JRogers
07-31-2007, 12:18 PM
So, I took my cheap and jobless self on vacation before grad school this fall. I stayed out over 2 weeks and it cost a few hundred all said and done. On to the pics!
Day 1-Arrive at Plattekill
2- Race DS
3- Race DH
4- Backpack Bennington to Kid Gore
5- Backpack Kid Gore to Stratton Pond
6- Backpack Stratton Pond to Goddard
7- Backpack Goddard to Bennington
8- Ride Kingdom Trails/Monkeyfest
9- Monkeyfest
10- Monkeyfest
11- Ride Killington
12- Ride GMNF trails/roads to Silver Lake
13- Ride Trail Around Middlebury
14- Ride Addison County trails
15- Rest day!
16- Hike Camel’s Hump
17- Drive Home
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture001.jpg
Packed and ready to go. Nice setup.
Plattekill
Race went pretty well. I got 3rd in both DH and DS in spite of racing DS on my DH bike and getting crappy starts. I would usually race expert, but didn’t have a license. I could have won the DH, but I just had a bad run and was run off track by a flipped over ATV (too lazy, tired and muddy for a protest run). All in all, a good weekend.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture003.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture007.jpg
Slalom course.
Backpacking
I went from Bennington, VT to Stratton Pond and back. I took mostly side trails on the way back and the AT/LT on the way there. I think I ended up doing about 55 miles by the end. The first 2 days were AMAZING. Great weather, felt good and not too many other people. The second two, it poured. It was still okay, but a bit less easy going. I did meet up with this father and son from NC and hiked with them those 2 days, which was nice. End of the hike, I got in my car and drove to East Burke.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture013.jpg
In Bennington. This one just came out better than the rest.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture018.jpg
Packed and ready to roll that morning.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture021.jpg
The “trail” gets a little rough
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture025.jpg
…and wet.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture026.jpg
Big fungus. Seriously. Huge.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture030.jpg
Shelter on Glastenbury. Stayed here a few days later. Really nice one.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture033.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture034.jpg
Views from Glastenbury fire tower.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture038.jpg
Kid Gore, where I stayed by myself that night. Didn’t see anyone for about 18 hours.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture040.jpg
Morning view from the shelter.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture042.jpg
Beaver pond. You actually stand below the water level. Very odd when you’re there.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture047.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture048.jpg
Views from Stratton fire tower. Great weather.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture049.jpg
Stratton Pond. Great place for a swim.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture052.jpg
Things got a little wet the last 2 days, so no more pics.
Monkeyfest
You’ve probably seen the other threads, so no need to go into much detail. I’ll just say that it was a great time and the trails, the friends and the weather were all awesome.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture057.jpg
Old sugarhouse.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture066.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture070.jpg
Views of Burke Mtn. from near the old camp and Moose Alley.
Killington
Drove from Burke to Rochester and stayed there with my ex-gf’s mom at their summer house there. Good times. Rode DH at Killington the next day, which was pretty fun. They have enough good trails for a day of DHing. The rain rolled in at the end, which was not cool. Got in the car and drove to Hancock, VT.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture075.jpg
Free concert on the Rochester town green. My spot is the empty camp chair. Good times.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture080.jpg
A few ferns on an old woods road.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture079.jpg
Killington got a little rain that day.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture084.jpg
Hung out here at Bread Loaf for a while. Used the raft, pond and stream after yoinking dinner from them. Ridin the panther.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture086.jpg
View.
Green Mountain NF
Stayed across the street from Bread Loaf on a forest road. Nice spot. The next day I did a big ride. It zigzagged on forest roads and some trails from Bread Loaf to Moosalamoo, Silver Lake, Falls of Lana, Goshen Dam, Blueberry Hill and other spots. I got lost a few times (no map), but nothing major. It was an exhausting but fun ride. I got to swim at the halfway, which was nice.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture087.jpg
Reservoir in the middle of the ride.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture092.jpg
Falls of Lana. Went swimming here.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture093.jpg
Here’s the actual swim spot.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture095.jpg
Silver Lake. Been swimming and camping here before; just passing through this time. Nice spot.
TAM
This trail winds around Middlebury and is actually pretty fun. There are a bunch of fun side trails and little sections. I stopped halfway and visited my friend Caitlin at the farm stand she works at for a snack. It was another hard, long ride.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture096.jpg
Trail running next to fields.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture098.jpg
Running down a rock.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture100.jpg
The friend I was staying with working at the farm stand. She gave me some free bread in the middle of my ride. Nice to have friends.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture101.jpg
Gets a little tight.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture103.jpg
View from Chipman Hill.
