Tiny ponds laced with green ferns edge the road in spots. Chattering squirrels skitter across to safety. You go downhill to Willoughby Lake, one of the gems of the Northeast Kingdom. Another is out of West Rupert in southwestern Vermont, jointly called Bear Mountain Road or Rupert Road. As it climbs, a brook tumbles down on one side.
Woods are open through good timber management.
It's a deer's paradise, as they frequently bound across, up a bluff, then turn to see what or who you are. Sure, at times you might come to an unmarked dead-end. A few twists or turns could find you driving into a farmyard where the road ends. But here you'll likely get friendly directions, perhaps guided by local landmarks, to get you where you thought you might be headed. While backroading is great in most any season, you're in for an extra special treat in autumn.