Spring Ride in Northern New England

[MattTuck]

earlier this week, we saw William's ride in Southern New England, Rhode Island to be exact. (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=90192) Also, saw a post asking for more ride reports.

To get a little North vs. South rivalry going, figured I'd post about my ride in Northern New England. Let's remember that Rhode Island was founded by a guy that got booted out of Massachusetts for his views on religion. Him and future social outcasts call RI home.

Vermont on the other hand wasn't even one of the first 13 colonies, it was the first state to abolish slavery, and it is the only state that has the right to secede from the U.S.; it also has bigger hills (RI's highest point is 812 feet), and I contend that it is where the strong men (and socialists) are built. This is all meant in good fun.

Ride Details:
22.6 Miles
1560 ft. of Climbing
Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/413481

Started at the river in Norwich, VT and after about 10 minutes, this was the view:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w3Gz_3AI/AAAAAAAAAfs/au0HF1ik-Bs/s800/IMAG0096.jpg


Road just keeps going up
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w3mxdpfI/AAAAAAAAAfw/-4yBRl6k93s/s800/IMAG0098.jpg

At the top of this hill, looking back toward River (those hills are across the valley in New Hampshire)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w4KJ0UoI/AAAAAAAAAf0/Vf5L9LUWthI/s800/IMAG0099.jpg

Some more pics across the valley into NH:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w4ua1gzI/AAAAAAAAAf4/agGtM00pzOk/s800/IMAG0104.jpg

Like William & RI, we have stone walls and fences too:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w5Y-pW-I/AAAAAAAAAf8/uGYS969RxW0/s800/IMAG0105.jpg

Covered bridge. 'nuf said
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w54WN1AI/AAAAAAAAAgA/XP7WvYJ40Gs/s800/IMAG0106.jpg


Notice the hill starts IMMEDIATELY after the bridge, climbing out of the valley from the little river it goes over.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w6XoQ3tI/AAAAAAAAAgE/-93NaDsWsAQ/s800/IMAG0108.jpg

[Louis]

Nice, but we want pics of the "College on the Hill." ;)

[MattTuck]

More climbing, old barn.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w7DKvwQI/AAAAAAAAAgI/qnWnCjP7AXY/s800/IMAG0110.jpg

More climbing (near the top of this pitch), and an aptly named dirt road... this is where strong men are made.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w7hjRTRI/AAAAAAAAAgM/MAl7GMIJahk/s800/IMAG0112.jpg


Looking across valley into NH again, the upper slopes don't even have leaves yet.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w8DRppjI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/laYBOCiKy3c/s800/IMAG0117.jpg

A barn very near the top of Academy Hill, I cropped out a nearby portajohn that is there for some renovation on the nearby house, for artistic reasons - FalseA, I have the original if you'd like to work your magic ;)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w8hyvEcI/AAAAAAAAAgU/9aV_xjzCWog/s800/IMAG0120.jpg

Didn't take any pictures during descent down to the river, as that is MY time, camera doesn't come out ;) This guy was literally going from one small field he just plowed to another one he was going to plow, WITH HORSES. Hard men, I'm telling you. Would have taken a pic from the front, but was too shocked to get out my phone in time.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w9RZJJPI/AAAAAAAAAgY/yH7LOegaYgs/s800/IMAG0121.jpg

Looking across river into NH, notice the tilled fields. Those are usually just grass, that are cut for hay. Given commodity prices, floods, droughts in other parts of the country, I'm guessing farmers up here are planting every acre they can with corn or other crops. My guess is that the next great investment is Hay! ha!
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w90AA5uI/AAAAAAAAAgc/hzGcsGCqmwE/s800/IMAG0122.jpg

Cows. Yeah, they're over exposed.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w-FG99XI/AAAAAAAAAgg/IhiDQsWl0X4/s800/IMAG0124.jpg

Even the bridges look like they could ride in flanders.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_tPd2J8hlPCM/Tc3w_Jzys5I/AAAAAAAAAgk/JgsoH7V5yZs/s800/IMAG0126.jpg

[kenw]

Nice, but we want pics of the "College on the Hill." ;)


Middlebury, more to the west.

[Louis]

Middlebury, more to the west.

Not west, but east.

[bike22]

Not west, but east.
?

[bike22]

god i miss vermont.

[Louis]

?

Hangover NH is east of Norwich VT

[bike22]

and middlebury is west of both.

[Louis]

Men of Dartmouth, give a rouse
For the College on the hill!
For the Lone Pine above her,
And the loyal sons who love her,
Give a rouse, give a rouse, with a will!
For the sons of old Dartmouth,
The sturdy sons of Dartmouth,
Tho' 'round the girdled earth they roam,
Her spell on them remains;
They have the still North in their hearts,
The hill-winds in their veins,
And the granite of New Hampshire
In their muscles and their brains;
And the granite of New Hampshire
In their muscles and their brains.

[rickbb]

Beautiful!
Probably not in keeping with the idyllic tone of the post to mention the black flies that likely discouraged stopping. :eek: At least that was the case in central NH yesterday, but the riding was still sweet.

[MattTuck]

Beautiful!
Probably not in keeping with the idyllic tone of the post to mention the black flies that likely discouraged stopping. :eek: At least that was the case in central NH yesterday, but the riding was still sweet.


Ha! And I had to stop for every pic, because i was taking them with my android phone and it isn't as easy to shoot on the fly as with a point and shoot. Tapping the screen is just not a good input method, IMO. Makes holding the camera with one hand awkward and so, yeah, I had to stop for each pic, and yeah, the black flies had no mercy for my purpose.

Oh, the pain I go through to share my riding with you folks :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

[phcollard]

Man these are awesome roads! And where are the cars?

I look at your pics. And then I look outside my window with a view to a potholed car driven Montreal. And I cry.

[gdw]

Nice pictures. It's good to see that the Ompompanoosuc hasn't washed away that old bridge.

[Andreas]

Man these are awesome roads! And where are the cars?


HaHa.

I live in the same village.

Rode last Tuesday some d2r2 style dirt roads around here.
Between 1-4pm.

Total cars encountered: 4.

Ride is on strava.com under my name.

[rickbb]

Oh, the pain I go through to share my riding with you folks :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Only we northern New Englanders know the sacrifice it took to provide your photos.
Thanks!

[kenw]

Men of Dartmouth, give a rouse
For the College on the hill!
For the Lone Pine above her,
And the loyal sons who love her,
Give a rouse, give a rouse, with a will!
For the sons of old Dartmouth,
The sturdy sons of Dartmouth,
Tho' 'round the girdled earth they roam,
Her spell on them remains;
They have the still North in their hearts,
The hill-winds in their veins,
And the granite of New Hampshire
In their muscles and their brains;
And the granite of New Hampshire
In their muscles and their brains.




When Gamaliel Painter died, he was Middlebury's pride,
A sturdy pioneer without a stain;
And he left his all by will, to the college on the hill,
And included his codicil cane.

[Louis]

Apparently there are several institutions of "higher" learning in New England. ;)

[Climb01742]

if vermont were 1000 miles south of its present location, it'd be the perfect place to live, says he who hates snow+cold. 'dems is some purdy pictures.

[skijoring]

Nice, I love that area...I hope to be down there over Memorial Day weekend visiting from the Grand Metropolis of Burlington...maybe connect up with Andreas???

MattTuck, you need to explore Boston Post up from Norwich and the always fun Beaver Meadow climb....TigerTown Road...so many fun roads...then the roads up through over Quechee. etc...Need big tires!

[northbend]

Beautiful country Matt, thanks for sharing your ride with us. Thanks to you and William I now have another area to put on my ride 'bucket list'