We had a pretty great turn out at our fourth Adventure Society Meet Up and there were some pretty great pitches folks presented. We had a good variety of options and a decent amount of variation in the mix as well. It’s time to organize them, present them, and then vote on them. I think I’ve gotten down all the suggestions that were emailed to me, if I somehow missed your email please let me know and I will resend the post with the updated info.
Also, if you are reading this in your email, you may want to head over to the website to make sure you are seeing everything. We’ve got a few options to vote on here and they couldn’t be more different!
Here is a quick presentation on the options, voting happens below:
Woodbury Mountain Adventure Loop:
This route contains some pretty adventurous class 4 sections that stretch on for a while. Even though it looks like there is a significant chunk of pavement on this ride, it’s actually a section of trail and we would not be riding on 14. Some folks might feel more comfortable on a mountain bike, then again, that mountain bike would be pretty slow on the smoother sections. It’s a proper Vermont Class 4 experience. It’s 22 miles, and while it’s only 1900 feet elevation gain it should be noted that the first 3 miles are super flat, followed by a sustained 3 mile climb, then the class 4 section which runs for 4 miles and includes a 1 mile climb towards the end of that section. There are some amazing views, and some great bike riding, plus it starts and ends in Hardwick, home to some great restaurants; Positive Pie and a few other great eateries, that might be nice stop if we time it right.
Blueberry Lake Mountain Biking
Blueberry Lake is kind of a magical mountain bike destination. Everyone dreams of that mountain bike trail that was both interesting enough for an experienced cyclist, yet easy enough to bring their friend who’s never been mountain biking before, and a lot of places claim they offer that, yet so few do it. Even fewer do it as well as the folks who built and maintain the Blueberry Lake MTB trail system. Short loops with a couple of main connectors that take folks back to the parking lot mean dipping your toes in slowly, and without much shock. So before you know it and as smooth as you can, you’re neck deep in proper Vermont mountain biking. And even though the total elevation gain for riding nearly the entire 6.5 mile trail system is only 700 feet, there’s still a couple of spots that offer some nice little views.
The icing on the cake is lunch at the Warren Store after the bike ride. Bring your wallets and be prepared for a long, yet fast moving line at the counter, the coffee is mediocre at best, the sandwiches and baked goods are stellar.
Mark’s Turning 68, so I guess he owes us one?
Mark’s ride is kind of ideal in respect to a mix of riders and ability/desire levels. He’ll be turning 68 and has proposed doing a ride for his birthday on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Parking in Morrisville and riding East bound folks can opt to ride a full 68 miles (34 miles out and back), or they could also opt for 68 kilometers (42 miles) which would be basically riding to Greensboro Bend and back. Riders could also opt to ride for 68 minutes and arrive in Hardwick for lunch before taking much longer to do the return trip to Morrisville. Whatever you choose for the day, just know that Mark will owe you one.
Pump N Pantry to Silloway Creemee’s Ride
This might seem like a sweet and gentle ride, but between two of Central Vermont’s favorite creemee spots are some pretty wonderful and wild gravel and class 4 bicycle riding. This loop (I drew it cause no one sent me the route!) has some of my favorite bits of Vermont Springtime riding packed into one ride. Folks could easily opt to simply ride up to the Brookfield Floating Bridge or even keep the gentle party going by riding the Ridge road and then head back along the same route and have a pleasant, yet hilly bicycle ride. Or they could join the effort to head all the way out to Silloway Maple for a second creemee before tackling some steep gravel hills and a little wilder class 4 roads to return to Pump N Pantry and, if you’re a psychopath, have a 3rd creemee.
Carl’s Island Ride
Our friend Carl used to put this ride together every Spring, and we continued the tradition even after he moved away. Sometime last year we decided that it might be better doing this ride later in the Spring when it’s a little warmer and a little less wet out. So here we are, the last option that I can remember from our meeting or that was emailed to me is Carl’s Island Ride. It’s a gentle rolling hills ride where the climbs never total more than 100 feet at a time, and typically don’t sustain longer than half a mile. It’s a healthy amount of pavement and maybe a patch of gravel here and there. It’s a tour around the entire South Hero Island with some pretty unique views and landmarks along the way (dinosaur village?, a colorful city of birdhouses akin Cinque Terra?). There’s usually a spot for pizza and the like after the ride. It’s a full day investment as we’ll have to carpool the hell out of this one and drive time alone totals a little over 2 hours (about a 1 hour 10 minute drive one way). It’s a fun ride even when it’s cold and wet, so imagine what it’s like when the weather is nice!?
Voting or not!
That’s a pretty healthy variety, and I’m pretty excited by that notion. Don’t forget we’ve got Barre Pride this Saturday, and on June 14 we’ve got the Gravelcat! Vote below, you can vote for up to 2 options, or you can vote for 1 options, or you could not vote at all, I guess… If that’s what you’re into? Hey! No shame here, as long as you’re living your best life
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