Day 6, Adirondacks and Green Mountain Loop Bike Trip, 2019

Day 6, Burlington to Lake Camri via Champlain Islands, 78 miles

I’m still waking up too early=eager to ride, except today, the bike ferry doesn’t leave until 10 a.m. It is 7 miles on the Burlington Island Trail and causeway to the ferry so left around 9. The causeway is cool; it extends out from a point off of North Burlington almost to South Hero or Grande Isle. A bike ferry takes about 2 minutes to deliver you to the other end of causeway.

After embarking I rode to Allenholm Farm for a maple creme, a local taste treat=soft serve ice cream that is maple flavored. Maple is very big in Vermont. Folks have signs in their yards advertising “maple stuff.”

Storms are in the forecast. Apparently last week a mighty storm came up and killed 2 kayakers on Lake Champlain.

At 12:30 in North Hero stopped for lunch at a general store. The sandwich I ordered was as big as a dinner plate. I finally met some cycle tourists. Very fresh, as they’d JUST started. I ate 1/2 the sandwich and, because the sky was darkening , took off.

Soon it began to rain and I had no idea what to do or how bad or for how long. So stopped at Allburgh Dunes State Park, but No Camping allowed. Thunder in the distance. So I did what one does: I put on a rain jacket and kept going. It did drip drip, but nothing big. I saw I was at the top of the islands so took 78 over to Swanton. Lots of truck traffic. By Swanton the sky had somewhat cleared so took off the jacket and let the ACA maps take over. I figured if I had the energy it would be 20 more miles to Lake Camri and I was at 57.

So I kept going.

The closer I got the more I knew I would take a lean-to just so I wouldn’t pack up wet tomorrow. I got on the Missisquoi Trail at Sheldon Springs. Somewhat undeveloped. I have hybrid tires, so exercised caution.

Turning off the trail was a 1 1/2 mile hill that I gutted up. I arrived at registration at 78 miles at 5:30 p.m.

The cute college boys upsold me a lean-to on the lake where I am surrounded by Canadians. I’m not too far from the border. This far north Vermonters speak French.

When I arrived at my lean-to named Spruce, I was pooped. I took my other half of my sandwich out to a boulder by the lake and ate. So relaxing.

Now after a shower, I write this little journal at a picnic table looking at the lake through pine trees. Once again there are rumbles of thunder and the sky south west of the lake is stormy.