So, I took my cheap and jobless self on vacation before grad school this fall. I stayed out over 2 weeks and it cost a few hundred all said and done. On to the pics!
Day 1-Arrive at Plattekill
2- Race DS
3- Race DH
4- Backpack Bennington to Kid Gore
5- Backpack Kid Gore to Stratton Pond
6- Backpack Stratton Pond to Goddard
7- Backpack Goddard to Bennington
8- Ride Kingdom Trails/Monkeyfest
9- Monkeyfest
10- Monkeyfest
11- Ride Killington
12- Ride GMNF trails/roads to Silver Lake
13- Ride Trail Around Middlebury
14- Ride Addison County trails
15- Rest day!
16- Hike Camels Hump
17- Drive Home
Packed and ready to go. Nice setup.
Plattekill
Race went pretty well. I got 3rd in both DH and DS in spite of racing DS on my DH bike and getting crappy starts. I would usually race expert, but didnt have a license. I could have won the DH, but I just had a bad run and was run off track by a flipped over ATV (too lazy, tired and muddy for a protest run). All in all, a good weekend.
Slalom course.
Backpacking
I went from Bennington, VT to Stratton Pond and back. I took mostly side trails on the way back and the AT/LT on the way there. I think I ended up doing about 55 miles by the end. The first 2 days were AMAZING. Great weather, felt good and not too many other people. The second two, it poured. It was still okay, but a bit less easy going. I did meet up with this father and son from NC and hiked with them those 2 days, which was nice. End of the hike, I got in my car and drove to East Burke.
In Bennington. This one just came out better than the rest.
Packed and ready to roll that morning.
The trail gets a little rough
and wet.
Big fungus. Seriously. Huge.
Shelter on Glastenbury. Stayed here a few days later. Really nice one.
Views from Glastenbury fire tower.
Kid Gore, where I stayed by myself that night. Didnt see anyone for about 18 hours.
Morning view from the shelter.
Beaver pond. You actually stand below the water level. Very odd when youre there.
Views from Stratton fire tower. Great weather.
Stratton Pond. Great place for a swim.
Things got a little wet the last 2 days, so no more pics.
Monkeyfest
Youve probably seen the other threads, so no need to go into much detail. Ill just say that it was a great time and the trails, the friends and the weather were all awesome.
Old sugarhouse.
Views of Burke Mtn. from near the old camp and Moose Alley.
Killington
Drove from Burke to Rochester and stayed there with my ex-gfs mom at their summer house there. Good times. Rode DH at Killington the next day, which was pretty fun. They have enough good trails for a day of DHing. The rain rolled in at the end, which was not cool. Got in the car and drove to Hancock, VT.
Free concert on the Rochester town green. My spot is the empty camp chair. Good times.
A few ferns on an old woods road.
Killington got a little rain that day.
Hung out here at Bread Loaf for a while. Used the raft, pond and stream after yoinking dinner from them. Ridin the panther.
View.
Green Mountain NF
Stayed across the street from Bread Loaf on a forest road. Nice spot. The next day I did a big ride. It zigzagged on forest roads and some trails from Bread Loaf to Moosalamoo, Silver Lake, Falls of Lana, Goshen Dam, Blueberry Hill and other spots. I got lost a few times (no map), but nothing major. It was an exhausting but fun ride. I got to swim at the halfway, which was nice.
Reservoir in the middle of the ride.
Falls of Lana. Went swimming here.
Heres the actual swim spot.
Silver Lake. Been swimming and camping here before; just passing through this time. Nice spot.
TAM
This trail winds around Middlebury and is actually pretty fun. There are a bunch of fun side trails and little sections. I stopped halfway and visited my friend Caitlin at the farm stand she works at for a snack. It was another hard, long ride.
Trail running next to fields.
Running down a rock.
The friend I was staying with working at the farm stand. She gave me some free bread in the middle of my ride. Nice to have friends.
Gets a little tight.
View from Chipman Hill.
Addison
Went to a local mountain and rode up and down. The main trail up is wide, but fun and theres some killer stuff off the top. A bit hot, but a great ride. Had to cut it short due to lack of energy.
Massive waterbars.
View from the top. Used to be an old hotel there, hence the foundation.
You can see NY and Lake Champlain in the distance. Great view for minimal work.
Views from the side trails that run right along the cliffs. Very fun.
Bristol falls swim spot. A huge area with a nice waterfall you can go under and behind. Gets crowded when its hot, but its still fun.
More Bristol Falls.
Rest
I was toast after about 2 weeks of nonstop riding, racing and hiking. I walked around the Middlebury campus to take some pictures for posterity and see a few professors that might be around. Naturally, I went swimming too.
New Haven River. I sat there alone, got completely baked and listened to the water for about 3 or 4 hours.
The swim spot. Its small, but more isolated and quite deep. Jump off the rocks right in.
Pool at the spot.
Nice picture. The swimming is right in between those rocks.
The monstrosity that is Bi Hall.
Greens in the background.
Campus chapel and main walk. Ahhhh, memories.
Middlebury river swim spot. A popular one, but its not too crowded most times. At night and early, theres nobody there, often. Colder than the New Haven, but fun.
The spot. Jump off the rocks right in.
Camels Hump
My friend is a GMC caretaker there, so we (me and 2 friends) went to see her at the Camels Hump summit. Its over 4000, but a relatively short climb. The way up on the side trail was easy. The way down on the LT was gnarly. I knew it would be, based on my thru hike last year, but it was a bit scary in the rain at some spots.
View from a ledge.
Summit.
On the way down the trail gets a bit rocky.
