The Vermont Maple Syrup Tasting and MTN Bike Tour '24

TBH, I'm sorta speechless.  I went on a whirlwind trip with Watts all the way up to Vermont, and meanwhile, Western North Carolina (and other areas, obvs) was torn to shreds.  Even before the news started hitting, I'd already done a terrible job documenting our adventure.  I only got worse at pulling my phone out, opting to take mental snapshots instead.  I lived in the moment, because that's what we had and will always have until we won't.

Watts taking a call from the work at our first stop in Danville, because of course the shop's internet went down, which means no credit cards could be taken for goods, services, and beers.

Our first of one thousand brewery stops.  Something Mountain Something.  Then a torrential but entertaining storm that looked like the gods were having a domestic dispute.  Then my first Walmart sleep ever.

There are no fewer than six locks and a cable on there.  I still woke up every fifteen minutes to stare at the bikes out the back window.

Our next stop was Port Jervis.  Most of the trails were fine.  Many were exemplary.  I felt like Dejay Downs was what I expected it to be... "down"... but through every pile of rocks and network of roots that Dejay could find in the woods.  I could picture him "ha-ha'ing" in my head.

Afterwards, we enjoyed some vittles in a place on the PA side of the river in what we discovered was a very unabashedly pro-Turmp bar.  I ate a salad and the wings that Watts grew tired of.

We slept in a very strange place in New Jersey where I imagine Copland was filmed and got on with the trip.  We made it all the way up to Ascutney in time to do an ill-advised short out-and-back route with little regards to elevation or remaining daylight.  I brought a light, and my old man eyes needed it on the way down.

Up early the next day to head towards the Kingdom Trails.

The photo documentation wheels fell of the bus (errr, van) at this point.  Whilst Watts was often times pulling out his phone to grab snippets of time for potential IG content, I was taking it all in Amish style.  Such an amazing place.  So much good riding.  Watts gave me a most excellent tour of the trails to the north side.  I was so stoked we were going to have two days of great weather here.

Until we didn't.

We were supposed to wake up to clear skies but instead it was raining, and it wasn't supposed to stop any time soon.  So we packed up and went to a coffee shop near Stowe to sip on a thousand ounces of coffee while Watts considered our next move.

Which after being given enough time to clear up, it was back to the Kingdom.

Although the sun was reluctant to show its face, the conditions were near perfect.  We nabbed some trails near Mike's Tiki Bar before heading off to the trails to the far south.  Our desires to add a little more this and that and then Watts wanting to show me this and then thinking we could go back that way but we actually can't... meant we were ending yet another ride in the twilight.  It's a good use of time.

The next day was a rainout.  No way around it.  As they call it on a cruise ship, it was to be a "fun day at sea."  Coffee shop.  Alchemist.  Lawson's... and then where to sleep?

I think I got my second and also last shower of the trip that night.  And it didn't cost $.50 for five minutes.

Our prospects were slightly better the next day, and Watts picked out some trails in Poultney that were fine... except we started on the perimeter trails that were not most definitely not destination worthy, but we ended on the more MTB specific inner trails..

but only ended up seventeen miles of riding.

"Wanna go ride somewhere else?"

Watts picked the spot, and while he drove, I came up with a loose plan.  The route my brain spewed forth was based on guesstimated mileage but definitely had no regard to elevation profiles or remaining energy levels or earlier food intake and mebbe daylight (again?).  It ended up being a stout punch in the face with occasional pleasantries tho.  Gotta get up to get down, as they say.

I don't remember where we slept but we woke up to a moist world and a strong desire to get one more decent ride in before the slog home.  Something between where we were and Tröeg's.  Watts took a stab at a place called Stewart.  Once again, we started with perimeter trails, which if history had taught us anything, it was a brilliant move.

Rolling double track to overgrown double track to a pointless ride over a grassy hill (also overgrown) to overgrown single track to finally giving in to hitting the interior trails.

Which were buenos.

We rolled around until it wasn't logical to do so if we were going to hit Tröeg's before we finally ended up in the same Walmart parking lot where we slept the first night.

It was a memorable and beyond pleasant trip with all new-to-me trails (except when we rode them a second or third time in the same or opposite direction).  It was a most welcome distraction from reality which not everyone has the privilege to enjoy.

That said, return to Charlotte, immerse myself in the news about WNC and the other places affected by Helene, finally hear from Eric "PMBAR Honcho" Wever (he's okay and bugged out from town as soon as possible), officially know that the Pisgah 111k is canceled* (duh), and make plans to do something else to occupy my time.

*and the Fonta Flora Barnburner 50k