Ride 14: Montpelier, East Montpelier, Plainfield, Marshfield, Cabot, Woodbury, Calais, Worcester & Middlesex

I’d kind of thought the Dirt 251 project had been put on hold until next spring. Temperatures were falling, Maddie and I had pretty much prepared the house for winter, and we got very decent snow! But as quickly as the inches piled up, they disappeared, fully succumbing to a streak of over 60° and sunny days. So it didn’t take much convincing to get me back out there. Because their route had somewhat fallen through, I also managed to get some partners for the ride too: Brad and Rafa. We all rendezvoused at the Montpelier Public Pool which has sadly been shuttered during COVID. I had chosen this route mainly for its easy access from home, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Montpelier too. It’s where Maddie was living when we first started dating, and it’s just a fun, historic, quirky, heartfelt, overgrown-town of a city. The weather still had a bit of a nip in the air, as the river valleys were still stubbornly holding on to their cloud cover (which often happens in fall). But wrapped in warm layers we were hoping to soon shed, we began our trip. The route I’d planned included some of the mountain bike trails accessed just on the other side of the river from the parking lot. Sadly, they’d already been closed for the season, so we needed to turn around and take the alternate route: North Street. On our way out to the main road though, Brad was battling his front derailleur. It had been sneakily getting worse and he was now stuck in the little ring. He tried valiantly to fix it with help and hints from me and Rafa, but he decided to throw in the towel and with a quick goodbye, wished us well. Luckily, he was able to get a ride in that day on his road bike, but he was sorely missed. So onwards Rafa and I rode to take on North Street. It wasn’t my first date with this steep street: Maddie and I had taken it on during a two–day tour last year. It took quite the effort then, so I was glad to not have loaded panniers and a heavy steel frame underneath me. We pushed up and up, eventually breaking into the sunshine. We cruised along and down the rollers of East Montpelier and made our way to Route 2 crossing the Coburn Covered Bridge which spans the main branch of the Winooski River.

Making our way up and out of Montpelier via North Street.

At the intersection of Sparrow Farm Road.

We took a left on the buzzing, busy road, and were headed to Plainfield. We quickly reached Goddard College, a school now mainly consisting of low-residency programs, which sits on the outskirts of town. We passed the local library and the Opera House, taking a right on Main Street to speed by the local Co-Op and Positive Pie Pizza. We were then given a break from traffic by starting a rail-trail that begins in Plainfield. It follows an old railroad bed that was laid out to accommodate the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad. The railroad was developed in the early 1870’s and offered both passenger service and freight including dairy, poultry, logging, wood products and granite. The line was in service until 1957 and you can see a ton of pictures thanks to the Plainfield Historical Society. We very much enjoyed the double track which smooth overall, and punctuated by only sporadic mud and the occasional abandoned bus. We took a wrong turn at one point where the old rail bed had become someone’s driveway and the trail diverts around their home. But we were soon back on the trail and worked our way down into Marshfield where we took a break. I had hoped to pop into the Rainbow Sweets Bakery, a spot I’ve driven by many times, but never stopped. Sadly, they’ve closed (temporarily I hope) due to coronavirus. So our snacks were not nearly as exciting as they could have been, but they fueled us for the climb up towards Cabot. The town of Cabot is of course associated with the delicious cheese manufacturer which is the standard bearer in a state known for its cheddar. It began in the town when a collective of 94 farmers pooled their resources (and milk) to produce cheese. They’ve grown from there to today topping $350 million in sales per year and they are still organized as a co-op (and a B Corporation to boot)! We didn’t actually make it into the village of Cabot. Instead, we got to see “Lower Cabot” after dipping down Ducharme Road to Route 215, only to climb back up the impressively steep Blodgett Road. It pushes over 21% grade at points according to my GPS. That’s pretty darn steep. Oh by the way, I bought a bike computer. It’s a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt I bough off my friend Rachel. It’s been great for navigating and geeking out on stats both on ride and off. Anyway, we enjoyed the Class 3.5 terrain of Blodgett (more so once it leveled out). Then we popped onto East Hill Road and stopped next to the 9-hole Woodbury Golf Course to eat a bit of lunch.

