Solo Tour in Vermont

The Green Mountains of Vermont are a WONDERFUL place for a bike tour.  I found a 100 mile loop ride in a book about biking in Northern New England and decided to make a mini-tour out of it.  There were campgrounds about 50 miles apart so I was able to camp both nights.  The ride traveled along valleys so it wasn't particularly hilly - no large mountains to climb. Whew!  I would not have been up for that.

In one of my panniers (bags) I had everything for camping: tent, sleeping pad & bag and pillow. In the other I carried my clothes and my toiletries. I didn't bring any cooking gear this time as there were plenty of places to stop along the way and I was only going for 2 days.  Here is my camping site the first night:

The tent that I used is brand new and this was its maiden voyage.  It is called the "Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 and weighs just 3 lbs 13 oz total. It has room for 2 people and has 2 doors and large vestibules on either side. It sets up very easily in minutes.  It shaved 3 pounds off of our old tent which has now been relegated to "car camping". The Big Agnes isn't cheap but it is the lightest 2 person tent available and is just the right thing for bike touring. Here is a link:  Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2
 
The drive from Boston was nice and took about 4 hours. I camped overnight and then started biking the next day.  My route took me past a pretty covered bridge over the Battenkill river which is known for fly fishing. I dipped into New York State for a while before heading back into Vermont and up to Poultney. The weather was beautiful and the riding was fairly easy especially since I stopped a lot to take pictures and to soak in the sights.

Peanut Butter & Butter Sandwich

The campground for my second night was filled with families soaking up the last month of summer.  Next to me was a family with 4 young boys and they were living it up.  Every possible thing that could be hit upon was hit, including each other.  It made for a very loud afternoon.  After 10:00 they all went to bed and I got some peace and quiet while I read my book on my IPhone and then fell asleep.  At about 2:30 a.m. the smallest boy woke up with nightmares of hearing animals outside.  The parents yelled at him for what seemed like hours. They threatened him with being put outside WITH the animals unless he went back to sleep. I don't think that this tactic helped the scared little guy.  Good thing that I packed my good earplugs which I finally found in my pack.  Nighty night!

The second day of riding was as good as the first. I rolled by the cutest little cafe around mid-morning and stopped in for a bite.  What a treat!  Quiche and coffee - yum!  I didn't get hungry again until I was done for the day.

It was a bit hillier than the first day and there was a bit of a headwind. So, I was happy to pull back in to my van and to take a shower at the campground and head back to Boston.

Anxiety almost kept me from going on this trip.  I wasn't afraid of going alone - just anxious.  What if I had forgotten something important? What if it was too hilly and I couldn't do the mileage? What if I had a mechanical problem that I couldn't fix?  But most of all I was anxious about leaving my husband and my kitties. Since moving to Boston I have spent a lot of time at home and I don't get out very much by myself.  Which was exactly why I needed this trip.  Each of these potential problems I could have handled with a cool head, some cash and the help of some kind Vermonter. I am so glad that I went and have vowed to do it again soon!