A Trail to Connect Two Towns

A fall view from the CVT in Groton State Forest.

The Cross Vermont Trail connect communities along the Winooski and Wells Rivers, from Burlington to Ryegate. At times sharing the route with roads and at times traveling its own path through forests and fields, this four-season trail allows hikers, bikers, skiers, and commuters to connect coordinates on the map.

Being in Washington County, we frequent the portions of the trail that connect Plainfield and Marshfield. This is a particularly beautiful section, especially through Groton State Forest.

The CVT entering Groton State Forest.

Here are some ways to take advantage of the CVT on your bike: 

• Bike to school (Twinfield School students, for example, can access the school by trail from Marshfield or Plainfield)
• Incorporate the CVT into a loop, like I did today or last fall
• Ride from Plainfield Park & Ride out to Groton State Forest and back

Here are some ways to support the CVT:

• Ride the Central Vermont Cycling Tour June 22 with easy, moderate, and advanced options
• Support the Keystone Project, which is the completion of a critical section of trail that gets trail users off of Route 2, by contacting your local representatives in favor of providing transportation funds to the project
  

  

  A bridge crossing Nasmith Brook in Marshfield.

  

  The CVT between Plainfield and Groton is double track with an easy 1-3% grade.

  

  A fall view of Marshfield Mountain from the CVT in Groton State Forest.

  

  The trail east from Nasmith Brook Road in Marshfield.

  
   
  

Tour de Foliage

Our recent Marshfield-Cabot-Danville-Peacham-Groton loop brought us to such great places as Cabot Creamery, Mack Mountain Road, the beautiful and quaint New England village of Peacham, and Groton State Forest. Many of the loop's 50 miles were on dirt roads, and about 12 of the miles were on the car-less Cross Vermont Trail. The tour brought us through pages 41, 42, 47, and 48 of the Vermont Gazetteer. More importantly, it brought us past rural artisans like potters and Birdman Woodcarving, and definitely bring cash for the many farm stands and farmers markets you will pass.

This was a good one; here's the route: Hollister Hill Road (Marshfield) to Ducharme Road to Route 215 (Cabot) to Danville Hill (Danville - this is a long climb!) to Route 2 then Mack Mountain Road to Main Street (Peacham) to County/North County Road (this one is very rugged, so seek an alternate route on South Main Street), to Route 302 (Groton) to Route 232. Note that the route linked above does not show the Cross Vermont Trail, which was our actual journey. To get on this dirt path (it's fairly smooth with 3%-grade climbs or less) take a right at the parking area about one mile into the Route 232 leg of this trip.

More beaver ponds than you could shake a stick at.....Wait, what did he just say?

   If there is one single reason I delved into skiing three years ago, simply put, it was to to enjoy the outdoors and glide through the forest enjoying the ups and downs of it all.  As I awoke this Thursday morning, quite groggy  I might add, the first thing that came to mind was to continue skiing somewhere I had left off with Sarah a week ago. Sarah was busy with work, so naturally  I called Mike, the Chong to my Cheech- I'm sure he'll be absolutely flattered with that analogy.

So here it was Groton State Forest on a beautiful bluebird day in Vermont with temps in the 40's?! We used access across the lake into Groton SF. As you make your way across the lake you clearly see the granite cliff of Marshfield Mt. (elev. 2,154 ft). This was where Sarah and I  had left off to ski another day just last week when the temps were in the single digits. Now, however, we found ourselves on great Spring corn snow.




Sarah and I have BC skied at some great spots and more than a few are well guarded or well known for that matter.  Many of these spots need drive time, the info and well, the snow pack to get there. This year has been a bit different from last year and I believe last year had us just a little spoiled....OK more than a little spoiled. As things go here in Vermont, I hear most of you are out there making the best of it, which is all one can do.  One thing we really enjoyed last year especially in our "new" neck of the woods was skiing out the back yard or a short drive a way. This has always been at the core of what we believed in especially when we lived in Montpelier and found ourselves car-less.  Hubbard park was "the" scene as we were often there or in the Worcester Range, a slight distance away. 

A little bush whacking..

One of Mike's first descents although I think Odin may have beat him to it?

The cliffs of Marshfield Mt. 2,154 ft.

For awhile now I've been asking Sarah "Whats that beautiful granite peak in the distance?" and Sarah would say " I don't know - maybe we should find out?!"  After repeatedly asking Sarah and expecting her to know I finally found out myself via the CVT - Cross Vermont Trail - a rails-to-trails bike path venturing East to West across the state of Vermont; still a  work in progress.  Little did I know that one beautiful Fall day last year Mike and I would ride our bikes into Groton  SF and find ourselves at the bottom of that very same granite cliff; Marshfield Mt. So naturally we thought it would be great to ski out there as well,  so here we found ourselves exploring the beautiful ponds, forests and meadows of Groton SF. And I can stop asking Sarah what that mountain is!

The Birch trees were astounding

Groton SF has many places to explore whether on  foot, cycling, snowshoeing, paddling or skiing.  Many trails are multi-use and you will find that the CVT becomes a great avenue in which to explore it.  In winter the CVT becomes a snow mobile trail and is quite popular.

As I said " More beaver ponds than you could shake a stick at"

Access is a very touchy subject, especially here in VT and I think Groton SF is a shining example of what can happen when people come together and coexist. One can only imagine the possibilities when examining the trail system which encompasses Groton SF.  With trails and wonderful destinations such as Boulder Beach, Marshfield Mountain, and Kettle Pond, this is truly a place anyone can enjoy no matter how you choose to explore it.

    If a little adventure is what you seek, no matter the mode, Groton State Forest provides - all that is asked is that you find it for yourself, which is the best part. What ever you seek, however much or little snow you may find, make the most of it and remember: If you're not having fun out there then what the hell good is it anyways? Oh and remember don't take yourself too seriously....it affects your turning ability......, it's scientifically proven...OK maybe not,  just have fun out there!


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No Snow? No Problem. The Cross Vermont Trail is Awesome!

It seems fairly often we get customers in Onion River Sports asking about this "Cross VT Trail" they've heard about. It sounds great and they want to know where it is, how to get to it. Is there a guidebook? Unfortunately it can be a little tricky for those not in the know to find it and follow it. There is a website, though, and excellent signage once you find the trail. And once you discover it, it is truly worth the effort. The riding is excellent and the views are even better- how lucky we are to have such a gem in Vermont.

Mike and I rode from Plainfield out to Groton State Forest, where we discovered some beautiful spots along the Cross Vermont Trail. This is great terrain for the 'cross bikes, too! We put together a short experimental video - look for more of these in the future to highlight different sections of the trail.

Here are some pictures from the adventure, too. You can see the roads are excellent for riding! And the views are incredible.

Back in the summer, Mike and I explored a different section of the trail closer to Plainfield. This section was equally great - here are some pictures from that ride, too.

Here you can see a repaired section that was washed out in the May flooding.

A pretty cool old hippy bus!

The Cross Vermont Trail is a wonderful gem that we all have access to. Like I said, once you find it, it's well worth the effort!