Category Archives: Pine Hill Partnership

Wild Times At Pine Hill Park


Winter, 2024-25 Season by Tom Estill


On the first day of Winter in Dec. of 2024, I was feeling bad for the birds and decided to purchase and put up 1 bird feeder and 2 suet feeders near the trailhead. Returned two days later to see what kinds of birds had been attracted to the feeders only to find all 3 feeders gone! No sign of them anywhere. Well, I’m not doing that again.

By Christmas Day, snow was about 6” deep, and temperatures were very cold. On Dec. 26th, the only bird I saw on my 2 hr. hike was a crow. Now that I think about it, I believe I’ve seen crows on just about every hike I’ve been on at Pine Hill Park since I first started hiking there in 2013.


On Dec. 27th, I observed tufted titmouse, crow, and white-breasted nuthatch. Many deer tracks could be seen throughout the forest, along with coyote and small rodent tracks. I was so delighted to once again see porcupine tracks leading up to its den in the rock outcrop near the intersection of the power lines and the Carriage Trail. In years past, I’ve set up a Trail Cam at the spot and have recorded porcupines walking in and out of the den. Coyotes have also denned there in the past.


On Dec. 28th, Dave, Shelley and I participated in the annual Audubon Society Bird Count. Our results are as follows: White-breasted nuthatch-16, Crow-24, Robin-1, Black-capped Chickadee-23, Tufted Titmouse-20, Mallard-3, Downy Woodpecker-10, Brown Creeper-3, Cardinal-1, American Goldfinch-137


By the first week of Jan., both ponds were completely frozen over, and there was about 1” of snow on the ground. The only birds seen those first 10 days of Jan. were crows, pileated woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, ravens, and robins.


On Jan. 11th, I collected a sample of creek water and debris underneath the bridge near Rocky Pond just to see what microscopic organisms might be found in that habitat that time of year. In just one drop of water, I observed hundreds of diatoms and Midge Larvae. Midges are those flying insects you see flying about the forest in late winter, commonly mistaken for mosquitoes due to their similarity in appearance.


The first week of Feb., I once again set up my trailcam in an area near the fox den on Middle Giorgetti Trail. But unlike last time, the only animal recorded was a gray squirrel.


On Feb. 9th, I visited the park the day after a major snow storm had passed through the area. Over a foot of snow was on the ground. I was very surprised to see a large flock of Canada Geese in a V formation flying north overhead. Hairy woodpeckers, crows and robins were also seen. Now, about those robins. In all the some 35 years I have spent in VT and NH, I have never seen as many robins in the dead of winter as I have seen this winter. It’s as if they never flew south. They sure were enjoying the various berries around town.


In mid-Feb., I saw a pileated woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, large flock of crows and another large flock of robins in the park. I also had the luck to be in the right place at the right time to observe a FISHER walking through the forest near the old Crusher Rd. quarry. At first, because of its light brown color, I thought it was a marten, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a fisher. I’ve only seen a wild fisher a handful of times in my life and they’ve always been a dark, almost black, color. And that’s what threw me off.
On Feb. 21st, while walking through the forest I heard numerous BANGS, BOOMS, and CRACKS. They’re called Frost Cracks and I hear them every year about this time. They involve the freezing of water in certain cells of the tree, causing the cells to explode with a loud bang. Always fun to hear the sounds on a cold winter day.
Two days later, I was surprised to see numerous cottontail tracks in the snow near the huge boulder at the end of the walkway near the trailhead. Along with the tracks were numerous piles of rabbit droppings. I’ve been seeing more and more of those rabbits in the park as the years have gone by.


On March 3rd, I came across bear tracks in the snow and decided to follow them for awhile. From the Carriage Trail near the intersection which leads to the golf course, I followed the tracks to Rocky Pond where they led across the frozen Rocky Pond outlet-the same place my trailcam had photographed a black bear a few months earlier.


A few days later, winter packed snow was beginning to disappear from the park. On March 8th, numerous flocks of Canada geese were seen flying north. Both ponds were still frozen over, and trails had become treacherous with recent rains turning the compacted snow to ice.
By March 10th, bare patches of snow were beginning to be seen throughout the park.Temps. were in the 40s. It felt like spring. White-breasted nuthatches, red-bellied woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, brown, creeper, crow, black-capped chickadee, northern cardinal, tufted titmouse were all seen along with a pair of Eastern bluebirds flying in and out of one of the nest boxes near the trailhead. A red-shouldered hawk was seen near the Rocky Pond outlet where it has been seen in the past, and I saw my first midge flying about.The next day, I saw my first turkey vulture flying overhead and temperatures were in the low 60s! The day after that I saw a red-tailed hawk flying overhead. Both ponds were still frozen over.


