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Outdoor recreation is breathing new life into Poultney, which is home to Lake St. Catherine, the Poultney River, the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail and Slate Valley Trails.
James Johnson lives off the grid in a yurt on land once owned by his grandmother. He's also the founder of the Fifth Season Race and Ride, a quirky mud season ride where participants ride around to local sugarhouses. 
In this episode of Happy Vermont, James Johnson and other locals talk about life in Poultney, exploring the outdoors in Poultney, and why they call this tight-knit community home. 
Read more: https://happyvermont.com/2024/04/09/outdoor-recreation-renaissance-in-poultney/

Pete and Sandy Gebbie are farmers and skiers. They have three rope tows on their 400-acre property, which sits at an elevation of about 2,000 feet. When the snow is good, friends come over to ski.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the first rope tow, which opened in Woodstock in January 1934.
In this episode, Pete and Sandy talk to host Erica Houskeeper about running a rope tow and what the tradition of rope tow skiing means to Vermonters. 

Vermont’s skiing had a big year in 1934. Ninety years ago, the first rope tow opened in Woodstock. It’s also when the Stowe Ski Patrol got its start, when the Civilian Conservation Corps were busy building trails in Vermont, and when the first purpose cut ski trail was completed on Mount Mansfield.
Brian Lindner of Waterbury is a historian, ski patroller, and outdoor enthusiast. While hiking on Camel's Hump when he was a boy in the 1960s, he stumbled upon World War II plane wreckage, which sparked his lifelong interest in local history.
In this episode, Brian talks with host Erica Houskeeper about the story of the plane that crashed into Camel's Hump, the early days of Stowe Mountain Resort, and the spot along Interstate 89 that goes over the top of the engine room of an old rope tow.

Jane Dorney of Richmond is a geographer who helps people connect to the Vermont landscape and understand how it evolved.
She approaches her work with the geographer’s question: Why are things where they are? 
In this episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper talks to Jane about settlement patterns, maps, town centers, villages, covered bridges and old mill sites.
https://janedorney.com
https://happyvermont.com

Mount Tom in Woodstock isn’t a particularly tall mountain. But its environmental legacy, easy public access and central place in the community are monumental.
Mount Tom is where you’ll find miles of trails, beautiful views, a shining mountain top star, and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, the only national park in Vermont. It’s also where the American environmental movement was essentially born 160 years ago.
Host Erica Houskeeper talks with resident Randy Richardson about the mountain's legacy, hiking trails, and special place in the community. She also checks in with resident Norm Frates about replacing the wooden Woodstock Star on the south peak of Mount Tom, which was installed after World War II.
For more Vermont stories, event listings and podcast episodes, visit www.happyvermont.com. 

John Lent, of Waltham, started volunteering many years ago at the Vergennes Community Foodshelf with his late wife, Mary Ann. She was the driving force behind the couple’s volunteering efforts in the community. After Mary Ann died in 2020, John decided to keep volunteering in her honor. 
John is not only an avid volunteer, he’s also an accomplished marathon runner. He’s completed marathons in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, and all seven continents.
In this episode of Happy Vermont, John shares what motivates him to volunteer and why getting out of your comfort zone is essential. 
Learn more: 
Vergennes Community Foodshelf
Vermont Sports magazine interview with John Lent
HappyVermont.com