vermont Remembered, finding some places near where we now live that we’d never heard of before! There are many ski documentaries shown on the front-and-center screen such as “Fire on the Mountain” that tells the history of the 10th Mountain Division or “Ski Sentinals” that tells the history of the National Ski Patrol. The attendant will gladly play the film of your request. Entry is by donation. Definitely worth a visit.
The Helen Day Art Center is housed with the Stowe Library in a beautiful old building in the village on School Street. It is is a member-supported, community arts and education non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the human experience through the visual arts. When we visited the East Gallery had an exhibit by two local artists, Gowri Savoor and Idoline Duke. Working in divergent styles and materials, both artists read messages and find meaning by exploring the patterns and forms of our natural world. Their shared passion for the environment is evident. Barbara and I were captivated by Savoor’s work which uses pine needles, maple seeds, nuts and cones to make three dimesional sculptures as well as large wall hangings.
Stowe Craft & Design is on Route 108 just across from the covered walking bridge in the Village. Whee! There are more than 300 artists represented in jewelry, art, sculpture, furniture, traditional crafts, clothing and fun and unique gifts. The Pewter Pocket Angels captured Barbara’s attention and pocketbook – charming little quarter-sized tokens to keep or give as spur-of-the-moment gifts! The variety produced by Vermont craftspeople is outstanding.
Our gallery walk ended with a cup of coffee at a small cafe on Main Street where we rehashed what we saw and laughed at ourselves for hoping that the end of March would really bring spring to Vermont. After all, we had both lived here for 25 plus years . . . what were we thinking? We left Stowe that day feeling that despite the snow and cold we had welcomed spring back into our lives.
You don’t have to come to Stowe to have your own transition to spring in the outdoors. There’s a town or a city near you where you can combine a gallery walk with a stroll to see new daffodils and crocuses sprouting; or if you prefer, take that first-of-the-season bike ride. Spring is such a hopeful time of year–take advantage of its new sights and smells and the warmth of the sun even if the temperature is below freezing.