Cyclesnack

Killington Peak from Leb

2026-03-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

July 2, 2024

Tried another loop around Leb for lunch and headed out this time on Greensboro Road, which is a more pleasant way to Etna from the Hotel. I will have to add this to my future routes. However, when I turned onto King Road I got a bit of a surprise.

That is steep and according to RWGPS the max grade on on this road is actually even steeper.

It was a tough slog up the hill and at one point a bike commuter came the other way - this hill is not something I would enjoy commuting on, unless of course I had an eBike.

The view from the top was amazing

Looking due west is none other than the second largest peak in the Green Mountains

Killington Peak

and wouldn't you know it, RWGPS said this road was paved but it wasn't.

But it wasn't a gnarly descent,

in fact as far as dirt roads go it was pretty smooth.

The ride back to Leb on RT 4 was really straight with a few rollers along the way.

I tried the path over I-89

and then climbed up RT 120.

Midday wasn't too busy.

Back to the office!

RAW: Rail Trail and Dirt Roads

2026-03-04T07:15:00.010-05:00

July 1, 2024

Ann got back after her shift at the hospital and was feeling restless and wanted to go for a ride.

I created this route thinking it would be a good primer for Ann that had some climbing

We parked in the center of Leb and headed out on the Northern Trail towards Lake Mascoma

Cool graffiti under I-89

Nice and shady from the July afternoon heat

First look at Lake Mascoma

Nicer views from the trail

Just 133 miles to Boston

The Northern Rail Trail in New Hampshire is a 58-59 mile multi-use trail running from Lebanon to Boscawen, largely following the former Boston & Maine Railroad line. It is one of the state's longest rail trails, offering a flat-to-gentle grade surface of crushed stone/gravel ideal for hiking, cycling, and equestrian use, passing through historic towns, lakes, and forests.

The cuts also offer a respite from the heat

Enfield Station

Canaan, NH

When we turned off onto South Road we got a bit of a surprise and found the road had been recently paved. It was getting late so we decided to turn around and head back

We rode back along RT 4

and then cut through Enfield, NH

crossed over the lake

Rode back along the lake on RT 4A

picked up the rail trail back to Leb.

RBW: Hanover Loop

2026-03-03T19:10:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2024

The week before the 4th of July was a work from home week for me so I headed up to Hanover to work from Ann’s place and do some riding in whenever I got the chance. I wanted to find a good 25 to 30 mile route that I could head out on if all I had was two hours to ride so this was the first attempt.

I found there are two ways to Etna from Hanover, one starts closer to the hotel on Greensboro Road and the other is on Trescott Road. The latter, which starts more in the center of Hanover is the climby of the two routes, boy what a climb it was - the first climb was a mile long and had an average grade of 7%.

On the other side of Etna, then I headed up Stevens Road in an attempt to find another way into Leb and to increase the distance of the route. This way added another 1 mile 7% climb.

The view from the top of the climb was awesome and looking due south at what could be Mt Sunapee.

Then it was a nice 3 mile descent into Lebanon

Rode around the time town green and then took the Greenway to West Leb

Rode north again along the Connecticut River and then up through Hanover to the Hospital and back to the hotel.

FBBS

2026-02-28T18:07:00.001-05:00

Fat Biking Before Skiing!

40 degrees in Rutland this morning and I hit PHP for a quickie before going skiing. I am wearing just a sleeveless base layer and my old Angler Pub Sweatshirt and it was the perfect combination of clothing.

Climbeda up Svelt Tiger and the trail was packed perfectly.

Found last week’s yard sale!

Turned onto Watkin’s Wood Road and took that down to Furlough

and headed down Furlough.

Had another encounter with the snow and got a second face full of snow 10 feet further down the trail.

Birthday Fatty Ride

2026-02-23T17:00:00.006-05:00

The Nor’easter in southern New England effectively stranded me in Vermont Monday and the word from the office was don’t even bother to come in on Monday. I worked from Ann’s house and then borrowed her truck to drive over to PHP for a quick ride at lunch. I needed a break from putting the bike on the MINI.

