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The other side of Vermont

wooglin

wooglin

Monkey
Apr 4, 2002
535
0
SC
Every year I head home for a vacation and organize a ride. This year it was the Real Circus Ride out of Randolph, VT. 40 mile loop with about 6000ft of climbing on dirt and Class IV roads. This is the side of Vermont riding the folks going to MonkeyFest probably won’t experience.

The lemmings at the start. These folks, many of whom I’d never met before, blindly followed my lead over 40 miles of trail I’d never ridden. Hence the lemmings. Johnbryanpeters found the map for this route and is in the Fox jersey.


Looking over at our objective after the warm up climb (the second 2 of the first 3 miles were climbing). We’d cross the Northfield mountains twice: once over Braintree Gap and once over Randolph Gap.


Church at the top of the warm up climb.


Mud Pond (one of six in Vermont don't you know).


Classic northern New England “single track”: ruts on either side from 4wd trucks, with a ribbon of trail in the center. Look at that grin.


At the schoolhouse. First break of the morning.


Up to Braintree Gap. 1600ft up in just under 3 miles.




Lunch.


The lunch guests


Its amazing what you see in rural Vermont


Up to Randolph Gap.




High point of the ride. Check out the gut on that guy on the right. That's what cheap beer will do to you kids....


Money shot.


All down hill from here.
 
jdcamb

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
20,048
8,767
Nowhere Man!
That is one of my favorite rides of all times. I have had the chance to ride the circus ride about 4 times and each time it totally kicked my butt. I remember that rocky climb up to Braintree gap as being brutal. Gosh I want to go back there. That ride rocks literally......jdcamb
 
wooglin

wooglin

Monkey
Apr 4, 2002
535
0
SC
jdcamb said:
That is one of my favorite rides of all times. I have had the chance to ride the circus ride about 4 times and each time it totally kicked my butt. I remember that rocky climb up to Braintree gap as being brutal. Gosh I want to go back there. That ride rocks literally......jdcamb
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I'm sure jbp would be more than happy to do it again. ;) Just watch out for the muffler on the back side of Braintree Gap.....
 
wooglin

wooglin

Monkey
Apr 4, 2002
535
0
SC
Heidi said:
Cool pics, thanks for sharing.
Braintree Gap looks like a grind! :thumb: :thumb:
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Braintree was the longest climb of the day but I think coming back over Randolph Gap was steeper and certainly more technical. We just didn't gain as much elevation there because we started higher up. Braintree starts right down by the river.
 
wooglin

wooglin

Monkey
Apr 4, 2002
535
0
SC
splat said:
when was this ride ?
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Whoops. Missed that question. Saturday June 19. I just got back here to SC on Monday. Spent the rest of the vacation on Lake Mascoma in NH. Truly sucky...

 
wooglin

wooglin

Monkey
Apr 4, 2002
535
0
SC
JerseyDave said:
Where in SC are you? There is SOOO much nice singletrack around, why ride the class 4 roads and diggle?
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I'm in Columbia. And while you're right that there's a lot of nice ST out there, putting it together into a 40 mile loop usually requires some serious local knowledge. I don't have time to gather that knowledge up there any more, and many parts of my old haunts have been taken over by the Appalachian Trail. Also, I've got no problem with Class IV roads. Kind of like them for their history in fact. :)

Oh, and if you're volunteering your services as a guide, I'll be back in either late June or late July of next year..... ;)
 
V

vtcyclist

Chimp
Feb 5, 2004
6
0
Planet Vermont
Hey, nice pics. Any chance you could draw a map (or expand on your description) of where your loop was. I have ridden the Randolf area and would like try your ride.

thanks

DG
 
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