Happy Vermont

Backyard Rope Tows in Vermont

Pete and Sandy Gebbie are farmers and skiers. They have three rope tows on their 400-acre property, which sits at an elevation of about 2,000 feet. When the snow is good, friends come over to ski.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the first rope tow, which opened in Woodstock in January 1934.

In this episode, Pete and Sandy talk to host Erica Houskeeper about running a rope tow and what the tradition of rope tow skiing means to Vermonters. 

The Early Days of Skiing at Stowe and the Remains of a Plane on Camel's Hump

Vermont’s skiing had a big year in 1934. Ninety years ago, the first rope tow opened in Woodstock. It’s also when the Stowe Ski Patrol got its start, when the Civilian Conservation Corps were busy building trails in Vermont, and when the first purpose cut ski trail was completed on Mount Mansfield.

Brian Lindner of Waterbury is a historian, ski patroller, and outdoor enthusiast. While hiking on Camel's Hump when he was a boy in the 1960s, he stumbled upon World War II plane wreckage, which sparked his lifelong interest in local history.

In this episode, Brian talks with host Erica Houskeeper about the story of the plane that crashed into Camel's Hump, the early days of Stowe Mountain Resort, and the spot along Interstate 89 that goes over the top of the engine room of an old rope tow.

In Vermont, Why Are Things Where They Are?

Jane Dorney of Richmond is a geographer who helps people connect to the Vermont landscape and understand how it evolved.

She approaches her work with the geographer’s question: Why are things where they are? 

In this episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper talks to Jane about settlement patterns, maps, town centers, villages, covered bridges and old mill sites.

https://janedorney.com

https://happyvermont.com

Appreciating Mount Tom in Woodstock

Mount Tom in Woodstock isn’t a particularly tall mountain. But its environmental legacy, easy public access and central place in the community are monumental.

Mount Tom is where you’ll find miles of trails, beautiful views, a shining mountain top star, and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, the only national park in Vermont. It’s also where the American environmental movement was essentially born 160 years ago.

Host Erica Houskeeper talks with resident Randy Richardson about the mountain's legacy, hiking trails, and special place in the community. She also checks in with resident Norm Frates about replacing the wooden Woodstock Star on the south peak of Mount Tom, which was installed after World War II.

For more Vermont stories, event listings and podcast episodes, visit www.happyvermont.com. 

An Accomplished Marathon Runner Shares His Drive to Help Others

John Lent, of Waltham, started volunteering many years ago at the Vergennes Community Foodshelf with his late wife, Mary Ann. She was the driving force behind the couple’s volunteering efforts in the community. After Mary Ann died in 2020, John decided to keep volunteering in her honor. 

John is not only an avid volunteer, he’s also an accomplished marathon runner. He’s completed marathons in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, and all seven continents.

In this episode of Happy Vermont, John shares what motivates him to volunteer and why getting out of your comfort zone is essential. 

Learn more: 

Vergennes Community Foodshelf

Vermont Sports magazine interview with John Lent

HappyVermont.com 

Finding a Home for Roller-Skating in Vermont

Alicia Taylor and Joanna Alpizar met at a pop-up roller-skating event in Burlington. The two BIPOC women became fast friends and are now on a mission to create a public, welcoming, year-round space for roller-skating in the Burlington, Vermont area.

In this podcast episode of Happy Vermont, Alicia and Joanna talk about the joy of roller-skating, the history of roller-skating, and creating a welcoming skating space for the community.

Read the story here on HappyVermont.com.

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Disappearances in Glastenbury, Witches in Pownal and Vampires in Manchester

Jamie Franklin opened an exhibition at Bennington Museum earlier this year called Haunted Vermont, which explores disappearances in the Bennington Triangle and the work of mystery writer Shirley Jackson. Jackson lived in North Bennington and some of her work was inspired by the strange happenings in this area of Southern Vermont.

This episode of Happy Vermont highlights disappearances in Glastenbury, witches in Pownal, and vampires in Manchester and Shirley Jackson's work.

https://benningtonmuseum.org

https://happyvermont.com/2023/10/11/bennington-triangle-happy-vermont-podcast/

 

 

Hawk Watching on Putney Mountain

Every fall, John Anderson of Dummerston and a group of volunteers monitor birds that are migrating south for the season.

For decades, these volunteers, known as the Putney Mountain Hawk Watchers, have recorded the number and kinds of hawks they see and report the information to Hawk Migration of North America, which maintains an online hawk count database.

Established in 1974, Putney Mountain Hawk Watch is the only autumn raptor watch in Vermont that is monitored daily between August and November.

In this episode of Happy Vermont, John talks about hawk watching, what it brings to his life, and the time he saw more 6,000 birds fly over Putney Mountain in one day.

https://happyvermont.com

http://putneymountain.org

 

At Shelburne Orchards, Nick Cowles Found His Groove

If you’ve ever been to Shelburne Orchards, chances are you’ve seen or been lucky enough to meet owner Nick Cowles. Nick has spent most of his life at the orchard, which his father purchased in the 1950s. Nick loved growing up there, and when you visit, it’s easy to see why.

Host Erica Houskeeper met up with Nick to talk about apples, brandy, and how running the orchard changed his life for the better.

www.happyvermont.com 

www.shelburneorchards.com

 

Hiking is Pure Joy for Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark

The summer she turned seven years old, Charity Clark's first outing on Vermont's Long Trail was at Little Rock Pond in Mount Tabor. Years later, she completed the 272-mile footpath across the Green Mountains, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States.

Today, Charity is Vermont's first female attorney general. Even with a busy schedule in Vermont’s highest law enforcement office, she spends as much time as she can outside—hiking, skiing or exploring the woods.

In this episode of Happy Vermont, Charity shares her love for hiking and the outdoors and why Vermont is her forever home. 

Read the story: https://happyvermont.com/2023/08/29/hiking-the-long-trail-charity-clark-podcast/