It’s been a few years since I’ve bike toured in anywhere but Mexico, which makes it especially joyful to rock up to a nook of the world that’s entirely new to me, and be able to benefit from the hard work and enthusiasm of bikepacking community there. What a treat!
Sage and I had initially set our sights on a loop of the North Eastern Kingdom, one of Seth’s routes, and by all accounts a fantastic ride in a beautiful area. However, due to some logistical hurdles, we decided to keep our travels closer to our Burlington base camp, aka Winnie The Winnebago. It’s not that it would have been impossible for us to get to there, as there’s a public bus that runs between Burlington and Montpellier, a half-day ride away from its starting point. But my monster 29 x 3.25in tyres wouldn’t squeeze into its bike rack, and I was worried the route would be a little too much for us, time-wise.
La Pederosa! Jones steel LWB (size M) prepped for Vermont Class 4 battle, with an assortment of Tailfin bags, a Wizard Works Framebagaracabra, and Buckhorn stem bag to tie it all together.
So in the end, a conversation at dinner in Richmond turned into a late-night route-building session on Ride With GPS (thanks Chase, Minty, and Jen), ideas that blossomed into a 165km loop straight out of Jen’s front door, where we were staying.
70% of the route – which looped around Mount Mansfield – promised to be off-road, with a mix of bike paths, gravel roads, and trails. There was also a very respectable 2200m of cumulative climbing to contend with – enough singletrack to entertain us, a few big climbs to challenge us, and some mellow stints on a gravel bike path that promised mellow, traffic-free, chit-chat downtime. What paved roads there looked quiet, and in the event, only a couple of short stints on busier roads had my paternal probosci on danger alert.
A Troll sighting! Sage’s setup, a borrowed OG Surly Troll (size S), 26×2.3s, a BXB Piccolo, and a Revelate framebag.
This post follows a mostly-chronological order of photos – plus a map at the end, and some Field Notes geared towards any family bikepackers interested in tracing a similar ride. But because Sage has been keeping a daily journal since we’ve been together, we’re also presenting a joint diary of our trip in a day-by-day account!
Bike trips are amazing learning opportunities and are invariably a a fun way of gleaning all kinds of life skills – problem solving, overcoming challenges both physical and mental, and interacting with all kinds of people along the way. I’m so proud of Sage for
- 1/ Completing the ride in its entirety
- 2/ Having the mental fortitude to keep a diary, and
- 3/ Expanding his notes into fuller thoughts, and sharing it with me for this blog post!
It’s the whole package – the planning, the cycling, the en-route experiences, and the post-trip memories – that make these adventures invaluable to us both. This one required lots of energy to pull together, but it felt so worthwhile.
So without further ado:
A SUMMARY OF THE TRIP AROUND MOUNT MANSFIELD, by Sage Gilbert (age 10&1/2) and Cass Gilbert (age 49&1/4)
DAY 1 – Prep day, route work, and half-day ride (28km, 433m Up)
Sage:
We started the trip off with Papa’s friend Jen, picking us up and taking us to her house where we hung out, did a half-day ride (with swimming), had an amazing dinner with her friends (chicken, potatoes, sorbet and more) and slept on our camping mats in the porch (I know, I’m used to it 😛). During the half-day ride we rode 27km. We climbed and descended about 400m. We stopped and swam in a beautiful swimming hole (I jumped off a rock, so fun 😀) and we even saw a kid with a 4wd Traxxis Slash (it is an RC car that me and my dad like cause we are rc nerds 😂) We then rode some amazing single track. I want to say a big thank you to Jen for letting us stay at your place and driving us from Winnie and back to Winnie at the end!
Papa:
My amigo Daniel, who I rode with in Oaxaca recently, suggested a little half-day ride that warmed us up for the adventure ahead. Although Daniel is out there touring in Norway, his wife Jen made us feel very much at home in beautiful Richmond, VT.
As for the route, I loved the singletrack we rode at the beginning and the end. And the swimming hole was a delight. Watching and listening to Sage ride trails always makes my heart burst with happiness – gleeful yelps as he twisted and turned down tight corridors of ferns, negotiating bridges, roots, and rocks along the way. After a week in the camper, luxuriate in a house for a night was just what we needed, instead of bumping into each other and swatting mosquitos! Then we knuckled down to sifting through our gear and figuring out what we needed for our trip, and what could be stashed with Jen. The packing part of bikepacking…
Our half-day ride had a bit of everything. Trails, gravel roads, and a beautiful swimming hole.
