Waterfalls in Northern Vermont
A Week in Hyde Park, Vermont | Easy Waterfall Hikes | April 2023
Our week in Hyde Park, VT was both relaxing and productive in the apartment, with a few easy adventures thrown in. Charlotte showed improvements each day in both learning to navigate without her vision, and her face started looking better as the swelling went down. Every morning we would let her take her time waking up, and when she seemed interested in going for walks we would pick out something nearby and easy.
Big Falls State Park
We had a lot of goals and plans for the month of April that went down the drain when Charlotte started having eye problems. However, there was one that we were able to complete thanks to all our time spent in Vermont: We finally finished visiting every county in the state! After Charlotte’s first appointment in Burlington, we entered into 2 of the 4 (Grand Isle and Franklin), then our Airbnb in Hyde Park was in Lamoille county which we also didn’t have, which left only Orleans just North of where we were staying.
With that goal in mind, on our first day in Hyde Park we made the drive to the county. Curtis knew he wanted to hike Jay Peak which was in the county, but that was obviously too much for Charlotte, so we settled for a very small and remote park off the Missisquoi River, just South of North Troy and the Canadian border. The park is called Big Falls State Park, and it is just that: a big waterfall, and no other development. That was totally fine with us, because it meant we were all alone and Charlotte was safe to sniff all around the park. The river and falls were swollen from snow melt and recent rain, making them very impressive and fascinating to watch. We wandered around and enjoyed the different viewpoints, then sat with Charlotte on a big boulder and listened to the sound of the water crashing down.
After that, we drove VT-242 West to drive by the trailhead for Jay Peak so Curtis could scope it out, then we did a short driving tour of covered bridges around Montgomery. Unfortunately all were in use and not placed as picturesquely as the covered bridges in Madison County, IA or in Franconia Notch.
Moss Glen Falls
On our second day in Hyde Park, we made the short drive South to Stowe to hike a short and popular trail to Moss Glen Falls. It wasn’t too busy when we arrived, but on our return trip we saw quite a few families which made us realize that some school districts in the area must be on spring break this week. The trail started off very easy, walking on a boardwalk, passing lots of beaver sign and habitat. Snow cover gradually began to increase on the boardwalk as we went along.
The trail is easy right up until the end, where it switchbacks up a steep slope and ends up at the viewpoint for the waterfall. It was clear that people hadn’t been following the trail, as almost the entire slope was now made up of packed down snow and ice, making it very slick. It was no problem for us and our microspikes though — once again we were glad we brought them along despite it not looking like there was any snow at the beginning of the trail. We slowly and carefully led Charlotte up the trail, then picked out a spot to sit down and enjoy the falls together. We stayed for quite a while enjoying the falls — this one was my favorite from the week!
When we were ready to make our return trip, we once again went slowly, helping Charlotte find the easiest path down the hill. Curtis carried her for a short bit because she was having trouble finding traction, but once we were off the hill she was very confident and motivated to finish the hike on the boardwalk.
Right after getting down the hill, we crossed paths with some young kids (with parents following a ways behind). As we were walking by, one of the kids said loudly to the other, “Why would someone bring their dog on this trail?” (They hadn’t even noticed that she didn’t have eyes). Immediately Curtis and I made eye contact and jokingly mouthed, “why would someone bring their kids on this trail?” Not that we have any qualms with kids on trails, we just find that typically anything someone comments about Charlotte could be turned around on them. For example, the people who are quick to point out her age are usually not that young themselves. Anyway, we laughed at ourselves for having the same thought. The joke became even more funny (in a Not Funny way) when not 30 seconds later, the kid who had said that fell on the ice and started screaming. Curtis went back to make sure the kid was okay and the family was equipped to handle the situation, then we finished up our hike and made it back to the car.
Sterling Gorge Falls
The next day, we once again drove South towards Stowe, but this time went West on back roads that eventually led us to Sterling Gorge Falls. This was a short trail that went along the Sterling River, following the top of the gorge. There were signs throughout the area sharing about how the gorge was formed. There were a few cool viewpoints, but the trail was narrow with the steep drop off, and not all viewpoints were safe to reach because of the packed down snow and ice. Yet another “easy” trail where we wouldn’t have expected to need microspikes, but were very thankful that we had them! The gorge was cool, but I wasn’t able to get great pictures of it because of the lighting and the weird angles. Oh well, it was still a pleasant walk, and Charlotte seemed to enjoy walking on the snowy trail — it wouldn’t be long before all the snow was gone!
Bingham Falls
For our last adventure around Hyde Park, we drove South to Stowe and then West on VT-108 to Smuggler’s Notch State Park, where we parked at the trailhead to Bingham Falls. The trail here starts out wide and flat as it gradually goes downhill to the river and the falls. This part was very easy for Charlotte, and she set a relatively fast pace. Occasionally there would be a rock or obstacle in her way, but she always followed our instructions and made it around those. When we came to the river, the trail got a bit trickier with more rocks, small stream crossings, and eventually steps down to the falls, so Curtis and I took turns going to the falls and the other would lead her around the easier area, letting her sniff as much as she wanted. This hike went so well for her, she didn’t even really take a break like she had with the other hikes, and when it came time to head back she confidently led the way.
We had been wondering how people would react to seeing her on the trail post-surgery. I think in my mind I sort of prepared myself for people to judge us for ‘making’ our blind dog go for walks. In the first week I didn’t think I could even emotionally handle having to answer or say the words “She’s blind,” but as time went on and we were starting to see that she was still capable of hiking and enjoyed going for walks, the thought became easier to fathom. But it turns out, the comment we get the most isn’t judgemental, or doesn’t even require us sharing about the worst week of our life… No, the comment people say the most is “Aw, is she sleeping?” …While she’s walking, standing, sitting. And that’s only if they really look at her face, because most of the time they can’t even tell that she’s blind by the way she walks. The most common comments we hear are the same ones we’ve always gotten, about her short legs, long ears, and how dang cute she is.
Aside from all these hikes, we also enjoyed evening walks around Hyde Park, which was a very small and quiet town. We walked a little of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail both near Hyde Park and in Morristown, and Curtis walked the whole stretch from Morristown to Hyde Park. We enjoyed the Airbnb for the most part, the only downside being that it was on the third floor with very steep, narrow, and rickety steps which Charlotte wasn’t comfortable with so Curtis had to carry her down each time, and sometimes up. I don’t think she would have liked them even when she could see though. Aside from that, we liked how quiet the area was, and loved the West facing window which gave a great view of the mountains and sunsets. An added perk was that the furniture was all low to the ground which made it easier for Charlotte to jump up on. She doesn’t really jump off of furniture anymore, but I think that’s for the better because long dogs with short legs are more prone to back injuries from doing that. Overall, this was a positive week for all of us, and we started to have a better vision of how we could continue adjusting our lifestyle to meet Charlotte’s needs.
