Vermont Fire Towers

Mike Snyder is passionate about keeping Vermont forests healthy, especially in the face of climate change.  We met up on a wooded trail in Stowe to talk about the consequences of overuse, the foliage outlook for this year, and how we can be more mindful when we’re exploring the woods.

At one time there were 38 fire towers in Vermont. Now there are fewer, but Vermont fire towers are more popular than ever. Luke O’Brien, a forest recreation specialist with the State of Vermont, talks about the history of Vermont fire towers and why they matter. Visit my website: happyvermont.com Help support Happy Vermont: patreon.com Subscribe to Happy Vermont's newsletter: mailchi.mp/happyvermont/subscribe

South Mountain in Bristol is a legendary place.   Ethan Mitchell, a history and mathematics teacher, grew up in nearby New Haven. He’s a folklore enthusiast who has researched tales of money digging in Vermont, including stories about people searching for treasure on South Mountain.   https://happyvermont.com  

Along Vermont’s interstates stand a unique collection of 16 abstract sculptures created by internationally renowned artists. more than 50 years ago. These sculptures were placed at rest areas along Interstates 89 and 91 in the early 1970s. Decades later, most of them are now hidden by forest growth. That will soon change. The collection could be described as the largest outdoor presentation of sculpture in the world. Art conservator Bob Hannum of Barre is working with the state of Vermont to clean, repair and move these sculptures into view so they can be enjoyed once again by the public. Visit happyvermont.com Support this podcast: patreon.com/c/happyvermontpodcast

Margaret Loftus is a former public defender.  She’s now a farmer. She and her husband Jonathan left Brooklyn for Vermont in 2006 in search of a better place to raise their kids—Keelan, Tobin and Wendell—and grow their own food. After years of learning about farming, growing organic vegetables, and raising animals for beef, pork and lamb, the family-run Crossmolina Farm—named after a town in Ireland—became a full-time enterprise in 2018. In this episode, Margaret talks about creating a new life in Vermont, learning how to farm, and creating a tight-knit community around food.    Read about Crossmolina Farm in Daybreak  Find events, stories and more podcast episodes on HappyVermont.com Help support this podcast on Patreon and get free swag.   

Host Erica Houskeeper talks with attorney Spencer Crispe of West Brattleboro and forester Norm Arseneault of Granville about why Vermont ancient roads still matter. Subscribe to my newsletter Support Happy Vermont on Patreon  Visit HappyVermont.com Get in touch: [email protected]

Chris Wilcox is vice president of Wilcox Ice Cream in Sunderland. Chris was my first friend when my family moved to Vermont in 1979.  Not only were we friends, we were neighbors, too. I would zig zag my way through a couple of fields and cross a dirt to get to her house. The farm you see just south of Equinox Valley nursery on Route 7A, where Chris spent her childhood. But 24 years ago, on May 7, 2001, a fire tore through the farm on Route 7A, destroying multiple buildings, including one that housed the ice cream business. The farm you see now on Route 7A is no longer part of Wilcox Ice Cream. It hasn’t been for years. For the past decade, they’ve been making ice cream out of their facility in Sunderland.  In this episode, Chris talks about ice cream, hard work, perseverance, love and loss.   https://www.wilcox-ice-cream.com https://happyvermont.com  

Hotels used to stand at the top of some of Vermont's mountains, like Mount Mansfield, Camel's Hump, Snake Mountain and Mount Equinox.  Mary Skelton spent eight childhood summers at the Mount Mansfield Summit Hotel. It was a hotel her dad managed, and he served as the hotel's postmaster.  In this episode, Mary talks about the old hotel on Vermont's highest mountain, her joyful memories, and the end of an era.

Vermont has no shortage of offbeat place names. What is special about place names is that they come with a story, either a true story or one that's a mix of myth, folklore and fact.  In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper shares some of Vermont's interesting place names.  Support Happy Vermont on Patreon  Visit HappyVermont.com

The town of Stratton is best known for the popular ski area, Stratton Mountain Resort. But beyond the 3,000-acre ski area, the town has 30,000 acres and about 300 full-time residents. At one time in the 1930s, the population was so small that there were fears the town would go the same way as the unincorporated communities of Glastenbury and Somerset.  Town Clerk Kent Young talks about Stratton's tiny population, the fire tower on top of Stratton Mountain, the lack of post offices in town, and an old tragic tale from Kelley Stand Road. Support Happy Vermont on Patreon  Visit HappyVermont.com Subscribe to Happy Vermont's newsletter