By Feb. 19th, both ponds were starting to show open water in a few perimeter spots. In one of those spots on Muddy Pond were seen a few Canadian geese and Common mergansers.


That’s it for this edition. Please stay on the trails and enjoy the wild wonders of Pine Hill Park.

Matching Grant

We received two $5,000 checks from two families asking us to match the total. We are on our way to reaching that extra $10,000. Can you help? Any size donation is great. Donate here

Why this contribution match is important is for the deferred trail maintenance we put on the back burner building Maximum Capacity and Milk Run. These two trails took us almost 6 years to build. We did not do any maintenance to speak of during that time frame.

Our trails are showing their age with rolling grade dips diminished so water is running down the trail tread which is not sustainable. It’s not as glorious like a new trail but it’s necessary with the heavier rains and increase number of users the park is experiencing. If we don’t control the water now we won’t have trails 20 years from now.

Our goal for next summer is to work on drainage’s on the pedestrian trails that have been neglected for many years. Svelte Tiger between Seeping Ledge bridge and Watkins Wood Rd will get some serious attention as it’s one of the main trails for mountain bikers of all abilities to reach other parts of the park. Other trails will receive spot treatments to improve the drainage’s.

We hope to build some progression jumps in the park next year. This is in the early planning stages now so stay tuned.

Long term project is a universal accessible trail around the Lower Giorgetti trail. We have a design/concept plan. We are moving through the wetland permitting now. Rutland Recreation and Pine Hill Partnership are collaborating on a grant to pay for this trail. This is all in the very early stages of planning. If you see blue and some orange flagging that will be the new trail that will have a crushed 3/8th’s minus surface.

New Features

Volunteers along with KSA Built have put in two new features on Furlough.

Name this feature by sending pinehillpartnership@gmail.com an email with ‘name that feature’ in the subject line.

Winner gets a choice of Pine Hill Partnership t-shirt or hat.

24 Annual dinner

We are back in person in 2024!

Come join Pine Hill Partnership who is hosting our annual dinner to talk about up coming projects. We will have other organizations joining in the conversation to hear about what is happening in KMBC, WAMBA, SVT, GMT and ROC. Got all those acronyms???? Basically all the trail systems within less than an hour from Rutland.

We are holding on meeting Sunday, March 24th. At the Godnick Ctr, 1 Deer St, Rutland. Start time is 5pm with soup/chili being available for folks.

You do not need to be a current member of Pine Hill Partnership to attend.

Hope to see you there!

Winter time closed trails

We have closed Exit Strategy, Droopy Muffin steep hill-between Intersection 30 and 30A and Lichen Rock. We have problems with freeze thaw cycles on these particular trails throughout the winter into early spring. Please respect closed trails. Thank you your hard working volunteers.

Wild Times Nature Report

Tom Estill summer report is here! What a fantastic read too.

By the first official day of summer numerous birds are already successfully nesting in the park. For years now, the house wren continues to nest near the trailhead, either in one of the small birdhouses you see as you start your walk up to the trailhead, or in the birdhouse at the far end of the wooden walkway a short ways past the trailhead kiosk. I was sad to see an old dead beech tree, which for years had been used as a place for yellow-bellied sapsuckers to make their nests, had been blown over. For 7 years, the sapsuckers would drill a hole in a different spot on that dead tree. I always wondered if it was the offspring that was returning each year.

On this first day of summer, I saw the stunning scarlet tanager, always singing on Crusher Rd. near the old quarry, the American redstart, chestnut-sided warbler, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo and white-breasted nuthatch.

So, on June 24th, while walking in the forest, I thought it would be fun to compare life in the forest near the first day of summer, with life in the forest near the first day of winter. So, on June 24th, it was very hot and humid. Birds seen included house wren, red-eyed vireo, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-bellied sapsucker, American redstart, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, song sparrow, ovenbird, Eastern pewee, veery, great crested flycatcher, blue jay, least flycatcher, hairy woodpecker, robin, Eastern towhee, hermit thrush, and Osprey on its Muddy Pond nest. Flowers blooming included white and red clover, ox-eye daisy, common buttercup, cow vetch, sheep laurel, blue flag, bedstraw, common fleabane, thimbleweed, yellow wood sorrel, multi-flora rose, yellow pond lily, fragrant water lily, rough-fruited cinquefoil, and partridgeberry. And many chipmunks out and about. Now, on the first day of winter 2022, I saw black-capped chickadees, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch and crows, the ground was covered in a few inches of snow, both ponds were frozen over solid, and the temperature was near freezing. Wow!, quite a difference all around.

