CATS and the local group John Brown Lives! will host a Full Moon Hike at the Viall’s Crossing Trail in Westport on Friday, February 7. The hike will begin at 6 p.m. This is the hike rescheduled from January, and since now it looks like we’ll have snow on the ground, it’ll be even better. The moonlight does magical things when the ground’s white!

Although this is the first collaboration between CATS and JBL!, it’s a natural fit given the history of Viall’s Crossing Farm and its connection to John Brown. Asa Viall, the son of the farm’s first owner, was a friend of the abolitionist, who led an unsuccessful raid on a Virginia armory in 1859. Brown was executed as a result of the raid, and Asa provided and drove the wagon that took Brown’s body to its final resting place in North Elba, near Lake Placid.

The farm had been in the same family for five generations when CATS preserved the 135-acre property in 2018, working with the Eddy Foundation to purchase the property and then purchasing a conservation easement to protect the history and the land for future hikers to enjoy. Viall’s Crossing was then sold to a young farming family and CATS created trails on the land, which have proved to be among the most popular in the CATS network.

The Full Moon Hike will follow a loop trail at Viall’s Crossing called John Brown’s Trail, which commemorates the farm’s historical connection to John Brown, passing by some towering trees that bore witness to Brown’s passage 160 years ago.

The 1.5 mile hike will take about an hour and a half and if there’s snow, participants are welcome to snowshoe or cross-country ski. The hike will begin at a point just west of the railroad tracks on Route 22, about halfway between Westport and Wadhams; look for the bright yellow trail signs.

After the hike, participants are invited to meet and dine at a local restaurant to be determined.

There is no fee for the Full Moon Hike, but registration is requested in case there is last minute information to share. Please share your contact info (including a phone number) at info@champlainareatrails.com or by calling 518-962-2287.

More fun activities coming up!

And on Saturday, February 8, join the Backcountry Ski Exploration.

We’ll meet at 9:30 am at the Observers’ trailhead to explore woods and roads west of Poke-O-Moonshine. David Thomas-Train will lead this trip for skiers with at least intermediate skills to manage some steep, narrow terrain. It will be a challenging 3-4 hours.

Call or text David Thomas-Train at (802) 989-6134 for details and to sign up.

The Observers’ trailhead parking area is one mile south of the former Poke-O-Moonshine campground on Route 9 in Lewis.

The Science of Snow
Saturday, January 25, 2020, 10-11am

We all know that snow is that beautiful white stuff that falls from the sky this time of year. But how does it form? What are the different types? (Did you even know there were different types?)

Come find out everything you never knew you wanted to know about snow AND try some snow science experiments too! We’ll use some easy kitchen chemistry to play with the properties of ice, make our own snowstorm, and more. All ages and abilities welcome.

Point au Roche State Park has a full schedule of fun programs. Click here for the full January list (look for the button to the right that says  “Upcoming Events.”