The conditions were 100% better than yesterday. I don’t know if Nate, the guy responsible for grooming, took another pass or was it the fact that it warmed up a little Sunday afternoon and the snow settled. Nevertheless, the groomed trails were much firmer even with the absence of other bike tires. Glad I wore my ski gloves today because my hands would not have lasted with gloves I wore yesterday.

I climbed up Svelt Tiger and I had a few start and stops, much less than yesterday, but it was still slow. After the first intersection I stayed on the trail and continued climbing. Halfway up I stalled out and couldn’t dismount fast enough and went down bodily into the snow. Brushing off the snow I pressed on till the next intersection and then rode down to Voldemort and the Quartzite. It was on the latter trail that I saw thes deer.

Halfway through the ride it felt like my tires were a little mushy and it wasn’t till later that I checked my air pressure and found that I had lost 1 psi and I am thinking that as a rule of thumb I should go out with 6 psi if the temperature is below 30 degrees knowing that I am going to lose pressure in the colder temperatures. Yesterday it was above 30 and I never lost any pressure. Today, it was 25 degrees. I rode back out on Svelt Tiger.

First Tracks on a Fresh Groom

2026-02-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

I drove up Thursday night after work knowing that if I didn’t leave when I did I wouldn’t have made it to Vermont on Friday. Friday’s snow forced the cancellation of the 4th Annual Cold Rolled Fat Biking Festival here in Rutland which I was planning on attending. I did get a little skiing in after work on Friday, 12 runs in 2 1/2 hours.

I initially headed out late Saturday hoping someone would have already ridden PHP but no such luck. I got to try out my new bar-ends and they are really good. They turn my bars into trekking bars and they really improve my climbing. They also work better with bigger gloves. My hands froze yesterday so today I wore ski gloves and they worked really well with the bar-ends.

Riding up Escalator was nice but then I tried Svelt Tiger and found it was too soft so I turned around and headed up Pond Road like I did yesterday and rode out to the quarry.

The flat part was nice but when the climbing started it was really tough.

I don’t think I have ridden this part before

It’s a cool trail called Quartzite that follows the base of the quarry

Then I rode Birches to the Svelt Tiger and went down and out.

President’s Day at PHP

2026-02-16T16:00:00.027-05:00

Snow Dog, PHP’s grooming machine got an upgrade - it now pulls the driver on a metal sled which is heavier and compacts the groom even more. That was evident today. Just about everything I rode on was perfect.

I decided to try a new approach to riding here. Grind up Pond Road and then let gravity do the rest. I made it up to the intersection of Watkins Wood Rd but had to stop and take off my vest because I was overheating. I think I found the optimal clothing configuration for winter fat biking which consists of three layers: Base, thermal/ insulating, and an outer layer, and always bring a down vest just in case.

I climbed the rest of the way up towards Rocky Pond to see the heart shaped trail the groomer made for Valentines Day.

I thought about riding one of the loops but I am still fearful of falling through the ice after watching Omen II, where the guy falls through the ice and Damien watches him get pulled by the river and drowns - No Thanks, I will stick to solid ground.

I had today’s route planned out in my head - ride to the pond and the come back to the Escalator via 999, Droopy Muffin, and Svelt Tiger. While 999 was groomed it was too soft to ride so I headed over to Underdog instead.

There were some challenging bits and I walked a few spots because I couldn’t get enough traction in the soft snow even with studs. I made it to the overlook. Blueberry Hill was looking grand. From Underdog, I rode Droopy Muffin to Watkins and found it groomed, which spared me from descending Svelt Tiger again - went this way on Saturday and I don’t like riding the same trail twice in the same direction. What I love about Watkins is that it’s a gradual, undulating descent.

I headed out on Furlough just as the sun started peaking out from the clouds. I wanted to ride more but my legs were cooked, especially after tele skiing yesterday.

Be my Fat Valentine

2026-02-14T16:00:00.008-05:00

It has been over a month since I last rode at Pine Hill. Last weekend, I brought my son up to Killington to go skiing for three days and I could have went Monday because he was too sore to ski after 14 runs on Sunday. Went equipment shopping instead and I bought him a new pair of boots and rented skis for the rest of the season. Ann was riding on the trainer today so I headed out to Pine Hill.

