In October we decided to do some more bike riding and wanted to try the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in northern Vermont. Little River State Park was within driving distance of the rail trail so we booked there for 5 nights to stay with our little trailer. We've been at Little River SP before and it is back in the forest next to a reservoir with good sites and adequate bathrooms. Rain delayed our trip for a day and boy were we glad to have a heater in the trailer as the night time temps were freezing. Sleeping in the trailer is fine, but it's hard to get up and make the walk to the bathroom! Barb and Robin booked a B&B in Stowe so that we could hang out together.
This was our first exposure to Stowe which is a very popular, small Vermont town. Even though peak leaf season was over, the town was still very crowded with visitors. It's a fun little town to wander around and go into shops. There is a lovely walking 5.3 mile paved recreation path that goes out from the village and into the countryside. https://www.stowerec.org/parks-facilities/rec-paths/stowe-recreation-path/ It was cloudy and cold but the path was fine and we stopped at a cider mill to warm up and try some ciders. It was great to have the condo to warm up in.
My new favorite rail trail is the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. For those of you who are not familiar with the term “rail trail” these are abandoned railroad lines that have been converted to trails. Sometimes these trails are paved, some dirt, some hard pack stone, sometimes they are open for only bikes and walkers/joggers, some are also available for horseback riding or snow sports. The thing that all rail trails have in common is that they at one time followed railroad lines which means that they have no great elevation gains or losses only a gentle grade.
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in northern Vermont runs 93 miles from St. Johnsbury to Swanton and also connects to other trail systems in the area. The trail surface is made of compacted crushed stone which makes for a great ride. It winds through forests, meanders alongside the Lamoille River, crossing it multiple times and a rider will cross many bridges, go through the Fisher Covered Bridge, go by historic railroad station buildings and old stone culverts.
There are multiple parking areas along the trail, some allow overnight parking. You could do day trips or tackle the entire length. There is a shuttle service that will allow you to ride one way and get a ride back. This service also rents bikes, both regular and e-bikes. https://www.lamoillevalleybiketours.com/lamoillevalleyrailtrailbikeshuttle
Barb, Robin, Billy and Ann had a good ride from Morrisville to Cambridge where we had our picnic lunch and then back, about 30 miles.
The next day, Barb and Robin headed back home so we decided to hike Camel's Hump - this is a mountain in the area that we had heard about ever since we moved here and is a very popular hike. Also, there had recently been over 2 years of trail work done there which we wanted to see. The trail was muddy at the bottom and little did we expect that it would turn to ice and snow about half way up. We walked VERY carefully and the view at the top rewarded our efforts - 360 degree views of all the surrounding mountains and valleys. Going down, for us, was very slow - there were younger people who navigated the ice and snow more easily (or were smart enough to bring micro-spikes) but our main goal was to get down safely! I can't say that I would recommend the trail except for the truly amazing views at the top.
The following day we returned to the rail trail and rode west from Morrisville to Hardwick where we went into town for lunch and then back, about 25 miles.
It's on our list to do the whole trail next year.
This was our first exposure to Stowe which is a very popular, small Vermont town. Even though peak leaf season was over, the town was still very crowded with visitors. It's a fun little town to wander around and go into shops. There is a lovely walking 5.3 mile paved recreation path that goes out from the village and into the countryside. https://www.stowerec.org/parks-facilities/rec-paths/stowe-recreation-path/ It was cloudy and cold but the path was fine and we stopped at a cider mill to warm up and try some ciders. It was great to have the condo to warm up in.
My new favorite rail trail is the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. For those of you who are not familiar with the term “rail trail” these are abandoned railroad lines that have been converted to trails. Sometimes these trails are paved, some dirt, some hard pack stone, sometimes they are open for only bikes and walkers/joggers, some are also available for horseback riding or snow sports. The thing that all rail trails have in common is that they at one time followed railroad lines which means that they have no great elevation gains or losses only a gentle grade.
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in northern Vermont runs 93 miles from St. Johnsbury to Swanton and also connects to other trail systems in the area. The trail surface is made of compacted crushed stone which makes for a great ride. It winds through forests, meanders alongside the Lamoille River, crossing it multiple times and a rider will cross many bridges, go through the Fisher Covered Bridge, go by historic railroad station buildings and old stone culverts.
There are multiple parking areas along the trail, some allow overnight parking. You could do day trips or tackle the entire length. There is a shuttle service that will allow you to ride one way and get a ride back. This service also rents bikes, both regular and e-bikes. https://www.lamoillevalleybiketours.com/lamoillevalleyrailtrailbikeshuttle
Barb, Robin, Billy and Ann had a good ride from Morrisville to Cambridge where we had our picnic lunch and then back, about 30 miles.
The next day, Barb and Robin headed back home so we decided to hike Camel's Hump - this is a mountain in the area that we had heard about ever since we moved here and is a very popular hike. Also, there had recently been over 2 years of trail work done there which we wanted to see. The trail was muddy at the bottom and little did we expect that it would turn to ice and snow about half way up. We walked VERY carefully and the view at the top rewarded our efforts - 360 degree views of all the surrounding mountains and valleys. Going down, for us, was very slow - there were younger people who navigated the ice and snow more easily (or were smart enough to bring micro-spikes) but our main goal was to get down safely! I can't say that I would recommend the trail except for the truly amazing views at the top.
The following day we returned to the rail trail and rode west from Morrisville to Hardwick where we went into town for lunch and then back, about 25 miles.
It's on our list to do the whole trail next year.
