Day 5, Adirondacks and Green Mountain Loop Bike Trip, 2019

Day 5, Vermont!! 57.5 miles

Left CP Campground around 8 a.m. and crossed on the Champlain Bridge. Once in Vermont very bucolic. I bought an apple fritter at a general store and didn’t bother to see or fill up water waters because it’s a TV commercial or travel brochure. There are general stores in all the numerous small towns. Everywhere. Using a combo of ACA maps, signs for Champlain Bikeway, and Google, I rode north close to Champlain. I was on quiet Rhodes. Little to no traffic. And no more towns. No services. No stopping, no shade. It was HOT. I was running low on water and finally saw a pick your own blueberry and winery place and pulled in. The lady filled up my water bottles and said less than 2 miles to The Old Brick general store.

At 38 miles I took my first significant break. So hot. I couldn’t get enough liquids.

And that thing that in Vermont there will be so many long distance cyclists--nada, zero, so far.

I took 22A after lunch which crosses route 7 and proceeded to follow ACA maps. One word: Irish Hill Rd., this name has a word I don’t like and it’s not Irish and road. I tried riding up but eventually had to jump off and walk the bike. At the top I’m physically wrecked from the heat and lack of shade. I got on Spears Rd. And then the Burlington Bike Path System that is twisty, root-bumpy, and not well signed.

Made it to a City Market by Overledge Park and stopped to see if I could get WiFi. Saw that the ferry ran until 6 pm and thought to myself, I’ve got this. Straddled the bike ready for 20 more miles, turned to leave City Market and BAM dark threatening skies to my west. I peddled back to see if I could get a Warmshowers host.

I phoned the first name that came up and Tim and Anne Parsons took me. It started raining during the 5 miles it took me to get to their house, but I arrived before the worst of it. They ave me a bed and GREAT meal. About 57.5 miles to the day.

Champlain Bridge

quiet roads

Burlington Bike Path