Last month I put bar-ends on the bike and I finally got to try them out today and for the most part, they were great. The only issue is they don’t fit well with ski gloves. I have another set back in Connecticut that I am going to switch them out with that I think will be better. Riding with them on the bike was great because I got a lot more leverage for climbing Moving from the bars to the bar-ends is like second nature after riding with them over the years on my other mountain bikes.

Today’s kit selection was lighter due to the warmer temperature, which was around the freezing mark. Absolutely balmy compared to -8° last weekend. I had on a short sleeved base layer, half zip long sleeve running shirt my light flannel Poncho shirt. I started out with a down vest but knew it would be coming off soon.

I climbed up Furlough, because it was groomed, but it turned out to be a mistake. I learned quickly that while a newly groomed trail is great for descending it is awful for climbing.

I was slowly climbing and all over the trail, as soon as that rear wheel hits the edge of the groom it falls off and stops you. Needles to say, it was a Napoleon’s Death March climb up and the layers came off quickly.

At the next intersection, only Lonely Rock was groomed and the give-a-shit meter was almost pegged but I had plenty of time so I pressed on. This part was flatter and I was able to keep up some speed to stay in the middle of the trail.

I wanted to take Dewey Wood Road because the G-A-S meter was pegged at this point and it’s a flatter trail but it wasn’t groomed and I was left with the choice of more climbing on Strong Angel or a flatter ride on PA4J. I am sure you can guess which route I took. It was still a little climby but still a good respite from the steeper stuff I had already enjoyed.

While on PA4J I met up with another rider named Kelley. He didn’t have much to share on the conditions of the trail he’d already ridden but while following his tracks it looked like he had a similar experience. The sun came out for a few minutes and the dull light suddenly brightened making the forest look a lot nicer.

His tracks weren’t enough to firm up the trail.

Finally, I got to Svelt Tiger which was really firm, I think because some snowshoers came up it earlier and maybe another rider, too. Not a lot of distance to show for a two hour ride but always a good time. I was knackered and in need of a beer that I got later at the Angler Pub.

Fat Bike on the MINI

2026-02-14T08:06:00.080-05:00

My fat bike is almost as big as the car!

I decided to try the Thule ProRide Fat Bike Adapter for my car, again. Back in ‘19, when I first got the MINI, I put Fat Amy up on the roof racks in the very same manner. I got rid of the roof racks in favor of the MINI Cooper bicycle holder, however, I could never get Fat Amy never to fit/hold onto the rack well. Also, I don’t like using the rack in the winter time due to all the salt spray that accumulates on the back of the car.

Fore some reason, the bike seems hold a lot more securely on the rack.

Someone remarked on Facebook that the bike is almost as big as the car.

Buttah!

2026-01-04T20:16:00.084-05:00

We got around an inch of snow overnight in Rutland and I waited till noon on Sunday for the temperatures to warm up a bit. I got to PHP around lunch time and it was still around 19 degrees. Heading out I was making the first tire tracks on Escalator.

After some trial and error I think I got my kit dialed in. I am wearing a sleeveless roadie base layer, a thermal base layer and then a thin wool button down with a zippered chest pocket perfect for my phone. I started out wearing a down vest, but took that off early in the ride. I met another rider the other day and he recommended a vest because it's lightweight and stuffs easily into a frame bag or handlebar bag. So now, I am just going to bring the vest incase I get cold.

I climbed up Svelt Tiger and found the trail buttery smooth largely because it was pretty well ridden in.

The undridden groomed trails were still pretty good

but there was some crunch, especially on the edges.

It appears that Bambi came to an unfortunate end on Underdog.

The ungroomed but ridden trails were super nice.

I got in an extra loop because I wanted to take Furlough on my way out

It's funny but I never really thought about losing pressure during a ride but I noticed towards the end of the ride that my tires seemed mushy. Later, when I got home I checked the pressure and found I lost 1 PSI in both tires. Then it dawned on me that the colder temperatures will impact my tire pressure.

I am going to try heading out at 6 PSI next time if it's below 30 degrees.