On June 25th, I came upon an adult doe on Middle Giorgetti trail which started walking towards me for some reason. I slowly backed away to leave it alone. Yellow bellied spasuckers were feeding their noisy young all throughout the forest, and I was disappointed to find out that the Cooper’s Hawk nest high in a white pine on Lower Giorgetti had been abandoned.

On June 29th, a garter snake was seen at Rocky Pond, a doe and fawn were seen at the same spot on Middle Giorgetti where I saw the doe on June 25th, bullfrogs, green frogs and schools of young bullheads were seen at Rocky Pond, and new flowers blooming included whorled loosestrife, bulrush, foxtail, bluegrass, button sedge, and St. Johnswort.

On June 30th, I saw a few birds I don’t see often at Pine Hill Park, including the blue-headed warbler, a red-throated hummingbird feeding on milkweed nectar, and bluebirds at Rocky Pond. An Osprey was sitting on its Muddy Pond nest. Dragonflies were mating and laying eggs, and a red fox was observed, all at Muddy Pond. Butterflies seen that day included the white cabbage and great spangled fritillary.

On July 3rd, a pair of barred owls were seen on Droopy Muffin, sapsucker chicks were chirping like crazy on a Svelte Tiger trail, and a doe kept following me near the old rock quarry on Crusher Rd., leading me to believe someone had been feeding that deer.

A week later, I saw a belted kingfisher, great blue heron and osprey on Muddy Pond. Bullfrogs could be heard, and many large bullfrog tadpoles were swimming near the shoreline. Indian Pipe was starting to flower and blueberries were starting to ripen. A milk snake was seen on the Carriage Trail. But the best news is that the spongy moth infestation had finally ended after 2 summers of deforestation by that insect. Hopefully, we won’t see that moth for another 10 years or so. The American Chestnut tree on Svelte Tiger did not recover from last years defoliation, but side shoots were observed growing from the side of the tree in a few spots.

On July 17th, I saw an unusually high number of robins flying through the forest. That behavior isn’t usually observed until the fall. Don’t know what that was all about.

By the last week of July, the forest had become so relatively quiet. For the most part, nesting season was over, and some birds had already started migrating south. One thing that I, and everybody else noticed about the forest this season was the unusual number of mosquitoes. The increased rain this year provided ample opportunities for mosquitoes to breed. In my 11 years hiking Pine Hill Park, I have never seen so many mosquitoes. On one occasion, I actually had a large swarm follow me on my walk. It was not a pleasant experience. And yes, I used bug spray!

The last day of July, I was able to see one of my favorite flowers in the park-the small Pink flower. Usually overlooked by visitors and not very common, it can be seen on Crusher Rd., its color and petal markings are just striking.

The first week of August found the forest very quiet, with does accompanying fawns, blackberries ripe, lots of Chicken-of-the-Woods mushrooms, evening primrose in flower, a ruby-throated hummingbird attracted to the red marker flag I was carrying, and a migrating Cape May Warbler flying through the forest. They’re one of the early spring migrants to arrive in the park, and one of the first to be seen leaving.

The first “feel” of approaching Fall occurred on Aug. 24th. The only bird I saw that day was the Eastern Pewee, and the only mammal I saw was a doe on the Carriage Trail. Forest once again very quiet. Flowers in bloom included the hog peanut, silver-rod, arrow-leaved tearthumb and knotweed. I planted a couple more wild American Chestnut seedlings on the edge of the Carriage Trail at Rocky Pond. Very soon a blight resistant tree will be released in the wild to pollinate wild American chestnuts, producing a Wild American Chestnut resistant to the blight, and the beginning of the comeback to our Eastern forests of that magnificent tree.

A spike horn buck following a doe was seen on Svelte Tiger trail on August 26th. Many chipmunks were scurrying about, Sulfur and Pearl Crescent butterflies were seen, and Calico aster, panicled hawkweed, closed bottle gentian, and toothed white-topped aster were all in bloom.

On Sept. 5th, a Belted Kingfisher was seen fishing at Rocky Pond, many green frogs and newts were seen in the pond, a tiny American Toad was seen on Crusher Rd., many young pickerel frogs were seen throughout the whole forest, and a Cottontail rabbit was seen near the trailhead. A cardinal, dark-eyed junco, and white-breasted nuthatch were the only birds seen.

