Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their nonfiction books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Learn more.
LISTEN:
Our calendar to-do list is pretty big this fall. Before we tend to those tasks, and it gets too cold (for us) to bicycle in New England, we decided to take a break. Vermont is a New England state we have spent little time in. This was our chance to explore the Lamoille Valley Rail trail, near Stowe, Vermont.
From our house in Massachusetts, Stowe is a relatively long drive—five or so hours, depending on traffic. That traffic uncertainty of traffic became a reality as we witnessed one car fire, one rollover that looked very bad, and stop and go traffic all the way up. We stayed at a local campground in our T@B camper,
Since the trip up was strenuous for us, we spent our first whole day simply driving short distances and exploring the area. On the other side of a small covered bridge, we found a little roadside park which offered a sweet surprise. Beard Park, next to the road in Johnson, Vermont offered a swimming hole and small waterfall views. A woodland path led to the shoreline, and the last steps to the water were “skid on your bum” challenging for me!
We stopped to check out a small walking path in Stowe itself, and drove to the top of Mount Mansfield. The auto road to the top of the mountain is pricey. The views, however, are stunning. For those who are nimble of foot, getting to the actual peak of Mount Mansfield is a challenge (NOT an Easy Walk), that offers spectacular views.
For those of us less mobile, a utility road from the visitor center offers solid footing and takes you up to the telecommunications installation, where you can view the Adirondacks to the west, along with views of Lake Champlain.
It’s a relatively steep climb, but the gravel road made it manageable (with support) for me. Vibram sole boots are recommended!
We treated ourselves to a Thai dinner in Stowe at the end of the day. The food was hot, tasty and the place was quiet. Much appreciated by those of us sensitive to loud noise.
The Lamoille Valley rail trail was our destination for the following day. We started at Mile 51 in Hyde Park and pedaled to Wolcott, to Mile 41, before turning back. We rode a little over 20 miles total. The Lamoille River was in sight almost the entire duration of our trip. The section we traveled was surprisingly uncrowded. Foliage season will surely bring many more visitors.
Several bridges along the way offered nice views of the river. Small cataracts in the river provided a charming soundtrack along our journey. We stopped for lunch down what was once a way to a bridge over the river. It’s now a dead end road just off the trail, with evidence of spring melt destruction. The bridge supports stand like sentries in the middle of the river bed. The road paving is cracked and buckled where the river breached its banks and the current tore apart everything in its path. After our lunch break we returned to the rail trail.
Vermont maple syrup is renowned, and as we pedaled we spotted strands of plastic tubing stretched from maple tree to maple tree through the woods. We have seen this in other areas in New England. What we had not seen was this same tubing overhead, crossing the rail trail! One of the tubing arrays stretched all the way across to the other side of the river. What a delightful reminder of an important Vermont industry.
The road (closed in winter) through Smuggler’s Notch is a challenging drive, with great views of cliffs on either side of the road. A switchback along the road warns vehicles of the narrow access through the notch. Prior to heading through the notch, if your vehicle can’t fit through the pylons, you will not be able to maneuver the narrow road through the pass.
We visited on a weekday and were surprised to find the visitor center at the crest of the notch to be full in the morning. After managing to get a parking spot, we wandered the trails near the road checking out the massive rock falls that have crashed from the cliffs overhead.
We skipped the Smuggler’s Notch ski area, which offers rides up the mountain side in summer, expanding the season that is otherwise constrained by snowfall, and man-made snow.
Our last adventure before heading home was a stop at Moss Glen Falls, in Stowe.
A promised easy walk was not that easy for me. It’s very short (a third of a mile) to the falls; the board walk makes for an easy path through wetlands. The spacing of the boards, and the width of the walkway is what made it difficult for me. It was, however, well worth the effort.
Many will find this boardwalk path quite easy, although narrow. Stepping aside for fellow visitors is challenging. We stopped there at the end of the day so had few others to meet us along the way. The path opens up to the stream at the bottom of the falls, and the bare sandbank invites visitors to wander alongside the water.
The fifty step climb up granite steps to see the cascade was challenging for me, but the stairs were well-built, evenly spaced and not eroded. With no railing, I needed support to ascend to the best viewing spot.
The 85 foot drop of this natural waterfall at the end of the path is stunning. Despite the lack of rainfall when we visited, the cascade down the rocky slope was still impressive.
We had hoped to take another bike ride on this trip since the rail trail is 93 miles in length. We had to cut our trip short, but look forward to returning another time to continue exploring more of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Definitely worth the trip. Happy Trails!
Marjorie
Marjorie Turner Hollman 