Team Karl's Sausage Kitchen is off on another D2R2 adventure. Since it was Will's birthday today, I did some map recon the night before and found some dirt roads that we hadn't ridden yet that would add a few more miles to our route and give Will his birthday milage.
I arrived at the Franklin County Fairgrounds around 1:30 PM, registered, and set up my tent. Will was running late so I went back to the registration shed and bought some T-Shirts. Having the event at the Fairgrounds was a definite plus. The place is pretty much self contained with plenty of camping and RV Sites, chow hall, food venues, showers and bathrooms. Next year, I am bringing the camper and hopefully I can get Ann to come with me.
I crossed another item off my Vermont Riding Bucket List, Rochester Gap. While looking at possible routes I found quite a few dirt roads that encompass the gap so I worked in some dirt roads to add to the fun. Also, there is an old railroad line here known as The White River Railroad. A historic 19-mile shortline railroad in central Vermont running between Bethel and Rochester. Known locally as "The Peavine" because it closely hugged the winding path of the White River, the line operated from 1900 until 1933. The foamer in me is always looking for old railroads.
Now that I live in Vermont it's about time I start hitting some bucket list items. The list includes the Six Gaps of Vermont but with trying to find a new job and other responsibilities in my new home I have to approach them in a more segmented fashion. Also, I want to hit them in both directions to see which approach is harder.
Before breaking camp Ann & I took her canoe to the boat launch and headed out on Lake Bomoseen for a little paddle at 8 in the morning. It was a beautiful morning and the lake was very still.
Ann & I loaded up the camper Saturday morning and then drove over to Hubbardton to the Lake Bomoseen KOA where me our friends from Sandy Hook who also have a camper and we set up camp together. We did a little sight seeing in Brandon and then returned to the KOA. Ann wanted to take a nap so I headed out on the bike. I set out riding counter clockwise around the lake, following no particular route, to just explore around the lake a bit.
After yesterday's gravel ride I wanted to take it easy today so I rode over to Pine Hill Park. Since it was Thursday, I brought my lights, hoping to meet up with the Down Valley Bikes Thursday Night Ride but when I got there they weren't in the lot. Not sure if I got there too early or too late.
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| From l to r: Dave, Tom, Malcom and me |
Ann & I were supposed to do a Friday night gravel ride when she got back from work but she ended up getting back too late so we went out Saturday morning. This was a new route that I wanted to test out for future night rides and routes that are easily memorized. Unlike Connecticut, especially in Fairfield County where I spent the last 21 years riding, Vermont doesn't have as many paved roads to chose so moving forward I am create a collection of routes that I can quickly pull up and ride.