Pride Hikes: Sugar on Snow at the Green Mountain Audubon Center

Come celebrate the maple sugaring season with sweet sugar on snow, sugaring demonstrations, and a delicious taste of each grade of maple syrup at the Green Mountain Audubon Center! Tap a tree, collect sap from buckets, and follow the journey from sap to syrup during our sugarbush tour. Learn about maple syrup produced from Bird-Friendly Habitats and go in search of our elusive birds of the sugarbush.

The Pride Hike will receive a private tour of our Bird-Friendly sugarbush and have the opportunity to tap maple trees! We will meet at the Education Barn parking lot at 1pm and hike down to the sugarbush together to keep our group together and avoid the crowd. At the end of our hike/sugarbush tour we will be invited to try some maple syrup made at the Green Mountain Audubon Center. After taste testing, we will end our Pride Hike, but folks are welcome to stay and enjoy the other Sugar on Snow stations.

Pride Hikes are a collaboration between Audubon Vermont, the Pride Center of Vermont, and Outright Vermont.  Pride Hikes have been happening every month since June of 2018 and go beyond being “welcoming to everyone” to creating a safe, affirming space for LGBTQIA++ community members.

All ages, allies, and families welcome! Youth under 18 years should be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

The event is free of charge, however sugar on snow/refreshments, maple syrup, and raffle tickets will be available for purchase (cash or check preferred).

Register in advance of this event. Your information will be kept confidential and used by program coordinators to determine how many folks to expect, learn if anyone has accessibility needs, and contact you about this event.

Please wear weather-appropriate clothing – this time of year our trails may be covered in snow, ice, or mud. Please bring anything else you will need to feel comfortable outdoors for a little over an hour or two, such as sturdy walking shoes, snowshoes, hand/toe warmers, micro spikes, a warm beverage etc.

Please no dogs at this event unless they are a service dog.

Trail/Accessibility information: Our hike to the sugarbush will begin with a descent down the White Pine Trail – this trail has a steep section to start and then flattens out. We will then make our way to Hemlock Swamp, which has a steep staircase and then flattens into a boardwalk trail. From here, all sugarbush trails are wide and flat, however winter weather can make walking difficult if there is ice or snow during recent weather. We can definitely be flexible about which trails we take based on the trail conditions and needs of our group. We recommend micro-spikes for icy conditions and snowshoes if there is deep snow. Trail map available here.

We do not have a heated facility in the sugarbush, so please wear weather-appropriate clothing, especially warm boots that will keep your feet dry!

Questions? Contact Sarah Hooghuis, sarah.hooghuis@audubon.org