Relive my route

19° at Pine Hill Park

2026-01-02T23:27:00.009-05:00

I wanted to ride Pine Hill Park on New Years Day but the high was 15 degrees and I thought it would be prudent not to ride in such cold temperatures. After today's ride I am don't think it would have mattered. Headed out to the park after grocery shopping. The sun was out and it was a blue bird day only by the time I got on my kit, put the bike in the truck and drove out to the park I had sun for all about 5 minutes.

Since my last visit some of the trails had been groomed. Some were groomed on New Year's Eve and the a few more were done yesterday evening. I headed up Furlough this time because it was groomed and yet it was a tough slog. Grooming is great but when it's fresh I find that it's not quite packed down enough to make it buttery smooth.

I was afraid I was going to be cold but in fact I was sweating again. In addition to my short sleeve base layer I wore a long sleeved cold weather, thermal top, short sleeve biking jersey and my Windstopper fleece hunting jacket. I also wore fleece snowboarding shorts with my winter cycling tights. I am on the fence whether to get bar mitts. One thing that’s keeping me away is eventually I will put some bar ends on.

I was tempted to try a ski helmet but my fleece skull cap works great and it snugs up my shokz giving me really good sound while I ride. I suppose if I go out even colder I might try the ski helmet.

When I turned on Droopy Muffin the trail completely changed. It didn’t appear to have been groomed but it was well ridden by other fat bikes and it was buttery smooth.

On the way back I rode Svelt Tiger and it too was packed down by bikes and buttery smooth. I switched out my pedals to Crankbrothers Double Shots and they were actually pretty good. This way, if I am going to ride with another boot I can.

I didn’t bother to check my tire pressure but I noticed the rear tire was a little softer than the other day. Not sure if low pressure correlates with the number of dimples but the rear tie had 4 dimples and when I checked my pressure when I got home it was at 4 PSI.

Chez Cyclesnack North

2026-01-01T19:16:00.002-05:00

My future forever home, aka Chez Cyclesnack North, is a bit smaller than my southern location, but its one advantage is a big basement. Getting bikes in and out of the basement can be challenging at times, especially with those bikes with really wide handle bars.

Shown here we 8 bikes in the rack

Two more bikes hanging on the wall. Another bike on a stand up rack and a folder underneath the stairs.

And of course there’s a pain cave for those Vermont days when it’s too cold to ride outside.

Riding with Studs

2025-12-28T17:50:00.101-05:00

Had to wait until after lunch to head over to Pine Hill Park today because I wasn't really excited to ride when it was 10 degrees. I got my tire pressure dialed in and my new frame bag secured. Loaded the bike in the truck and drove over to the park. I wore my hunting jacket, a Columbia Wind Stopper Fleece with zip pits. This used to be my go to winter riding jacket and I brought it up to Rutland to give it a try. Once again, I went with a short sleeved base layer, long sleeved thermal shirt, and a thin long sleeved riding jersey and I was sweating while climbing up Pond Hill Road today.

Trails weren't groomed yet after the latest snow to fall on Rutland earlier in the week but enough people had ridden, walked and snowshoed earlier to make the woods roads rideable. I did try at first to ride up Furlough but there was only one track in the snow and it was tough to ride it without dishing out so I turned around and headed up Pond Road.

I wouldn't say it was a Napoleon's Death March but it was close. I probably could have gotten away without studs today but they definitely made a huge difference. I took a few breaks along the way.

I rode up to Pond View for a little Photo Op

The REI frame bag was perfect

and these tires were rocking!

While riding up to the Pond I met up with another guy on a fat bike and he introduced himself as Joel. We exchanged numbers and he told me about a fat bike group ride that takes place in the spring at Chittenden Reservoir on the Snowmobile Trails that I should check out.

On my way back down, I rode Furlough and it was a total blast!

Can't wait for the next ride!

Fat Bike Upgrades and Accessories

2025-12-27T18:00:00.166-05:00

You know what they say, get your kids into mountain biking and they will never do drugs, because they won't have the money!

More than a couple of people that I have spoken to over the past week recommended that I get studded tires. After my last ride at the Park, I totally agreed. I looked on FB Market Place and online but couldn't seem to settle on a particular brand or size. Also, I hate changing tires on wheelsets so at the same time I was looking for another wheelset, too.

