June 30: Arrival Day, Putney, VT

All details regarding specific travel and accommodations are available in the parent/guardian digital locker under Essential Information.

June 30: Putney, VT

After gathering the group at the Putney Barn, join your leaders in an orientation of essential camping skills. With tents staked, knots practiced, and gear organized, take the rest of the afternoon to explore the surrounding forest trails and streams. Visit the neighboring yurt and learn about living small from two of Putney Student Travel’s very own program directors, Annie and Kevin. Cool off in the pond before an evening cookout to celebrate the beginning of your adventure.

July 1 & 2: Branbury State Park

After breakfast and the first morning of breaking camp as a group, continue on to a local sheep farm. Learn the basics of milking, cheesemaking, shearing, and spinning wool with local farmers. After a picnic lunch on the farm, travel northward to Lake Dunmore in Brandon, Vermont. Swim in Lake Dunmore’s pristine waters, hike to Silver Lake perched on a nearby mountaintop, and cool off in the pools below the spectacular Falls of Lana. Take a break from hiking, swimming, and exploring to visit the Vermont Farmers’ Food Center (VFFC) in Rutland. Meet local first generation farmers and observe the weekly produce delivery. Get a tour of the VFFC facilities and learn about sustainable farming practices and communal food security.

July 3: Shelburne Farms

Wake up early to summit Mt. Moosalamoo and explore vistas, caves, streams, and waterfalls scattered throughout the mountain trails. Pack up our campsite and continue northward to experience Shelburne and Burlington, Vermont’s largest city. Set up camp on the grounds of Shelburne Farms and immerse yourself in farm life: meet a newborn calf at the dairy, harvest and taste test produce at the Market Garden, wash and spin sheep’s wool into yarn, bake bread and make butter, or pick kale to roast over a fire.

July 4: Jamaica State Park

Before leaving the Burlington area, ride the Lake Champlain bike path, stopping at parks lining the shores. Ride out across Lake Champlain on the Causeway, a converted railway, and explore the historic Champlain Islands. After lunch on the town, continue on to Jamaica State Park to hike Ball Mountain, explore Hamilton Falls, walk the shoreline trails of the scenic West River, and swim in the gentle current.

July 5: Putney Pinnacle

Return to Putney and spend the afternoon with a local sugar master who guides you through an expansive network of maple sugaring lines latticing the hillsides. Get an inside look at farming efficiency as you learn about the solar array that powers the sugaring operation, just down the road sample the cheeses and confectionaries produced at a local goat farm. In our final adventure together, hike the Windmill Ridge and Putney Pinnacle, exploring old farm foundations and rock walls amidst the trees along the way. Set up camp at the Pinnacle Shelter and work together to prepare the evening meal. Gather around the campfire to roast s’mores and celebrate the accomplishments of the adventure filled week.

July 6: Departure Day, Putney, VT

All details regarding specific travel and accommodations are available in the parent/guardian digital locker under Essential Information.