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North America » United States » Vermont
Biking in Peacham/Groton - Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is a prestine mass of lakes, national forests, mountains and streams; an ideal place for the outdoors type looking for rural recreation. In this entry I will focus on my day of Mountain Biking on one small (Peachum/Groton) stretch of the Cross Vermont Trail, which stretches east to west from Newbury to Burlington. When complete it is expected that the CVT will be 70 miles long, 6 of which I biked starting in Groton State Forest.
To get to my starting point I drove north/east on Route 2 starting from Montpelier, then turned onto Route 242 east (also known as Groton Road) and drove about 10 miles to a parking area on the left. There are numerous areas to start from but this seemed to be the best as there is plenty of room for parking. This point is at the eastern corner of Lake Groton where you may pass through the camping grounds but are asked not to stop as there is a charge for staying there (whether you're camping, fishing or picknicking).
I began my journey on a nicely shaded path, as wide as a class 3 Vermont road (in fact, there is the occasional truck or car you'll meet on this path, although that day I met none). For about 3 miles I ascended a 2% pecent gradient, which was perfect for someone as out of shape as I am. The views were pleasant, mostly woods, some rock formations, decent views of Lake Groton and it's lakeside homes (this view being about 75 feet above the lake). During these 3 miles I did get some sense of civilization being around as I crossed class 2 roads and passed some farms and homes, but as the path flattened out I began to see less and less of that. On the flat there is less shade because the land is more open and a bit swampy with fewer trees. Once I passed this area, maybe a half mile to a mile, the forest returned with beautiful views of Owl's Head Mountain, a stalky, rocky and vegitative mass, like a bubble on the earth's crust. I began to decend at about a 2% gradient (that is the average of the CVT) right around the time Owl's Head came into view.
Shortly after passing Owl's Head, I came upon a road branching off tot he right, which leads to an old abandoned quarry. I'm told this road is an easy ride to the quarry, though the road doesn't looked as kept up as the CVT. I would consider it worthwile to go back and have look at the quarry some point, but that day I was too tired for exploration; besides, you could see it in the distance (although I am quite fond of exploring abandoned quarries up close). Shortly after passing this road I came to a marshy pond where I decided to turn around and head back as there is no loop, the CVT is one strait shot across the state. All in all I biked about 12 miles that day. I highly suggest this path for people looking for a nice leisurly work out. It's by no means difficult but it does get your heart pumping. I would also suggest that this path be used only for biking. If you're interested in hiking try something more exciting than this wide dirt road that really lends itself more to biking (actually this trail used to be a railroad bed).
- Created:
- Thursday, May 12, 2005 at 9:58 AM