The Mountain Hollow Stone Row

This Old Stone Row Runs Up A Vermont Mountainside

A Higher Altitude Stone Row in a Hollow near Richmond, Vermont. Photo by Mike Luoma.

I’m a horrible hiker.

At least, I am now. Not that I used to be a great hiker, but I didn’t used to stop and take in the stonework. These days, I don’t usually get very far — unless there’s nothing much to see. Of course, even then I’m kinda slow — because I keep on looking.

I’m not really covering a lot of ground, for example, as I continue to explore this Mountain Hollow near Richmond, Vermont. YouTube viewer Michelle S. tipped me off to possible Indigenous Stonework here, and I have yet to see everything she’s told me about.

Taking advantage of weirdly warm February weather, I did get a bit further along the trail and a bit higher up this past weekend, and found some higher altitude stone rows.

High in the Hollow, near Richmond, Vermont. Photo by Mike Luoma.

The ground was mostly bare as I headed into the hollow, but as I climbed the snow cover returned and deepened with the increasing altitude. Didn’t realize quite how deep the snow had gotten until I stepped off the trail to get a look at the lower part of this stone row intersected by the trail.

Surprise! Recent melting made the snow cover look deceptively even. Taking a few steps, I found it wasn’t. The snow was mostly ankle-deep, but occasionally I plunged down to my calf or — conversely — met solid ground less than an inch down.

Deciding it wouldn’t be wise to follow the stone row too far in such ankle-twist-inducing conditions, I focused on the stretch in front of me.

Was that a surrounded stone?

Trailside End of the Stone Row, Lower Side of the Trail. Photo by Mike Luoma.

These stone rows are assumed by many to be farmers’ stone walls, created in the 19th century. They were likely used by farmers, as agriculture took place in this hollow back in the day. And Vermont was known for hill farms — unlike today, higher altitude tracts were often used as farmland.