My little gravel rider!
DAY 2 – Richmond to camping beyond Mansfield State Park (49km, 690m Up)
Sage:
When we woke up, we had a lazy morning and had breakfast. By the time we left, it was about 12:00 pm and we still had about 50km with 750m of climbing! Once we started though, we realised that we would make it even though we did most of the climb on singletrack with blackflies for all 😂. When we started the climb we went through the gate for Mount Mansfield State Park. Papa did not want to pay $40 to camp, so we went to the edge of the state park and camped a bit past that! Also, we were going to have pasta but Papa forgot the lighter so we ate salami and corn chips 😛. PS. Don’t let him know I said this but I bet he had the lighter the whole time 😂.
PS from Papa: In my defence, I could have sworn I packed the lighter! At least we had a fistful of Lara bars too!
More added thoughts from Sage: But we didn’t actually eat Lara bars that night!
Papa:
Despite a late start and some cold, overcast weather, we covered good ground to Waterbury, where we stopped for a picnic on a bench (corn chips and salami, our lunchtime staple), wrapped up in our respective layers. The climb that followed shortly after took us a while, but as most of it was on fun singletrack, so it kept us entertained. Watching Sage negotiate a number of steep switchbacks and make his way up them smoothly and confidently was a highlight of the day for me. It’s been a while since he’s mountain biked, but you wouldn’t have known it.
On the way up, we passed by a number of historic homesteads, complete with mossy stone walls and rusty bed springs poking out of the earth. We were both tired by the end of the top and as we prepared ourselves for the final ascent, I asked Sage if he’d like to use the Tow Whee that attaches from my bike to his – aka the Magic Bungee). “No thanks, I want to get up there in style!” came his reply, as he pedalled off once more.
From there, we were treated to a smiling-inducing descent. Initially, the forest road was narrow and overgrown, and I watched him jump and jive off bumps in the land. Our camping spot, in a wooded glade, was perfectly peaceful. Chomping on a nugget each of dark chocolate, we watched Monty Python’s Flying Circus that night and Sage laughed so hard that he pounded the ground with his fist. Really!!!
Added thoughts from Sage: Well… I did but… it was funny… blame them… they made it 👍
Sweet trails through Mt Mansfield State Park and discreet camping by the roadside at its exit.
Welcome to the Astral Plane!
DAY 3 – Stealth Camping to Stealth Camping (58km 700m Up)
Sage:
In the morning we left the camp spot and went out to get food, but when we got to the store it was closed (it was Sunday at 11:00 am) so we had some granola and rode to the next town where we went into a supermarket, and may have got some of the best shepherds pie I’ve had (or at least up there, as my grandmothers is AMAZING 🥧)! And then rode on after a bit of riding we stumbled upon a little farm that sold maple syrup (it was called Sage Farm so we had to 😂). After a bit, we got to the next town and we were HUNGRY so we found a place that had gluten-free pizza, ate and rode on by this time we were almost done with our day’s riding (55 km and 700m up) so we just cruised down a bike path and found a place to stealth camp. We had pasta for dinner that night and as Papa did not want to cook where we set up, we cooked the pasta and ate the pasta in a trail parking lot (we sound shady now 😱)
Ma boy. He makes me a proud papa.
Insert salivating emoji here.
Eat your greens!
Maple Lane and lots of Maple Syrup.
Terrain included techy doubletrack, a blurry bike path, and ribbons of gravel.
Papa:
My favourite bit today was the singletrack along Maple Lane (the clue is in the name!). Sage climbed some tough, stony trails and he went flying down some babyhead descents. Too fast, if you ask me 😜 This was another big day for us, with a mixture of terrain – paved road, gravel, trails, and a gravel bike path.
Seth lent us his Hyperlight Ultamid 2. It’s always a creative joy pitching it in the woods, amongst the pine needles and maple leaves.
Morning chores: Coffee 1, Kindle-reading, Sage catches up on some note-taking, and we take a celebratory slug of dark Maple syrup in reverence to all the trails that lie behind and ahead. And, a thank you to Mother Nature for sharing this campspot.
