The Long Trail's Lodge in the Sky

When Sarah and I daydream back in time to our 2001 Long Trail hike, many wonderful memories come to the surface.  The mountains, beautiful vistas, the valleys, trail magic, wild flowers and the freedom of the trail.  But one thing that can stick out when you think about all those nights on the trail, where everyday your home was somewhere new, are certain shelters along the trail. Skyline Lodge, in the Breadloaf Wilderness on the Long Trail, is one of those such places for us. We try to frequent Skyline as much as we can, both because its beautiful and because we have adopted the Green Mountain Club shelter and check in on it from time to time. The Lodge is a four-walled shelter with a big front door and two paneled windows overlooking a front porch and serene Skylight Pond; the backdrop is a long-range mountain view. Its such a special place. The Lodge can be accessed  either from the Long Trail, hiking North or South, depending on where you get on to the trail. Accessing the lodge from the south is the shorter of the two options and the better option for a day hike. A good access point is Route 125 (Middlebury Gap), where the trail crosses at the height of land. This hike is a beautiful 5-mile stretch of rolling terrain. Alternatively, there is a blue-blazed side trail, the Skylight Pond trail which can be accessed by turning off the Middlebury Gap Road onto a dirt road (clear instructions are given in the Long Trail Guidebook). This hike is one of our favorites: 2.5 miles of beautiful switchback climbs alternated with long slabs across the hillside make this a mellow approach through beautiful hard- and softwood forests. We highly recommend hiking to this Lodge, using either route. If you're short on time or are concerned about distance, take the Skylight Pond Trail - you won't regret it

Here are some pictures from our recent hike out there:

Have fun out there!

T&S

VTMTB Fest Showcases the Best

When I think of Summer in Vermont, I can easily dream of the the Long Trail and the boundless hiking trails in the Green Mountains, or the swimming holes, the smell of green pastures and farms, and don't forget the cows. But last week, at the Vermont Mountain Bike Festival, it was all about mountain bikes and riding trails. We all came together in Waterbury for two spectacular days of riding, showcasing some of the best single track Vermont has to offer. More than a few folks showed up to try their hands at it.

Rider: Dwight Gies

It seems like yesterday that mountain bikers got their hands dirty, with the relatively recent onset of this mountain past-time. And look how far we have come in that short period of time! Blood, sweat, dirt, and thousands of hours of riders' own time have built some of the best trails in New England.  That's just what people from far and near got to experience at this year's fest. Every year it's clear: Things can and will only get better from here... Here are some pics of the fun times has at the 2012 VT Mountain Bike Festival:

World-class riding, right in Stowe, Vt.

A group tour in Stowe, Vt.

Chris Lee picks trail-side berries.

One of our newest trails to enjoy - its great!

A cold beer at the Trapps brewery.

Some bike derby to liven things up!

The end do great day at the VTMTB fest.

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!

Winter Headlamp Run Series

This past Sunday we got a group of eight together for a headlamp run and dinner. We're working on getting a crew together to head out weekly or bi-weekly into the late fall, winter, and early spring nights to recreate together: running, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, or skiing, followed by a group dinner and to be hosted at locations around the central VT area. This is a great way to stay active and social throughout the dark months, instead of sitting at home and hibernating. All you need is a good head lamp!

Fall Back [Spring Forward]

As the weather reports roll in warning of the inches of snow that could accumulate overnight (eeeee!!!), I am warming up by the fire after a brisk walk with the dog looking back through pictures from some of our Fall adventures. Fall is a great time to reflect, to look back; Spring energizes us into forward motion (towards the garden, out the door, go, go, go). This contemplative feel to the season may be why I enjoy hiking in the Fall so much. It's a slower pace activity and it gives you time to mull, clear the head, get inspired. And, with the snow on the way, what better reason to go head up into the hills: To see the mountain-top winter wonderland! While that is on the agenda for tomorrow, today I will share some photos from a favorite fall hike: Hunger Mountain. For extra adventure, running the entire ridge is an amazing hike; but for those not up for the 12 miler day, even an side adventure over to Hogback Mountain or down to White Rock is a treat. The latter is exactly what we did with friends on a recent October outing. Enjoy! And Happy Trails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Powderwhore's "Breaking Trail" Trailer 2011

Yeah yeah! Going to watch this lovely film tonight at the Savoy in Montpelier! It looks like these guys have put together another exceptional film, and it appears they are expanding from their telemark roots to include others: I see a snowboard or two, some AT-ers perhaps? It doesn't matter what you're on - just that you get out there!  

Mountain Biking in National Forest - pretty cool!

We recently got a tour of the new trails in the Moosalamoo/Silver Lake area in southern/central Vermont. What a treat! Patrick Kell himself (of Vermont Mountain Bike Association fame) led a group of 20 or so from Vermont, Pennsylvania, and New York. It was great to see the new trails and all the hard work that went into making them, and even better to make new friends while we were out there. Take a look at some of the snapshots we got throughout the day!