Our Day at the Salisbury Fish Hatchery

This is what we do on a cold early spring day in Vermont. We visited the Salisbury Fish Hatchery a few weeks back, then drove to Lefferts Pond to release 250 Brook Trout… This is a photo collage of our day…

That’s Kay scooping out the Brook Trout (Brookies) from the tank…

Delivering the Brookies to the transport tanks…

Rainbow Trout… they were not being released on this day.

The transport truck…

That’s Seth… he manages the hatchery, and has been doing so for over 31 years!

On the way to Lefferts Pond…

Chittenden Reservoir adjacent to Lefferts Pond… That’s Pico Ski Mountain in the distance…

That’s Kay in action… releasing the Brookies into the pond. Before releasing the fish, one of the team members checks the water temperature. There cannot be more than a five degree difference between the water in the tank and the pond…

Hand-delivering the fish into the pond… it’s a little slower this way!

Watching an opportunistic fisherman at the right place and the right time!

Of course he got one…

From Our May 2024 Newsletter…

We visited the Salisbury Fish Hatchery a few weeks back, then drove to Lefferts Pond to release 250 Brook Trout… This is Vermont’s most historic hatcheries listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. They began raising fish in 1931 that produce approximately nine million trout eggs annually. The hatchery raises five different trout species—Brook Trout (Brookies), Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead Trout, and Lake Trout. The Brookies may be the most beautiful…

Kay joins me in thanking everyone at the Salisbury Fish Hatchery for an incredible visit and field trip… we’ll be back with many of our Pond Mountain Inn guests. This was truly an amazing experience that anyone visiting Vermont must take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

 

Ice Fishing on Lake St. Catherine

Want to spend time catching fish through the ice—let us know next year!

Ice shanty towns spring up all over Vermont… we love seeing these temporary hard-water communities!

That’s Kay a few years ago after reeling in a nice Brown Trout!

Carrie & Kay enjoying all the comforts of life on the ice…

The ice fishing season is most likely over, but the stories continue… This adorable ice shanty stands all by itself in the northern section of the lake with dense conifers providing a stunning backdrop—one of our favorite winter photos, and there’s more!

These ice shanties are often hilarious—not so much the inherent danger of depositing a structure atop a frozen lake, but the creativity of fashioning a temporary shelter with the amenities of home. Our friends, Carrie and Kevin, introduced us to ice fishing a few years ago have created “ice fishing towns” where friends bring their shelters out on the ice and congregate with fellow anglers— beer in one hand and venison in the other while waiting for fish to bite.

Look at the photo again; see all those things sticking out of the ice? Those are tip-ups. Through a drilled hole, an ice fishing tip-up holds your baited hook at the desired depth waiting for a fish to bite. Once a fish has snagged the bait, the tip-up pops a signal flag and alert the angler. There’s nothing more exciting than reeling in a big brown trout, and later having it for dinner!

Vermont state law requires that ice fishing shanties be removed from the ice before the ice weakens. The shanty must be removed before the ice becomes unsafe or loses its ability to support the shanty or before the last Sunday in March, whichever comes first. The fine for leaving your ice fishing shanty on the ice can be $1,000.

Lake St. Catherine is only minutes from Pond Mountain Inn

 

 

 

Christmas in Québec City

Three nights in Québec City is all you need… Enjoy this brief photo collage of our time in this magnificent historic town… many of our photos are of the Château Frontenac, Québec City’s most famous landmark, and is also the most photographed hotel in the world.

Winter Afternoon in Québec City…

Le Château Frontenac Hotel and Christmas Service at The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity… And, that’s the Saint Lawrence River.

The Traditional Toboggan run is one of the very oldest attractions in town…

The end of the toboggan run… after reaching speeds of 70km/hr., and only $4.00!

The Sun Sets on Le Château Frontenac… with breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and the fortified old city.