Finally, I texted Doon at Green Mountain Bikes and he recommended 45NRTH Dillinger 5's. He also happened to have another wheelset from a SevenPeaks Tracker laying around so I pulled the trigger on a brand new Fat Bike Winter Wheelset.

Since Pine Hill is only 2 miles from Chez Cyclesnack North I picked up this Planet Bike Pressure Tire Gauge so that when I ride to the park I can lower my pressure for the trails and know exactly where I should be.

I was looking for a hand pump that I could carry with me on the bike so that when I am leaving the park, I can bring the pressure back to 10 PSI. I was rearranging the garage at Chez Cyclesnack South last week when I found my old frame pump that I had in college. It must be 40 years old and it still works.

Before heading south to celebrate Christmas with family I took measurements of the triangle on my bike. I headed over to REI in Norwalk for lunch to see if I could find a triangle bag and they had one, actually three to be exact. The REI Co-op Link Frame Bag, that came in three sizes, small, medium and large. It was good thing that I got those measurements because I most likely would have gotten the large but the medium was the perfect size.

The last thing to figure out is what to do about my Garmin Mount. Right now, I am using the quarter turn adapter that uses the heavy duty rubber bands to hold it to the center of the stem. I tried putting on a mountain bike specific mount that puts the quarter turn mount in the same spot but the bar has too much curve to it coming out of the stem.

I think the best alternative would be to get another set of Jones H-Bars. That way I can put a Garmin Out in Front mount inside the loop and put a light on it if I happen to stay riding after dark or my GoPro. The cool thing about this Jones H-Bar is that you can get a bag that fits in between the loop.

The last thing to consider is pedals. Right now I have been riding with a beat up pair of Crankbrothers Acids. They work great and I like being clipped in even though everybody I have encountered so far on fat bikes rides with flats. I have a pair of Double Shots that I might try or I could steal the mallets from my Specialized or Wabash bikes.

2nd Fat Bike Ride

2025-12-20T18:00:00.090-05:00

As luck would have it, all that good snow last week got washed away in what I call the Vermont December Warm Up. Saw this last year skiing at Killington, we were skiing knee deep powder the first two weeks of December and then there was a warm up and some rain, and then freezing temperatures to reinforce the meaning of Ice Coast skiing again. Apparently, there was still some snow at Pine Hill so I threw the Fat Bike into the back of the truck and headed over to do some riding.

This time I headed in the other direction on Pond Road towards the Evergreen Avenue entrance and there was still some snow to ride. I knew this would be an easier climb, or so I thought. Temperatures were below freezing but I decided to try one less layer under my sweatshirt and I added a vest. It worked but I need to ditch the sweatshirt for an insulating layer that has way more ventilation.

What I thought was going to be any easier climb turned into a Napoleon's Death March as I hit a real steep trail called Evergreen. I was able to ride most of it but there were a few sections that I had to walk because I couldn't get enough starting momentum to keep me upright.

Turning onto Watkins Wood Road I found snow again but what I also found were sections of the trail that were pretty slippery. I met up with another rider and noticed immediately that he had studded tires. He said he rides all winter long only with studs. Looks like I am going to have get studs now.

Despite a few spin outs here and there it was a nice afternoon ride and the trails were fantastic. I am still taking cornering slow and I have to remember to drop my seat post to lower my center of gravity.

I headed up Milk Run which turned out to be pretty well tracked in the remaining snow but I took it slow because there were a lot more slippery sections.

Then I got on Lower Jersey Turnpike, which I find the trail name ironic because the local Killington skiing community tends show a lot of contempt for people from New Jersey.

There were some nice east/west views at the Power Lines.

Both sections of the Jersey Turnpike were pretty bare of snow and riding at 5 PSI I was very mindful of any sharp rocks in the trail. Riding at such low pressures is so foreign to me.

Droopy Muffin was barren to start but as it wound its way to the eastern part of the park there was snow on the trail.

Svelt Tiger had a fair amount of snow on it. I took the Seeping Ledge Bridge really snow because it was really icy.

If I do this route again, I will definitely take Furlough as my up hill climb.

New Fat Bike Day!