On Sept. 19th, I was very surprised to see a woodchuck run into a hole under a rock at Rocky Pond. I’ve never seen a woodchuck so far away from the only other place I’ve regularly seen them in the park, and that’s on Crusher Rd. The only plants flowering were goldenrod, snakeroot, and a variety of asters. Great blue heron and small flock of wood ducks seen at Muddy Pond.

Had a beautiful hike through the forest on the last day of summer. Short-sleeve shirt temperatures, and mosquitoes not a bother. Many birds seen including, cardinal, robin, broad-winged hawk, white-breasted nuthatch, blue jay, tufted titmouse, yellow-throated vireo, black-capped chickadee, hairy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, yellow rumped warbler, and a few wood ducks and Canadian geese at Muddy Pond. Found a short-tailed shrew dead on the trail near Muddy Pond. It looked in perfect condition. Could not determine what may have caused its death. Sticktight, New England aster, flat-topped white aster, and snakeroot all in flower. Many chipmunks out and about.

That’s it for this edition. Please stay on the trails and enjoy your walks in the forest.

About Memberships

We are an all volunteer organization that keeps the trails in Pine Hill Park in nice shape.

We are constantly working on trail tread repair, drainage, bridge repairs and downed trees needing removal.

Your membership, contributions, and donations all go directly back into Pine Hill Park. We will be putting over $100,000 worth of work into the trails in summer 2025 alone. And, we have a lot more to get done in the next couple of years. So, your membership dollars and contributions are really needed.

We do have some cool swag associated with our membership levels. Our 2025 design (below) is done and shirts are in production 🙂

Joining Pine Hill Partnership is easy! Check this link out! https://pinehillpartnership.org/membership/

Trail Work

KSA Built has been in the park since the end of May. Rosey finished up Exit Strategy so we could get that open.

From Exit Strategy KSA Built moved to Casey’s Cross to put a culvert in to fix our perpetual mud area.

Broken Handlebar North was next up for a major tune up. The table top has been improved with an ‘A’ and ‘B’ line for an exit. The ‘B’ line jump at the bottom that flows really well. Further down the rock face there is now a ‘jump line’. Please look at this feature before attempting to hit it. There is no roll over it is a ‘jump’. The rest of Broken Handlebar North received a tune up as well with some hip jumps, log jump.

Table top above

Jump Line! This does not have a roll off feature!

Jump line which does not have a roll off feature!

REMEMBER: Pre-ride, free-ride, re-ride!!! Broken Handlebar is not an easy access for first responders.

Rosey’s Rollover landing area received a little TLC. Next year the rest of this trail will be improved to make it more fun to ride.

Upper Halfpipe has gotten a significant upgrade. Many of the features that had been built in 2008 all needed some TLC. Lower Halfpipe is getting tuned up as well.

Upper Halfpipe getting a small reroute for better flow

Lower part of Furlough will have some drainage issues resolved. The water current runs straight down the trail tread which is not good for the trail.

Aaron’s Air will also receive some TLC before KSA Built leaves for the season.

All this repair work has been through an ERSA grant through the state. Pine Hill Partnership is paying out of pocket $11,000 as the quote and bid came in at different prices due to diesel being more expensive. Please consider becoming a member or making a contribution to help cover these costs. https://pinehillpartnership.org/membership/

Spring Nature Report

Tom had another great adventure in the park this spring:

The first day of spring found Rocky and Muddy ponds both still covered in ice. A crow, Northern Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse were the only birds seen on my walk that day. But I had the most fun setting up my trail cam in a rocky cliff face along the Carriage trail in an attempt to capture video of what I believed was a porcupine denning in the rocks. Porcupine tracks leading to the area, porcupine scat, and distinctive porcupine chew marks on nearby trees all led me to believe a porcupine was denning in the area.

A few days later on March 23rd, I went on an evening walk and, while standing along the shore of Rocky Pond, observed a dozen turkey vultures soaring high above the Ledges there, and  then start to slowly descend one by one onto and amongst the rocks. This is something I have observed many times over the years, always around the Spring Equinox. It makes me wonder if that area was closed to the public(something I am NOT proposing) would turkey vultures nest there? This day was also the first time I observed robins in the park. And, of course, gray squirrels were busy scurrying around.

The next day, I noticed that most snow was now gone from the lower trails, but increases as you go up in elevation. Bird courtship behavior was becoming more evident, with two hairy woodpeckers observed fighting each other over a nearby female hairy woodpecker. It was the first day I felt that spring had finally arrived. Red-bellied woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, robin, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadee, and white-breasted nuthatch were all observed. Both ponds were still completely frozen over with the exception of a small band of open water along Rocky Pond, and near the beaver dam on Muddy Pond. Eastern newts were seen in the open waters. Two pairs of Canada geese were seen in the open waters of Muddy Pond.

