Earlier this summer, I headed over to New England to see Sage, and, true to character, used the opportunity to squeeze in a number of other rides too.

One of them was Seth’s Shrek Loop, an 80-mile rollercoaster set within the lush forest of Vermont’s aptly-named Green Mountains, thick with spruce, aspen, red oaks, and beech.

It’s a ride that’s been bubbling away in his cauldron of New England routes for a while, and luckily our schedules converged to tackle it together. In fact, I cycled down from Burlington to meet him at Chittenden Reservoir (see below for a link) and then he drove me back to Boston at the end. Perfect!

The loop derives its name from a characterful stone hut that sits atop a hill above Pittsfield, complete with a pot belly stove, wooden bunk beds, colourful enamel mugs, and oodles of rugged mountain charm. Shrek Hut is also encircled by the gorgeous Green Mountain trail network – 25 miles of sublime and flowy singletrack – making the perfect cyclist’s conduit to and from this windswept idyll. Seth booked a night there a couple of weeks prior to the trip but it wasn’t until the weekend was closing in that we appraised the impending forecast – heavy rain, then more heavy rain – that we realised the timing couldn’t have been any better, relatively speaking.

Like much of the Green Mountains Vermont riding I’ve experienced so far, this is a ‘deep-dive-into-the-green-room’ kind of a route, with a few gulps of airy big vistas along the way. Although the generous smattering of Class 4 roads through the route are super fun in their own right, the night up in Shrek Hut is a real highlight. It gives the ride its lingering, feel-good vibes, long after we were back in Boston and our bikes were unpacked and our gear was finally dry again. It really is a special place.

Seth’s writing the route up for Bikepacking.com, so I’ll leave the nuts and bolts to him, and add a link when it gets posted. In the meantime, here are some photos…

The route launches yous straight into the good stuff from the get-go: smooth-rolling gravel roads and chunky class 4 climbs are the order of the day.

Spot the big wheelers… we were both running 29 x 3.25s for maximum fun times.

It goes without saying that many ‘bike-against-wall’ and ‘bike-on-the-ground’and ‘bike-against-barn’ photos were captured. Here is Seth and his beloved Tumbleweed Prospector. It’s clad in tough and tasteful bags by Andrew the Maker and BXB.

As well as being an avid bikepacker, Seth is a geology professor in Boston. This enormous, conspicuous lump of rock is called an erratic. According to the US Geological Survey: “A rock of unspecified shape and size, transported a significant distance from its origin by a glacier or iceberg and deposited by melting of the ice.” Think of all that raw power…

Other trivia: The chairs above are called Adirondacks, characterised by their backward sloping seat, tall slatted back, and wide armrests. They’re named after the Adirondack mountain range in New York, and seem perfect for New England summertime lounging (mosquitos permitting). Also, aside from crossing one babbling brook after another, the route intersects the multi-month, right-of-passage Appalachian Trail at one point!

Bikes or Death! Our first drizzly night was spent under a lean-to in the Coolidge State Park. Unfortunately, my Hyperlite tarp needs to be pegged down, so I couldn’t avail myself of this little luxury.

Lest you think I’m not proud of my bike, here it is, also shod with the same Duro Crux 29 x 3.25 tyres as Seth’s Tumbleweed. Aside from loving the riding character of the Jones LWB, I’m besotted by this colour.

The forecast for Day 2 wasn’t the best: spotty rain turning to drizzle, crescendoing to persistent downpours. Luckily the Class 4 rough ‘n tumble roads kept us distracted and entertained.

Finally, after a protracted bushwhack that was partly the result of misplacing a trail, we made it to the fabled Shrek Hut.

Wet and bedraggled, we dived jubilantly in, firing up the pot belly stove and battening down the hatches for the night. This photo is from the following day, when we could finally appreciate the glorious vistas that surrounded us. Clearly, it’s a place that’s beloved by many.

Of course, Shrek Hut’s cosy innards are especially welcoming on a wet and windswept day. Bunkbeds, an ‘espresso machine’, a bank of colourful enamel cups, and board games are all the creature comforts you need…

The visitor’s book makes for an enjoyable read too.

Then we were off again, snaking down towards Pittsfield on a twisty trail that was perfect for our laden big wheelers. Thanks to the crew who built this wonderful network!

The Green Mountain Trails even come complete with a foot spa.

In my excitement, I forgot to photograph the plump sandwich and homemade bakery products I bought at the Pittsfield Swiss Farm Market. But here are some other Vermont staples. Gun powder and eggs is an especially interesting pairing.

One last tick-infested push remained over a summit in the Mount Camel State Forest.

Grass Up The Middle.

Sensing the end of our ride was near, we paused to admire our steeds and photograph them in all their muddy glory, before heading back to Boston.

Seth’s Choice Cuts:

• Rohloff Speedhub 500/14
• Son 28 dynamo 135mm front hub
• Light Bicycle Recon RM29C15 carbon i45
• Duro Crux 29 x 3.25s
• Blacksheep custom titanium Mountain Mustache handlebar
• Paul Components Boxcar 70mm stem
• OneUp Components v2 dropper post
• Swood Cycles Twisted T bar to support a BXB Goldback
• Tumbleweed T-Rack
• Custom Andrew the Maker panniers

Wondering if there’s room for the fantastic 29 x 3.25s Duro Cruxes in a Tumbleweed frame? The answer is yes, just!

Thank you Seth for organising this awesome ride and having me along to sit back, pedal, and enjoy it! I had such a fun time!!

Seth took a bunch of great photos – including lots of me, eek! – which will be popping up on the published route. Watch this space…

Thanks for reading! Any questions, fire away!