2025-12-13T18:10:00.021-05:00

For the longest time I have avoided buying a fat bike because I didn't want it to interfere with my other winter activities but I finally pulled the trigger on one. Mountain biking was my first love and this year that love has been reawakened at Pine Hill Park in Rutland, VT. In the winter, Pine Hill is off limits to tire sizes less than 4 inches which prompted me to get a fat bike. The Park Manager put me in touch with Doon at Green Mountain Bikes in Rochester, VT who hooked me up with this great deal on a SevenPeaks Tracker 11 Fat Bike. It's a discontinued model but a new bike, for around $1000 with 4.5" tires and a dropper post, I couldn't pass it up.

For it's inaugural ride, I rode out from Chez Cyclesnack North over to the Rutland Creek Path, a small greenway that leads directly to Pine Hill Park. After climbing up to the kiosk there was a sign saying you should run your tires at 5 PSI. I didn't have anything on me to check my pressure so I let some air out of my tires and hopped for the best.

Rather than climbing up singletrack I opted for Pond Road, one of the Woods Roads at the park and it was a slow go. For my first time out I threw on a few layers including a base layer, long sleeved thermal shirt, a thin long sleeved jersey and a sweatshirt. I also wore my lobster gloves, a balaclava, tights, and my Lake 303s with wool socks.

By the time I got to the turn for Watkins Wood Road I was sweating and wondering if I had worn too much.

However, on the run down Svelt Tiger all those layers came in handy as it was pretty cold. I almost switched out to my lighter gloves.

Trails were really smooth because they were groom last week. I had one mishap in which I slipped off a groomed section and my front wheel dished out and it was a yard sale in the powder on the side of the trail. Shaking off the snow I got down the rest of the trail without incident.

Bird Mountain Turkey Burner

2025-11-28T17:18:00.146-05:00

David Molnar reached out saying he would be in the area visiting his folks over Thanksgiving and I suggested that we meet on Black Friday for gravel ride in Castleton.

The route that I planned was 81% gravel and utilized some of the D&H Rail Trail but what I didn’t realize is some of the roads on this route were Primitive roads and I should have checked the Vermont Roads Database first. Town Highway 29 in Poultney, VT, as we later discovered was very primitive. Since I am still learning the area, the Vermont Roads Database is a must have tool for planning rides.

We started out on the rail trail and then on to Staso Road and started climbing

Then we turned onto Pond Hill Road and continued to climb.

Kept climbing until we stopped at his parent’s place, really their driveway, it was more climbing to the house which we passed on.

After descending Pond Hill, we turned onto RT 4 and then turned onto Birdseye Mountain Road.

and the start of a 3 mile, 1000’ climb

Bird Mountain is a prominent geologic feature in the Taconic Range

It's the product of thrust faulting 480 million years ago from an ancient seabed that covered this area

The higher we climbed the colder it got and more snow had accumulated on the road

and this is what we found at the top, no longer a Closs 4 road, but a primitive one

Dave and I didn't have time for the Napoleon's Death March that would have ensued so we turned around and headed back.

Another view of Bird Mountain

The descent was brutally cold

Once down, the waning afternoon sun provided a little warm

It was a cold slog back to the cars with a headwind slowing us down and sucking the life out of us.

The grimy aftermath

My noble steed = 2010 Surly Cross Check, 2nd edition

Loaded back in the truck for the drive back to Rutland

Stick Season at PHP

2025-11-22T16:31:00.000-05:00

Like every other state in New England, Vermont has four seasons but unlike those states it also has two bonus seasons: Stick Season - after all the leaves have fallen but before any major snowfalls; Mud Season - when the snow melts and the trails and dirt roads get soft and muddy.

All the leaves were down giving the park a new look. Sight lines were more open and the leaves on the trails, having been ridden on, were a lighter color making the trail stand out.

It was cool but having ridden from Ann’s I was warmed up and sweating by the I got to the intersection with the Turnpike and when I noticed the trail closure. I had read about it on Facebook but I didn’t expect to see such an elaborate set up. That’s definitely a closed trail. The other tail closure I read about was on Exit Strategy and I reached out to Paige at Down Valley Bikes to see if there was some way to mark that on Trailforks. She wasn’t sure how to do it because that part of the trail, on the app, is one contiguous trail.

