Every August, I take an Annual Pilgrimage to northern Vermont.
-Saturday August 25th-
Brattleboro
I always like to stop in Brattleboro for lunch. Right past the train statin, by the edge of the river is a wonderful brew pub converted from an old mill. A double IPA and grub while chowing down by the edge of the river was wonderful!
An Amtrak passenger train came cruising thru as well.
The view back up the hill to town reveals a waterfall.
Trapp Trails
That evening I rode the Trapp Family trails below the Resort. They are easy but always a blast.
-Sunday August 26th-
Perry Hill / Rasta Mtn
My personal nirvana is Rasta Mountain in Waterbury. Joe's and Campfire are my all time favorite trail(s).
The initial climb up is always the biggest challenge. It has been redesigned and there's now a series of sculpted berms/switchbacks that make the climb almost manageable.
Once past the new section, these mini berms make this section of the climb much more interesting and sustainable.
I veered off the main doubletrack and continued climbing up a much more fun single track.
I ended up somewhere on Joe's or Campfire at this slick rock section. As I looked down I noticed the trail was much more sculpted than I remembered - there was obviously a lot of TLC and work put in to "refining this descent" in the last couple of years...
The descent is one non-stop orgy of amazing flow and breath-taking scenery. I had to force myself to stop and snap this photo!
3/4s of the way down you start to ride along the edges of ravines. The next two photos illustrate right and left of a typical gully/ravine.
Before the final descent, I wandered over to an area on a trail aptly named Disneyland. The fern undercover and the sun shining thru the thin canopy is magic...
Curiosity made me notice the railroad was doubletracked here.
Before leaving the park - I zoomed around the mini mogul area at the entrance,. It was hotter than hell but I was still charged up from the descent (despite the fact that someone's stupid dog walked in front of me on those nice berms near the bottom!!!!)
Tunnel Flute Playing
Finally, I put the bike back on the car rack and returned to the tunnel with my mini Native American flute and noodled around a bit . At 1:04, a couple of mountain bikers ride by and voiced their approval...