By March 26th, recent mild temperatures helped to melt snow, and there was much water flowing into Rocky Pond from the stream flowing under the walk bridge. The following morning walk was absolutely beautiful with my first seasonal sighting of chipmunks and Eastern bluebirds checking out the bird houses near the trail head. Song sparrows near the trailhead, red-shouldered hawks and broadwing hawks flying overhead, mallards and Canada geese at Muddy Pond, and a small pearl crescent butterfly flying about, all suggested that the great northern migration was underway.

On April 1st, I observed my first wild flower in the park, the Coltsfoot flower. Always the first flower to appear. Also observed my first mourning cloak butterfly, one of the first butterflies to appear in the park each early spring. Wood ducks, mallards, and Canada geese were seed at Rocky Pond and the Rocky Pond outlet area, a place I am sure wood ducks nest each year, though I’ve never seen an active nest there.

On April 3rd, Rocky Pond was finally ice free, and the forest was very quiet with only hairy woodpeckers and tufted titmouse being observed.

April 4th found nesting Canada geese, a dozen common mergansers, and a sleeping beaver all at Muddy Pond. A beautiful deer was seen near the 16A trail sign, and my trail cam showed a porcupine at that site on the Carriage Trail I had mentioned earlier.

A few days later, Eastern phoebes and a golden-crowned kinglet were seen for the first time in the park, and a pair of Osprey were seen at their nest platform at Muddy Pond. Eastern newts were mating at Rocky Pond.

As the days went by, more and more signs of spring were seen. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers had returned, a Cooper’s hawk was nesting in a tree along the 2nd Giorgetti trail, painted turtles were basking in the sun at Muddy Pond, and wood frogs were calling in the wetland area on the south side of Rocky Pond..

During the second week of April, trout lily started to appear on the forest floor, trailing arbutus and oak trees were now flowering, spring peepers and leopard frogs were calling, and hermit thrush were singing. Ring-necked ducks were seen at Muddy Pond. On April 15th I had the wits scared out of me when a ruffed grouse suddenly exploded into flight from a spot very close to where I was walking. So perfectly camouflaged are those birds.

During the third week of April, wood anemone, sedges, and barren strawberry were in flower.

A week later, I planted an American Chestnut tree seedling near Rocky Pond. The seedling came from a seed harvested by Mount St. Joseph Academy advanced biology students in the fall of 2022, and refrigerated until March of 2023. The students have been taking care of an orchard of 20 American chestnut trees since 2019 in the back of their school. In 2022, they harvested their first 27 viable American chestnut seeds, a first for a Vermont school.

During the first week of May you could find two-leaved toothwort, white violets, gay wings, bellwort, and wild strawberries all flowering. New birds seen included ovenbird and

yellow-throated vireo.

In Mid-May red eyed-vireos, house wrens, great blue heron, great crested flycatcher, and veery could be seen and heard, and flowers blooming included Solomon’s seal, false Solomon’s seal, wood betony, foam flower, and starflower.

During the last week of May I saw the beautiful northern oriole at Rocky Pond, the stunning indigo bunting at its usual nesting place underneath the power lines on Carriage Road near Rocky pond, and the breathtaking scarlet tanager in numerous places in the park.

Chestnut-sided warblers and American redstarts were back in good numbers. New flowers in bloom included common buttercup, early azalea, garlic mustard, and common cinquefoil.

During the first week of June I planted a new American chestnut seedling up at Rocky Pond to replace one that died over winter, and saw my first Viceroy and Eastern Swallowtail butterflies. The Viceroy is easily confused with the Monarch butterfly, but is smaller and has a black line across the lower part of its main wings.

During the second week of June you would likely see the following birds in the park: Song sparrow, Canada geese, great blue herons, wood ducks, common mergansers, tufted titmouse, American redstart, chestnut-sided warbler, red-eyed vireo, yellow-throated vireo, scarlet tanager, indigo bunting, Eastern towhee, ruby-throated hummingbird, catbird, yellow-bellied sapsucker, Eastern pewee, barred owls, hermit thrush, veery, and ovenbird. New flowers in bloom would include: common fleabane, ox-eye daisy, ragwort, sarsaparilla and moccasin flower.

On June 19th, I discovered a great blue heron nesting in the wetland area just behind the major inlet to Muddy Pond at the west end of the pond. I also saw my first White Admiral butterfly of the season..

That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails and enjoy observing the wildlife at Pine Hill Park.