DAY 4 – Stealth Camping to Bucke Camping (44km 506m Up)
Sage:
We left the camp spot pretty early because Papa did not want to be caught 😂 (we hadn’t even had breakfast… well we had an RX bar and he had Coffee 1, but that’s all 😁) We then rode along the gravel bike path to the Burger Barn. By now it was 10:30 am and the Burger Barn didn’t open till 11:00 am, so we went to a little place called the Cupboard and I got a strawberry shortcake 😋 (gluten-free) and waited. I ate my cake, read a Warrior Cats book and Papa drank Coffee 2. Once the burger place opened we headed over there and DUN… DUN… DUN!!!! It only accepted cash 😆 so we went back to the Cupboard and got a breakfast sandwich 🥪 (again, gluten-free!). We continued along some beautiful dirt roads, we chatted and rode (then stopped to watch a digger) and then chatted and rode… until we got to Jericho, where we went to Palmer Lane for their famous maple creemee. If you’re from Vermont, you will know what a maple creemee is, but if not, I’ll explain: it’s basically a soft serve mixed with real maple syrup!
Once we were refreshed, we went to the Red Mill and found a place to swim in the Browns River. When we were done, we headed out and met a sort of shifty-looking guy (no offence if you’re reading this!) who gave us some fish he smoked and caught in the same river (we had a sneak snack of it and it was amazing). Then we headed to the house of Papa’s friend’s uncle (David), who kindly let us camp on his property. Once we were set up, we talked and had an amazing dinner together with his family. We then headed back to our tent and watched Monty Python in bed! That night we also heard some coyotes 🐺, owls 🦉, and deer 🦌…
PS thank you to the Buckes for letting us camp on your property and making us food.
Enjoying a slice of Vermont Paradise along the Browns River.
Local legend suggests Palmer Lane Maple Creemees are the very best in the land. Sage agreed.
Papa:
I really enjoyed riding the bike path with Sage, as we could chat while we rode (reenacting scenes from Monty Python that we watch every night), and there was a cool wooden bridge along the way. Too bad we couldn’t eat at the Burger Barn, but our breakfast sandwiches, with all the extras, were delicious. The ride to Jericho was quiet and scenic. The Maple Creemee was as good as everyone told us it would be (David claimed it’s the best place in Vermont), matched only by the delicious dinner they cooked us up. What a place to camp! There was even a writer’s hut beside our spot, I imagine it would be perfect in the winter, with a roaring fire going, and the radio on…
David Bucke accompanied us to our accommodation for the night. We pitched beside the writing/reading hut, on soft mown grass, in a grove of apple trees.
An idyllic spot indeed!
DAY 5 – Bucke Camping to Richmond (35km 420m Up)
Sage:
The first thing I thought when I woke up was “WHAT! THIS IS THE LAST DAY???” but enough of what I think (just kidding 😁). Anyway once I woke up (Papa let me have a lie in 😴), we went up to David’s house (David is Papa’s friend’s uncle, remember?) and he and John (John is a family member of his) made us an amazing breakfast (eggs, berries and oatmeal with maple syrup 🍁). We then said ciao and started riding again. We first went to the Brown’s River and swam in a deeper pool, then sat on a big rock and ate the fish the sketchy guy (no offence!) gave us (so yummy 😋so cool 😎). Then, we went to an old country store and got a last creemee and rode up the main climb and down a massive descent (so fun 🚵). Afterwards, we rode some singletrack along the Winooski River (we raced each other!) and I also saw a river otter on the trail. So cute! Once we made it back to Richmond, Jen drove us back to Winnie the Winnebego, just before it started to rain! I also wanted to say THANK YOU to all the people who helped with this trip, it’s much appreciated! 👍
You may be thinking “Sage get to the point, DID YOU LIKE IT” and I’ll say sheesh IMPATIENT but yeah I’ll get to the point, (oh hey I just remembered something funny that happened yesterday) “Sage GET TO THE POINT’!’ Ok fine… I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, that’s right I L.O.V.E.D. IT!!!!!!!!
What a wonderful stay! We escaped this idyll, somehow.