Addison
Went to a local mountain and rode up and down. The main trail up is wide, but fun and there’s some killer stuff off the top. A bit hot, but a great ride. Had to cut it short due to lack of energy.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture104.jpg
Massive waterbars.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture105.jpg
View from the top. Used to be an old hotel there, hence the foundation.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture106.jpg
You can see NY and Lake Champlain in the distance. Great view for minimal work.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture109.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture110.jpg
Views from the side trails that run right along the cliffs. Very fun.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture111.jpg
Bristol falls swim spot. A huge area with a nice waterfall you can go under and behind. Gets crowded when it’s hot, but it’s still fun.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture113.jpg
More Bristol Falls.
Rest
I was toast after about 2 weeks of nonstop riding, racing and hiking. I walked around the Middlebury campus to take some pictures for posterity and see a few professors that might be around. Naturally, I went swimming too.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture115.jpg
New Haven River. I sat there alone, got completely baked and listened to the water for about 3 or 4 hours.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture118.jpg
The swim spot. It’s small, but more isolated and quite deep. Jump off the rocks right in.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture119.jpg
Pool at the spot.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture120.jpg
Nice picture. The swimming is right in between those rocks.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture124.jpg
The monstrosity that is Bi Hall.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture123.jpg
Greens in the background.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture126.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture127.jpg
Campus chapel and main walk. Ahhhh, memories.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture128.jpg
Middlebury river swim spot. A popular one, but it’s not too crowded most times. At night and early, there’s nobody there, often. Colder than the New Haven, but fun.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture129.jpg
The spot. Jump off the rocks right in.
Camel’s Hump
My friend is a GMC caretaker there, so we (me and 2 friends) went to see her at the Camel’s Hump summit. It’s over 4000, but a relatively short climb. The way up on the side trail was easy. The way down on the LT was gnarly. I knew it would be, based on my thru hike last year, but it was a bit scary in the rain at some spots.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture134.jpg
View from a ledge.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture136.jpg
Summit.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture142.jpg
On the way down the “trail” gets a bit rocky.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture146.jpg
Sheesh.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture147.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture148.jpg
More trail.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture149.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture150.jpg
Beaver bond with the summit in the background.
Peace.
Day 1-Arrive at Plattekill
2- Race DS
3- Race DH
4- Backpack Bennington to Kid Gore
5- Backpack Kid Gore to Stratton Pond
6- Backpack Stratton Pond to Goddard
7- Backpack Goddard to Bennington
8- Ride Kingdom Trails/Monkeyfest
9- Monkeyfest
10- Monkeyfest
11- Ride Killington
12- Ride GMNF trails/roads to Silver Lake
13- Ride Trail Around Middlebury
14- Ride Addison County trails
15- Rest day!
16- Hike Camel’s Hump
17- Drive Home
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture001.jpg
Packed and ready to go. Nice setup.
Plattekill
Race went pretty well. I got 3rd in both DH and DS in spite of racing DS on my DH bike and getting crappy starts. I would usually race expert, but didn’t have a license. I could have won the DH, but I just had a bad run and was run off track by a flipped over ATV (too lazy, tired and muddy for a protest run). All in all, a good weekend.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture003.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture007.jpg
Slalom course.
Backpacking
I went from Bennington, VT to Stratton Pond and back. I took mostly side trails on the way back and the AT/LT on the way there. I think I ended up doing about 55 miles by the end. The first 2 days were AMAZING. Great weather, felt good and not too many other people. The second two, it poured. It was still okay, but a bit less easy going. I did meet up with this father and son from NC and hiked with them those 2 days, which was nice. End of the hike, I got in my car and drove to East Burke.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture013.jpg
In Bennington. This one just came out better than the rest.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture018.jpg
Packed and ready to roll that morning.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture021.jpg
The “trail” gets a little rough
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture025.jpg
…and wet.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture026.jpg
Big fungus. Seriously. Huge.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture030.jpg
Shelter on Glastenbury. Stayed here a few days later. Really nice one.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture033.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture034.jpg
Views from Glastenbury fire tower.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture038.jpg
Kid Gore, where I stayed by myself that night. Didn’t see anyone for about 18 hours.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture040.jpg
Morning view from the shelter.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture042.jpg
Beaver pond. You actually stand below the water level. Very odd when you’re there.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture047.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture048.jpg
Views from Stratton fire tower. Great weather.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture049.jpg
Stratton Pond. Great place for a swim.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture052.jpg
Things got a little wet the last 2 days, so no more pics.