Wander through Petit-Champlain, one of the oldest shopping streets in North America…

The Christmas tree set in the cobblestones of the square, near Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church… The site of the first French settlement in North America.

Christmas Carolers in Front of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, the oldest stone church in North America… Built in 1688.

“The Fondue Guy” at The German Christmas Market… We just love this photo!?!?

Christmas Dinner at Auberge Saint-Antoine, Our Museum Hotel in the Heart of Old Quebec City…

Classic Bistro-Style Steak Tartare at Louise Taverne & Bar à Vin… Situated in the Port-Royal Hotel in the heart of the Old Port of Quebec City.

Dinner at Auberge Saint-Antoine…

The simple elegance of this fabulous cobblestone French-speaking province…

Free Skating… Patinoire de la place D’Youville.

Vermont’s Pond Mountain Inn is The Gateway to Québec City…

  Thanks to Québec City Tourism for a few of their photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Royal Montreal Curling Club Experience

The Royal Montreal Curling Club, established in 1807, the oldest active sports club in North America, located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada… is where ten of us enjoyed two hours on the ice learning about this Olympic sport. We Didn’t Just Read the Story, We Became the Story!

That’s Arianna—doctoral student and former professional ballet dancer in perfect form.

Inside The Royal Montreal Curling Club, Established 1807…

David… with “The Delivery”, the curling term for throwing the rock…

A Little Hijinks on the Ice… Before Taking Their Sweeping Positions…

Andrée Ciccarelli, Top Fashon Designer, Shows Off Her Elegance on the Ice…

That’s Eric—Formidable Stone Thrower looks Intently Down Ice…

Sweeping makes the rock go farther and straighter…

That’s Andrée, Arianna and Chris Watching the Accuracy of David’s Delivery…

Armann—MIT Engineer and Plastic Surgeon Absolutely Delivers “The Perfect Throw!”

Kay Focusing on Her Delivery Mechanics!

Team Vermont, Center Stage…

We Discover New & Exciting Experiences at Pond Mountain Inn!

 

Don’t Just Read the Story, Become the Story!

Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition • Experience the Olympic Sport of Ski Jumping • Brattleboro, Vermont

Wall Street Journal columnist, Rob LaZebnik, wrote last month… “When I recently turned 60, I realized with alarm that I was starting to see unmistakable signs from friends and colleagues that I was becoming—there’s no easy way to put this—boring. It was almost as if the same stories I had told a hundred times were no longer interesting to them. But what else was I supposed to talk about? It wasn’t like I had anything new and exciting to tell them…” Rob went on to say, “…not doing, anything too simple, like eat a kind of pork dumpling I’ve never had or anything too complex, like raise a pig, fall in love with it, then force myself to kill it to make a new kind of pork dumpling.” This article absolutely resonated with us… the pig thing, yes, that’s exactly what we did, except for falling in love with it—chickens too, and Black Angus, but that’s another story. The point that Rob and I are making is get out there—seek out those life-changing experiences, and Don’t Just Read the Story, Become the Story! This is exactly what we do at Pond Mountain Inn…

Please read Rob’s complete article… How to Avoid Being Boring at 60.

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/how-to-avoid-being-boring-at-60-1e9d087a?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1

Staging Barbeque Provisions on a Remote Lake George Island…

Robert Lincoln’s Observatory at Hildene—The Lincoln Family Home • Manchester, Vermont

With our highly-skilled fishing guide, our guests experienced the exhilaration of reeling in big fish!

Since Wall Street Journal columnist, Rob LaZebnik, mentioned pigs in his article, we had to show you ours!

Brookfield Ice Harvest and Winterfest • Brookfield, Vermont

That’s “Winter Kay” at Au Comptoir in Woodstock, Vermont…

Celebrating Our First Curling Lesson… at The Royal Montréal Curling Club.

“You Guys Do The Best Stuff” is a quote from one of my former colleagues after reading about a few of our amazing experiences in one of our newsletters… another one of our frequent guests once remarked, “The drive is exciting as the destination itself. It’s amazing what you stumble upon along the way!”

