C2C Day 52 Lake Saint Catherine VT to Quechee VT

A great day for a ride across Vermont. Overcast skies and 52 degrees as the ride started on the former Delaware & Hudson railroad line, converted into a rail trail. I spotted a deer and fawn sharing the early morning trail with me.

First stop was in the quaint college town of Castleton, where a few other cyclists were fueling up for rides. Nearly everyone I came across gave a jovial ‘Good Morning!’. Maybe that’s a Vermont thing. Or maybe the emerging sunshine after days of rain helped spark a good mood. Or maybe people just liked my crazy elephant jersey.

Today featured a climb up and over the Appalachians, the first significant day of climbing since the Black Hills of South Dakota. From an elevation of about 500 feet in Rutland, the route crested at 2100 feet above sea level. Overall, a moderate elevation gain – but some stretches had incline grades of more than 15%. Most modern mountain passes are engineered at a 5-6% grade with numerous switchbacks, but these old roads often go straight up hillsides. And Vermont has plenty of steep hillsides.

Some gravel roads at the top had me questioning my route decisions. ‘Old Plymouth Road’ deteriorated into 4-wheel drive adventure – not passable for cars. Barely passable for bicycles, especially after the recent rains.

As if the rough road was not hazard enough, a stubborn porcupine decided to camp out in the road. I waited patiently for passage, but apparently, the porcupine was not impressed with my crazy elephant jersey. Not wanting an unpleasant brush-up, I bush-wacked around the prickly road camper and carried on.

Former president Calvin Coolidge was born in this area of Vermont, and his namesake adorns several parks, roads, and museums. We met up for lunch in one such park, and Jax found a beautiful nearby lake for paddle boarding.

Then, a nice scenic roll down the Ottauaquechee River valley to our overnight town of Quechee. Here’s a view from the aptly named ‘River Road’:

A beautifully adventurous and sunshine filled day. 64 miles of excellent Vermont biking.