Mount Tom (Vermont)

The Faulkner Trail is a popular trail traveled on the mountain. It switchbacks up the southern facing side of the mountain all the way from the base to the peak. From the top is a panoramic view of the town of Woodstock, Vermont. The trail was built by Marianne Faulkner for her husband over 75 years ago. The purpose of the trail today is for scenic enjoyment, as well as connecting the Woodstock Trail System to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.[3]

The trail was recently repaired by local forces and the National Park Service. In 2004, the Billings Park Commission began to restore this trail. Most of the work was implemented by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) crews. Together with restoration specialists, a majority of the repair work went into stonework, cleaning out and restoring culverts, and repairing the trail tread in Faulkner Park. Starting at the Faulkner Park, the trail is 3.75 miles in length.[3]

Mount Tom is home to many species typical to Vermont and New England.[4] The most common mammals are eastern chipmunks, red and grey squirrels, woodchucks, and white tail deer. More nocturnal mammals are raccoons and skunks, while rarely seen are foxes, fisher cats, or black bears.[5]

Many of the birds that live on Mount Tom are season songbirds common to Vermont. Both seasonal and year-round, it is mostly songbirds that live within the confines of the forest. An example of which is the Hermit thrush, state bird of Vermont. Very common on the mountain are various species of owl that hunt nocturnally. The species of owl are mainly the barred and barn owls. Near the Pogue, birds such as Great Blue herons feed.[6]

Because Mount Tom has many different types of habitats, the aquatic environments, including both the Pogue and many streams, support the lives of reptiles and amphibians. Many common varieties of frogs, salamanders, and toads can be found in bodies of water and streams on the surface of Mount Tom. Also near the pond, reptiles such as snapping and painted turtles reside. Snakes are not common on the mountain, but common species such as garter, milk, and red belly can be spotted on the forest floor.[7][8]

Mount Tom has on it many trees that are not native to the area. This is because Frederick H. Billings, the owner of the land before it was a park, took to planting various patches of trees from other parts of the world. These would include Norway spruce, red pine, European larch, and also trees that were more localized such as sugar maples, beeches, and birch trees. Some of these trees, being deciduous, are a pinnacle of Vermont for their bright foliage that peak every autumn. Trees such as pine, spruce, and larch, however, are evergreens, and keep their leaves year-round.[9]

The mountain is also full of various types of Fern, the most abundant types being Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern) and the Athyrium (lady fern).[10]

The road to the Pogue is an annual 6.1 mile running race that takes place on the carriage trails of Mount Tom. The race is run every year by many members of the community of Woodstock. The course travels along the most scenic parts of the mountain and National Park with views to Mount Ascutney, a lap around the Pogue, and back down to the south peak of Mount Tom overlooking the village of Woodstock.[11]

BioBlitz was a citizen science event put on by the National Park Service and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.[12] The event was to inspire members of the local community to participate in a park wide species identification effort as part of a larger NPS wide initiative in 2016 for the NPS centennial celebration.[13] It was a day dedicated to explore the mountain and learning about the organisms that live there. It included guided tours of the trails by park rangers for people to learn as much as they can. The purpose of the day is for members of the community to help identify species of plants and animals on Mount Tom and in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. Contributions are added into the Vermont Atlas of Life.[14]

Trek to Taste is an annual event in the town of Woodstock that celebrates local foods on the trails of Mount Tom and the National Park. Events that take place include guided walks around the trail system, farm fresh food samples along the trails, arts and crafts, trail games, quests and community health exhibits and Ice Cream Socials.[15]

Peak-to-Peak-to-Pogue is annual fall event hosted by the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park with a variety of partners. The event focuses on inspiring visitors to hike the seven mile round trip that includes south Peak of Mt. Tom to North Peak and over to the Pogue, a 15 acre pond located on the National Park. Most years, the NPS has guided hikes, family activities, and a celebratory non-alcoholic cider for those that complete the hike.[16]