The point of all of this is, the magic is in the unfamiliar—perspective comes from encountering something completely new… Thank you for spending a few minutes with us, and please visit us at Pond Mountain Inn.

Our Hacker-Craft Factory Visit

Maybe you’re not a boating enthusiast, and you don’t need to be to appreciate mahogany and old-school craftsmanship of a Hacker-Craft boat. Just standing in the presence of 30-40 “Hackers” in various states of completion is one of those memory-etched moments. A Hacker-Craft mahogany boat requires varnishing every 3-5 years depending upon the amount of direct sunlight it absorbs each season. Varnishing costs vary between $13,000-$19,000, and each boat receives fourteen coats. These magnificent boats are literally works-of-art on water, and are regularly awarded “best-in-show” at boat shows across America. But in reality, they’re “The Only Show!” See our Pond Mountain Inn September / October 2023 Newsletter for more.

Exciting Highlights from our “Factory Tour”…

Complete Restoration: 2011, 22-foot Runabout—Sweet Pamela II, asking price, $215,000.

Rear View of Sweet Pamela II…

New Boat… A Closer Look…

Boatbuilding at Hacker-Craft…

New Boat Skeleton…

Accidents Happen… Repair Cost, $239,000…

Full Restoration: 1928/1929, 29-foot Racing Runabout, Waiting for a Ferrari V12 Engine…

Vintage Hacker-Craft Sign…

Kay joins me in thanking Hacker-Craft, and Collin Hunter for some spectacular insights into luxury boatbuilding—for more information contact Collin directly at 518-543-6666.

#hackercraft

 

 

 

 

 

Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Rides

Another Stumble Upon Moment… on our way home from Saratoga, we spotted a colorful hot air balloon in the process of being inflated—a first for us! There are fewer things as exciting as witnessing a massive balloon 10-12 stories tall preparing to ascend into a still evening sky.  The ideal launch location should be a quarter acre or more, and free from any immediate obstructions. The pilot must consider a number of variables before taking off—wind direction, side gusts, weather conditions with no thunderstorms or adverse conditions in the vicinity, just to name a few. Once the balloon left the ground it  passed silently overhead with an occasional burner blast that can deliver more than 20 million BTUs in a single pull… as it elegantly drifted away.

 

 

Guests and friends alike always stumble upon exciting adventures at Pond Mountain Inn…

Click Here For More About Adirondack Hot Air Bolloon Flights.

 

 

 

Our Snapping Turtle Story

This is a baby Dorset Snapping Turtle… characterized by its elegant features, and sleek formidable dark shell. He was discovered at the Dorset Field Club this afternoon, then relocated to a tiny nicely-suited pond in nearby Wells. Our immediate concern for this silver dollar sized hatchling, only a few hours old, born this late into the season could survive a harsh Vermont winter? Thankfully, the answer is yes, confirmed by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department… hatchlings emerge between August and October. We look forward to seeing “Snappy” in the days and years ahead until which time he outgrows the confines of his modest new home…  There’s always something exciting going on at Pond Mountain Inn!

#vermont #snappingturtle

Golfing at Pond Mountain Inn

Pond Mountain Inn’s resident golf professional, Leo Reynolds, was on property this week in Wells, Vermont. Having improved immeasurably in just a few days, I felt confident that I could drive the golf ball well over Northeast Mountain across the road, sadly, you can see from the enhanced photo that I came up short…

#vermont #golflife

There’s Something Special About This Beaver Pond and Lodge

During our recent trip to Waitsfield for yak meat we discovered this beaver lodge standing nearly seven feet tall! But, that’s not the entire story… the most interesting part of our discovery was the shallow beaver-engineered pond – just look at the lower left corner of the photo. This large family of beavers constructed an entire ecosystem to live and raise their pups! We’re always stumbling upon something fascinating!

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