Papa:
Our last day was a little easier and shorter than the two days prior, so we knew we could really relax and linger… swimming and stopping for snacks en route. After a massive descent in which Sage hurtled past me in a blur, we stopped by the river to eek out our time, munching on salami and corn chips (again!!). It was our second time riding the trails along the Winooski River and Sage cleaned a climb he couldn’t quite get before (I was as proud as he was 😀). I could see him really working the shape of the trail, leaning his bike into turns and enjoying what we called the Flow State, where our minds are in the moment and we’re not thinking of anything else. Our bodies are floating through the trees.
We stopped one last time for corn chips, salami, and carrots, mostly just to eek out the day, finally agreeing that it was time to wrap it all up. Sage was stoked to make it back to Jen’s, and I watched him bask in the feeling of successfully seeing a big challenge through to its end – that sense of happy accomplishment and all the confidence that it brings. I was definitely resonating with those same high vibes too, as much for the time we spent together – camping out and sharing thoughts on life (and Monty Python) – as for the riding itself 🏕️ 🚵. Stoked!!! 👍
PS Added emojis by Sage, in case it’s not evident!
Swimming in the Brown’s River, and enjoying a freshly smoked rainbow trout, caught in the same spot, that was gifted to us.
ZoomZoomZoom!
Finishing our ride with singletrack and smiles.
Field Notes
We stealth camped on this trip, as I’m still adjusting mentally to the cost of living in the US! But I’ve marked some official spots on the map, near to where we pitched our tents. Distance-wise, we were aiming for about 50km a day. This afforded us lots of time for leisurely starts to the day and lingering swims in rivers along the way, especially as the sun doesn’t until around 8.30pm at this time of year.
In terms of gear talk: although we didn’t use the Tow Whee on this trip, it was nice to have, if only to help Sage pace himself through the day, and ensure the riding stayed on the fun side of challenging. I didn’t want us to slip into the dubious realm of the suffer-fest (plenty of time to do that when you’re an adult, if you so choose).
Whilst the Troll (size S) that Sage borrowed was a little too big for him, it would certainly be a great bike for him to grow into, and he really enjoyed riding it. It makes me wonder if a Surly Bridge Club in an S or XS (fitted with shorter cranks) could be a great next bike for him. More research is required!
Lyme disease is rife here, so we were also on Tick Alert, checking ourselves each night, and applying tick spray on occasion.
We prepped our route in Ride with GPS, my favourite route-building program. Then I loaded it into a Hammerhead Karoo 2 to maintain the flow of the ride, and to save battery life. Mapout is another favourite – this excellent app displays all your routes in one spot, with elevation profiles between chosen points. It’s great for managing expectations on longer climbs and plotting where to take breaks, or look for camping spots.
Seth lent us his stove and titanium Vango pot set, which we used for simple dinners – pasta and cooked salami – and tea and coffee. I picked up a gas bottle in the Gear Exchange store. Otherwise, we hit up some of the country stores for fresh food, like Shepherd’s Pie. There are tonnes of restaurants too, but we were trying to keep to a bit of a budget, as eating out in Vermont is definitely on the pricey side.
Ride with GPS is the way I like to draw out routes and Mapout is the app we use to see to plot our assault on climbs. Sage appreciates studging what we have coming up.
The Tow-Whee – aka the Magic Bungee. Whilst we don’t need it as much as we used to, it remains a very valued part of our gear list, keeping the pendulum swinging firmly towards the fun side of adventuring.
Peanut Butter and Carrots and DEET…
Photo by Sage!
Once we were back within Winnie’s camper embrace, rain interrupted play. We waited it out for a day or two, then rode over to Rock Point for one last swim (brrrrrrrrrrrr!) and some waterfront jazz. Finally it was time to hop on the Greyhound and return to Boston. A wonderful two weeks together!
The Richmond Half-Day Ride (28km, 433m Up)
And here’s that lovely half-day ride that got us into the groove. You could easily combine the two. Thanks Daniel!
The Big Route (173km, 2058m Up)
Here’s our route and a few notes where roads were busy. For the most part, it sticks to bike paths, mellow-but-fun trails, rural roads, and gravel stints, and makes for a wonderful family adventure. Thank you Chase, Minty, and Jen!
Thanks for reading!
Tita/Terri
11 September 2023 at 3:13 am
Loved the dueling narrative! Sounds like a wonderful trip.