For Round 4 of this potted New England excursion, I Greyhounded back to Burlington, then braved a gloomy forecast and jumped on the bike to start pedalling south on a Seth-concocted route.

I was headed towards a spot he and I had arranged to meet in a few day’s time, for his unofficial inaugural Shrek Loop. As an aside, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed friends putting together great rides for me. All I need to do is pedal (and stop and take photos…) With so many a million shades of green landscapes and such a wonderful smorgasbord of all-road (paved/gravel/Class 4/trail) terrain, I feel like my eyes are perpetually on long stalks!

This is just a quick post to share some photos – there’s also a map below with a few notes on the route embedded within the POIs.

New Bike Day for Ron – a Salsa Rangerfinder! For a couple of nights, I slept in the matchbox-proportioned compartment above the driver’s seat in Ron’s Winnie the Winnebago Camper. Then he escorted me out of town. So good to see him!

That’s a happy me right there: all manner of entertaining and engaging surfaces ensured maximum smileage, not mileage.

I relocated this little fellow across the road to reduce the chances of him being squashed flat by a monster truck.

A side note on US ‘tribalism’. First I passed by a house festooned with signage extolling the virtues of Guns, Jesus and Trump (didn’t quite summon up the courage to grab a photo, though) Then, a couple of properties along, a big peace sign made from wicker had been placed in the doorway of a farmstead, and a Black Lives Matter placard was posted in their wildflower garden…

The fabled Class 4 Vermont roads are a bit like old Welsh drover’s roads, in their haphazard terrain and their propensity for slippy, slidey, splashy stream crossings. Riding one is like going to a potluck, as you never quite know what you’re going to get…

A bit of gravel, a bit of pavement, a bit of sunshine, a bit of rain. And what a cute lil newt!

Class 4? At my own risk? Why yes, I don’t mind if I do!

Coffee ‘n pastry ‘n clothes drying session at the delightful Lincoln grocery store. I could have grazed here for a while… Side note: A lot of stores sell fresh coffee, so packing a thermos is handy for quick slugs throughout the day.

The Jones was posed against a wide variety of timeworn buildings. La Poderosa II is looking mighty fine, if I say so myself. This colour and build really do pop.

Greens were eaten.

Heart emoji gravel.

Shortly after the settlement of Bread Loaf (yep, that’s its real name), I met a road-touring couple, taking 5 months to ride from Maine to Oregon. Later, I sought refuge from rain (and power to resuscitate my depleted iPhone) at the wonderful and welcoming Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center.

Whippet Alex and his whippet rig, at Blueberry Hill.

Camping out at Silver Lake. I’m currently testing the brand new, 426g (plus stakes and pole) Hyperlite Mid 1 for Bikepacking.com. More on this little nifty lightweight number soon!

There was time for a swim in Silver Lake. Icy cold fresh and a bracing way of ridding the body from blood-lusting ticks…

A splash of Paul Purple in a forest of Vermont Green. Riding Chandler Ridge, above Silver Lake, was a primo start to the day. Classic New England tech… with rock and boulders and roots and mosses.

The last stint to the reservoir, my meeting point with Seth, transported me to the Dorset and Devon back lanes of Old England, or maybe the dry stone walls that crisscross the Peak District.

Field Notes

The first 25km of this route won’t be so appealing to committed off-road enthusiasts. With more time, it might be better to devise a more satisfying way out of Burlington. Still, Ron kept me company, and it was relatively quick and easy to get to the good stuff.

Otherwise, the route is a super fun mix of gravel, trail, Class 4, and pavement. There are a few busy spots, or at least, roads that see fast traffic (US trucks are big!)

I camped relatively early on Day 1, to hunker down out of the bad weather. But it was a nice legal spot to camp, so would have made a good option anyway. It’s not a day to Silver Lake from there. I hung out at the Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center for a bit, then went for a swim in the lake. This would be a great area to spend an extra day and ride some local trails – the center has lots of info.

On the last day, I met up with Seth to begin our Shrek Loop, hence the somewhat random finishing point. More on that Shrek Loop soon!

Burlington to Shrek Loop

I’ve included some POIs marking some nice places to eat/swim/camp. As I wasn’t in a hurry, I timed my ride to spend my second night at the beautiful Silver Lake. Otherwise, it would be easy enough to ride this route in 2 days.

Thanks for reading!