Sheesh.
More trail.
Beaver bond with the summit in the background.
Peace.
Day 1-Arrive at Plattekill
2- Race DS
3- Race DH
4- Backpack Bennington to Kid Gore
5- Backpack Kid Gore to Stratton Pond
6- Backpack Stratton Pond to Goddard
7- Backpack Goddard to Bennington
8- Ride Kingdom Trails/Monkeyfest
9- Monkeyfest
10- Monkeyfest
11- Ride Killington
12- Ride GMNF trails/roads to Silver Lake
13- Ride Trail Around Middlebury
14- Ride Addison County trails
15- Rest day!
16- Hike Camels Hump
17- Drive Home
Packed and ready to go. Nice setup.
Plattekill
Race went pretty well. I got 3rd in both DH and DS in spite of racing DS on my DH bike and getting crappy starts. I would usually race expert, but didnt have a license. I could have won the DH, but I just had a bad run and was run off track by a flipped over ATV (too lazy, tired and muddy for a protest run). All in all, a good weekend.
Slalom course.
Backpacking
I went from Bennington, VT to Stratton Pond and back. I took mostly side trails on the way back and the AT/LT on the way there. I think I ended up doing about 55 miles by the end. The first 2 days were AMAZING. Great weather, felt good and not too many other people. The second two, it poured. It was still okay, but a bit less easy going. I did meet up with this father and son from NC and hiked with them those 2 days, which was nice. End of the hike, I got in my car and drove to East Burke.
In Bennington. This one just came out better than the rest.
Packed and ready to roll that morning.
The trail gets a little rough
and wet.
Big fungus. Seriously. Huge.
Shelter on Glastenbury. Stayed here a few days later. Really nice one.
Views from Glastenbury fire tower.
Kid Gore, where I stayed by myself that night. Didnt see anyone for about 18 hours.
Morning view from the shelter.
Beaver pond. You actually stand below the water level. Very odd when youre there.
Views from Stratton fire tower. Great weather.
Stratton Pond. Great place for a swim.
Things got a little wet the last 2 days, so no more pics.
Monkeyfest
Youve probably seen the other threads, so no need to go into much detail. Ill just say that it was a great time and the trails, the friends and the weather were all awesome.
Old sugarhouse.
Views of Burke Mtn. from near the old camp and Moose Alley.
Killington
Drove from Burke to Rochester and stayed there with my ex-gfs mom at their summer house there. Good times. Rode DH at Killington the next day, which was pretty fun. They have enough good trails for a day of DHing. The rain rolled in at the end, which was not cool. Got in the car and drove to Hancock, VT.
Free concert on the Rochester town green. My spot is the empty camp chair. Good times.
A few ferns on an old woods road.
Killington got a little rain that day.
Hung out here at Bread Loaf for a while. Used the raft, pond and stream after yoinking dinner from them. Ridin the panther.
View.
Green Mountain NF
Stayed across the street from Bread Loaf on a forest road. Nice spot. The next day I did a big ride. It zigzagged on forest roads and some trails from Bread Loaf to Moosalamoo, Silver Lake, Falls of Lana, Goshen Dam, Blueberry Hill and other spots. I got lost a few times (no map), but nothing major. It was an exhausting but fun ride. I got to swim at the halfway, which was nice.
Reservoir in the middle of the ride.
Falls of Lana. Went swimming here.
Heres the actual swim spot.
Silver Lake. Been swimming and camping here before; just passing through this time. Nice spot.
TAM
This trail winds around Middlebury and is actually pretty fun. There are a bunch of fun side trails and little sections. I stopped halfway and visited my friend Caitlin at the farm stand she works at for a snack. It was another hard, long ride.
Trail running next to fields.
Running down a rock.
The friend I was staying with working at the farm stand. She gave me some free bread in the middle of my ride. Nice to have friends.
Gets a little tight.
View from Chipman Hill.
Addison
Went to a local mountain and rode up and down. The main trail up is wide, but fun and theres some killer stuff off the top. A bit hot, but a great ride. Had to cut it short due to lack of energy.
Massive waterbars.
View from the top. Used to be an old hotel there, hence the foundation.
You can see NY and Lake Champlain in the distance. Great view for minimal work.
Views from the side trails that run right along the cliffs. Very fun.
Bristol falls swim spot. A huge area with a nice waterfall you can go under and behind. Gets crowded when its hot, but its still fun.
More Bristol Falls.
Rest
I was toast after about 2 weeks of nonstop riding, racing and hiking. I walked around the Middlebury campus to take some pictures for posterity and see a few professors that might be around. Naturally, I went swimming too.
New Haven River. I sat there alone, got completely baked and listened to the water for about 3 or 4 hours.
The swim spot. Its small, but more isolated and quite deep. Jump off the rocks right in.
Pool at the spot.
Nice picture. The swimming is right in between those rocks.
The monstrosity that is Bi Hall.
Greens in the background.
Campus chapel and main walk. Ahhhh, memories.
Middlebury river swim spot. A popular one, but its not too crowded most times. At night and early, theres nobody there, often. Colder than the New Haven, but fun.
The spot. Jump off the rocks right in.
Camels Hump
My friend is a GMC caretaker there, so we (me and 2 friends) went to see her at the Camels Hump summit. Its over 4000, but a relatively short climb. The way up on the side trail was easy. The way down on the LT was gnarly. I knew it would be, based on my thru hike last year, but it was a bit scary in the rain at some spots.
View from a ledge.
Summit.
On the way down the trail gets a bit rocky.
Sheesh.
More trail.
Beaver bond with the summit in the background.
Peace.