I made a mental course change and went for a bigger loop than I had originally intended.

At the Underdog overlook I got this great view of Pittsfield and Cox Mountain.

Looking further down the power line cut I saw what looked like a golf cart but it was probably an ATV belonging to a hunter. Glad I was wearing orange!

Leaving Underdog I rode down Pond Road for a bit and then cut in for a bit when I realized I was going to hit Droopy Muffin again. I try to avoid overlaps, if it can be helped, so I back tracked and got on Pond Road and tried a new trail called Vista which led me out to the edge of the Quarry.

The view of Rutland from edge of Quarry is outstanding. I think this the best view of Rutland that I have found so far. From Vista I rode Voldemort in its entirety.

I was surprised to see this glove on a rock before Svelte Tiger. Did someone forget to put their glove back on or was it left on purpose? I left it thinking someone might come back for it but now that I think about it I should have carried it out to the entrance and left it there for someone to claim.

Here’s the closure on Exit Strategy

And my favorite BFR

While I was riding back to Ann’s I felt a little wobble in my rear wheel. I got the bike on the stand and checked the spokes and found one busted at the nipple. Took it Down Valley and thought that while that was happening I would have the wheels converted back to Tubeless. Two weeks later I asked if they could belay that order and just fix the busted spoke because I bought a Fat Bike.

PHP in Autumn

2025-10-26T16:30:00.000-04:00

With ski season coming next month in November Ann and I took our last downhill mountain biking laps at Killington around lunchtime. Then we headed back home and I rode over to PHP for some unassisted ascending

I wanted to try Jersey Turnpike from the other direction so I climbed up Furlough and then rode Sore Elbow which I gather was name for the fact that it’s technical. A quick cut through on Annex and I was on the Turnpike.

What’s cool about hitting this trail from this direction is that it climbs up over some slick rock and some techy sections to roach outcropping descent, almost like a roller. Granted, the other direction is way better but it helps to learn the nuances of the park by riding the trails in both directions.

After Jersey Turnpike I turned onto Droopy Muffin and descended down to the seven trail intersection and who should I encounter? It was Chittenden Mike!

I rode the Overlook Trail in reverse this time, going over the suspension bridge and the climbing up the backside of a roach outcropping/trail feature and taking a break at the Overlook that looks out over Rock Pond.

I took these shots near the water’s edge

because leaves were so vibrant

and it looks like peak leaf season may come early this year.

Heading back, I took Underdog back to the other side of Droopy Muffin and then out on Svelte Tiger. The new dropper post is awesome. Everyone should have one!

Then a quick descent on Exit Strategy and rolled back home on the Rutland Bike Path and River Road. I was tempted to stop at Rutland Beer Works but I didn’t want to drink alone.

I really dislike the change Strava made to their export feature which further solidifies my resolve not buy a subscription.

Closing Day at the Beast

2025-10-26T16:23:00.000-04:00

Ann and I took our last laps at Killington on October 26th, because the mountain will be changing over for winter operations.

A little sugar coated the peak today which added to the anticipation of the coming ski season

Ann and I rode from the condo to Snowshed

and it was looking pretty empty on the last day.

I needed a little air in my dropper.

We got first chair!

Granted, we were the only ones there.

We were bundled up today because it was cold but that also made us happy because it meant snow was coming.

Ann coming down Easy Street

My favorite view

This is a no drop ride

Sweet Berm!

New Dropper Post Day!

2025-10-11T16:17:00.000-04:00

After a few rides and having to periodically stop to change my seat post height either for climbing or descending I decided it was time to add a dropper. I took the bike over to Down Valley Bikes in Rutland. It was a little pricey but it was worth it and they did a great job. Of course it took a bit longer than it would have taken if I had it done in Connecticut but that’s Vermont for you.

Headed out to PHP for a test ride on a crisp October day.

Leaves were just starting to turn. I came across another mountain biker. He introduced himself as Mike and he was from Chittenden. He really liked my set up. Of course, his full susser was really blinged out.