Monkeyfest
You’ve probably seen the other threads, so no need to go into much detail. I’ll just say that it was a great time and the trails, the friends and the weather were all awesome.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture057.jpg
Old sugarhouse.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture066.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture070.jpg
Views of Burke Mtn. from near the old camp and Moose Alley.
Killington
Drove from Burke to Rochester and stayed there with my ex-gf’s mom at their summer house there. Good times. Rode DH at Killington the next day, which was pretty fun. They have enough good trails for a day of DHing. The rain rolled in at the end, which was not cool. Got in the car and drove to Hancock, VT.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture075.jpg
Free concert on the Rochester town green. My spot is the empty camp chair. Good times.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture080.jpg
A few ferns on an old woods road.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture079.jpg
Killington got a little rain that day.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture084.jpg
Hung out here at Bread Loaf for a while. Used the raft, pond and stream after yoinking dinner from them. Ridin the panther.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture086.jpg
View.
Green Mountain NF
Stayed across the street from Bread Loaf on a forest road. Nice spot. The next day I did a big ride. It zigzagged on forest roads and some trails from Bread Loaf to Moosalamoo, Silver Lake, Falls of Lana, Goshen Dam, Blueberry Hill and other spots. I got lost a few times (no map), but nothing major. It was an exhausting but fun ride. I got to swim at the halfway, which was nice.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture087.jpg
Reservoir in the middle of the ride.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture092.jpg
Falls of Lana. Went swimming here.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture093.jpg
Here’s the actual swim spot.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture095.jpg
Silver Lake. Been swimming and camping here before; just passing through this time. Nice spot.
TAM
This trail winds around Middlebury and is actually pretty fun. There are a bunch of fun side trails and little sections. I stopped halfway and visited my friend Caitlin at the farm stand she works at for a snack. It was another hard, long ride.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture096.jpg
Trail running next to fields.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture098.jpg
Running down a rock.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture100.jpg
The friend I was staying with working at the farm stand. She gave me some free bread in the middle of my ride. Nice to have friends.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture101.jpg
Gets a little tight.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture103.jpg
View from Chipman Hill.
Addison
Went to a local mountain and rode up and down. The main trail up is wide, but fun and there’s some killer stuff off the top. A bit hot, but a great ride. Had to cut it short due to lack of energy.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture104.jpg
Massive waterbars.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture105.jpg
View from the top. Used to be an old hotel there, hence the foundation.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture106.jpg
You can see NY and Lake Champlain in the distance. Great view for minimal work.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture109.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture110.jpg
Views from the side trails that run right along the cliffs. Very fun.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture111.jpg
Bristol falls swim spot. A huge area with a nice waterfall you can go under and behind. Gets crowded when it’s hot, but it’s still fun.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture113.jpg
More Bristol Falls.
Rest
I was toast after about 2 weeks of nonstop riding, racing and hiking. I walked around the Middlebury campus to take some pictures for posterity and see a few professors that might be around. Naturally, I went swimming too.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture115.jpg
New Haven River. I sat there alone, got completely baked and listened to the water for about 3 or 4 hours.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture118.jpg
The swim spot. It’s small, but more isolated and quite deep. Jump off the rocks right in.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture119.jpg
Pool at the spot.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture120.jpg
Nice picture. The swimming is right in between those rocks.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture124.jpg
The monstrosity that is Bi Hall.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture123.jpg
Greens in the background.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture126.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture127.jpg
Campus chapel and main walk. Ahhhh, memories.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture128.jpg
Middlebury river swim spot. A popular one, but it’s not too crowded most times. At night and early, there’s nobody there, often. Colder than the New Haven, but fun.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture129.jpg
The spot. Jump off the rocks right in.
Camel’s Hump
My friend is a GMC caretaker there, so we (me and 2 friends) went to see her at the Camel’s Hump summit. It’s over 4000, but a relatively short climb. The way up on the side trail was easy. The way down on the LT was gnarly. I knew it would be, based on my thru hike last year, but it was a bit scary in the rain at some spots.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture134.jpg
View from a ledge.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture136.jpg
Summit.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture142.jpg
On the way down the “trail” gets a bit rocky.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture146.jpg
Sheesh.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture147.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture148.jpg
More trail.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture149.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/jpmrogers/Picture150.jpg
Beaver bond with the summit in the background.
Peace.