Mt. Philo is the oldest state park in Vermont, created in 1924.  Several signs announce that the construction was done by the CCC, and in several places the technique bears those characteristic traits of their solid handiwork.  Compared to the state parks in New York and Pennsylvania, Mt. Philo is fairly small – mainly the peak of Mt. Philo itself, rising 968′ from the surrounding Valley of Vermont.

But as in so many places, small and remote is a good thing – the summit is easily reached via road and offers several stunning views out across the Valley and Lake Champlain, and into the Adirondack Mountains of New York.  Birds of prey drift on thermals, clouds float by, and a few other visitors soak in the view from the comfort of sturdy Adirondack chairs.

The afternoon was a bit hazy, helped by the use of both a circular polarizer and a split-ND filter.  The panorama is composed from 7 images, all shot hand-held on the 50D + 17-40mm at f/11, ISO 200, 1/40.  Although better software may exist, I use Canon Photo Stitch, which comes with nearly all Canon cameras.  It’s simple and does most of the work itself, which is fine by me.