Nice sill

A rock sill is a flat, sheet-like intrusion of igneous rock that forms between existing layers of sedimentary or metamorphic rock, running parallel to them (concordant), unlike a dike that cuts across. Magma forces its way into these weaknesses, cools, and solidifies, creating a tabular body that can be thin or thick, and is often horizontal, though it can be tilted. Sills are significant in geology as they reveal magma behavior and can host valuable ore deposits.

Nice ramp on Svelte Tiger

Still nice out for short sleeves

There’s no need to fear …

Leaves are just starting to turn

Rocky Pond

Blueberry Hill

Found the Suspension Bridge

Heavy Duty Hippy Stack or a deterrent for hitting this rock?

Heading out

Kayaking Lake Saint Catherine

2025-09-08T15:39:00.000-04:00

Our last activity at Lake Saint Catherine was a paddle on the lake. After our mountain bike ride and lunch, we launched our tandem kayak and went for a paddle around the northern part of the lake and into Lily Pond.

The channel into Lily Pond was narrow

and sheathed with lily pads - hence the name?

But the channel was big enough for a pontoon boat.

Then we headed out into the bigger area of the lake

Looking southwest to Saint Catherine Mountain

The high clouds made the temperature really nice

What a house perched overlooking the lake

And so many stairs down to lake!

This is called the Lighthouse.

Some interesting mountains further south that could be Scott Mountain to the left and on the right Burt and Indian Hill

Looking down the lake due south. This the deepest part of the lake, 65+ feet and apparently there’s Lake Trout! Need to bring the boat up next spring and do some fishing.

Our kayak

It was a 3+ mile paddle

Discovering the Slate Valley Trails

2025-09-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

Little did I know but The Slate Valley Trails started right across the street from the camp ground we were staying at over the Memorial Day weekend. So I headed out solo to reconnoiter the trails nearest to us.

I have been hearing a lot about this trail system and how it rivals PHP I haven’t had the opportunity to try them yet.

On my recon I rode the Loopy Loop trail both clockwise and counterclockwise and immediately knew Ann was going to like this trail.

After two laps I headed up SVT Fairgrounds Connector to the the Dogleg trail

It goes along the border of Lake Saint Catherine Golf Club. It was really bermy and swoopy descending down to a creek and then climbs out again, exiting out at the golf club. There are even two parking spaces at the entrance to the club reserved for mountain bike riders.

I rode through one of the neighborhoods close to the lake for some extra Wandrer miles.

Now it was Ann’s turn

We took a lap on Loopy Loop and she really liked it

It’s a beginner trail and a good way to introduce new riders to Mountain Biking

It has a nice rock face section but it wasn’t what some would call a roller

Again, textbook trail construction right out of the IMBA handbook

Memorial Day camping and riding bikes

2025-09-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

Ann and I went tent camping at Lake Saint Catherine State Park in Poultney, VT on Memorial Day weekend and we brought our mountain bikes. We also got to try out her new Yakima Backswing for the bike rack. Awesome design and functionality which lets you keep the bikes on the rack but get them out of the way when loading and unloading.

We visited the park earlier this summer and knew there were trails and that’s why we brought our bikes. We first rode around the park to check things out and then went out on the trails.

They were mediocre at best but a great introduction for Ann. Climbing up the backside of the park we found this great view of Saint Catherine Mountain.

Then we headed down what the map called Downhill Mountain Biking Trail. Although it was really short it had some great grade reversals and a few small table tops that made it really fun.

Ann really liked the trail

After the ride we cooked hotdogs over the gas fire pit.

Memorial Day at The Beast

2025-09-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

It started out pretty crowded Saturday morning because the Rams Head lift was having some issues.

Ann and I were getting in some laps before heading out on a camping trip to Poultney, VT. We couldn't check into the camp ground until 2 PM and we needed to get her mountain bike to bring with us.

My favorite view looking northwest towards Lake Champlain

Ann took this shot because I am the only always taking the pictures

It's always a crap shoot with the weather at Killington.

It was nice down in Rutland but here it was cool and cloudy.

Ann coming out of Easy Street near the Superstar

There was some adaptive para-transport training going on today.

I wonder if my son would try it sometime.