'25 OOF Account Opener

 Apr 27, 2025

When the weekend weather forecast for Vermont promised unusually warm temperatures, we made the tough call to skip skiing this weekend—only for Saturday to deliver even worse weather right at home in Newtown. With Ann heading out to visit her mother on Sunday, I wasn't about to waste the day. I jumped into action and organized a Newtown Lunartics ride to our absolute favorite destination: Ovens of France, or as we affectionately call it, OOF.

As it turned out, only one other Lunartic was available to brave the morning air: Scotty D. With our peloton officially reduced to a pair, we decided to tackle what we call the Hot Dog Route—so named because the loop takes us right past The Haute Dog pet groomer in Woodbury.

It was a crisp, chilly morning, meaning we were fully kitted out in bib tights and jackets. While the sun teased us by peaking through the clouds a few times, it never quite packed enough punch to actually warm us up, keeping the threat of sweat entirely at bay.

We rolled out of town, crossing over the Silver Bridge and tracking the scenic flow of the Housatonic River. Before long, we hit our first real test: the steady climb up West Purchase Brook. 

This is a staple section of our usual route, mostly because we always look forward to visiting the cows at the farm perched at the top of Spruce Brook.

The sun made another brief appearance as we wound our way through Transylvania and pushed up to Hotchkissville, which is the apex of the route. 

After conquering the summit, we turned south, cruising right past the namesake Haute Dog and finally pulling up to our holy grail: OOF.

The master baker himself, Denis, was behind the counter. He greeted us with his trademark French cycling warmth, which always makes the miles instantly worth it. We defrosted over a couple of his legendary, perfectly flaky croissants and washed them down with mugs of piping hot French Roast coffee.

By the time we clipped back into our pedals for the return leg to Sandy Hook, the clouds had thickened, and a deep chill began to settle over the hills. It was a cold ride back, but with good company and a stomach full of pastry, you won't hear any complaints from us.