To the left: the beautifully named Under Orion Farm and to the right: the mountains around Groton State Forest and the area’s state parks.

We had another cruise down to Sabin Pond and got to enjoy the sights of South Woodbury. Woodbury is a fairly remote town without much of a village. But South Woodbury was clearly an old mill development, and we passed a series of houses clustered around an old mill pond. From there we hit a series of Class IV sections I hadn’t fully expected. Nothing crazy, but I was glad I had an orange vest to throw on, since though it wasn’t yet rifle season, there were still plenty of folks in the woods with deadly things. Scribner Road and Log Town Road were both ridable for the most part, but presented a challenge. Right before to got back onto the main road and right near a Shamanic Temple, we happened to see a few scraps of paper scattered on the gravel of the driveway. Getting closer, my heart rate picked up and they appeared to be currency: one hundred dollar bills!!! I picked one up and it felt kind of right, but upon closer inspection, there was Chinese script on them and they were clearly fake. Even still, we were quite confused and we each decided to keep one as a souvenir. We then continued southwest crossing into Calais. By the way, it’s pronounced like the things you get on your hands or feet, not the french way that rhymes with bidet. We were working our way towards Maple Corner, a small settlement in Calais known for its General Store. The building is more community center than store since it also houses the post office and has a bar/performance space called “The Whammy Bar” in the back. There aren’t many performances going on, but luckily for us, the store was open when we got there. As we walked in, there was a gentleman who was not wearing a mask who entered the store right in front of us. The woman working the counter kindly reminded him that masks are mandated by the state. He then asked if they could give him one, and she explained they had some for sale. He then half-committed to buying one, but then continued to shop. After a minute or two, he went to pay and, on second thought, declined to buy a mask adding (and this is a classic), “There’s no way I got the covids, I just got tested!” Even if he had just been tested (which I doubt) he clearly doesn’t understand that a test only means he didn’t have the virus present when he was tested, and that he could have picked it up since then and currently be spreading it. Anyway, Vermont is currently breaking daily case records and though we’re doing better than some places, we’ve gotten complacent and are headed in the wrong direction. So: wear your dang mask!

A perfectly ramshackle DIY passive solar wall, in South Woodbury.

We’re rich! Oh wait…

After refueling and resting at Maple Corner, our route turned west, down towards the town of Worcester. Reaching the small village center, we saw a strange sculpture in the front yard of one of the houses. It was about 5 feet tall, made of metal and took the form of a somewhat aggressive looking bee. In each of its many “hands” it held hand tools: various types of hammers and wrenches. But in its front hands, it was wielding a Tommy gun! To top it all off there was a sign below saying “Can Do”. Needless to say both of us were throughly confused. After crossing Route 12 and briefly considering taking it south to the car, we began the climb up into the hills again. On the lower reaches of the slope was passed by a great swimming hole. It’s at the site of an old mill and stays pleasantly shaded and cool in the summer. If you’re in the area, I’d highly recommend stopping. We didn’t have the time, weather or inclination for a dip, so we just continued up. And up. After the long climb we’d be on a plateau of sorts, but still have some ups and downs. The western portions of Worcester and Middlesex tend to level out a bit before they ride up even higher in the form of the Sterling Range which generally separates the towns from Waterbury and Stowe. The ridge has a few prominent peaks including Worcester Mountain, Hunger Mountain and Stowe Pinnacle. We were able to enjoy a few views back east as we trended upward. We finally reached our last real push of the day up East Hill Road after which we were able to layer up for the fast cruise down into Montpelier. Once we hit the city-proper, we turned and went right below the State House. It’s one of my favorite buildings in the state. There’s a lot crammed into its tight confines (except for legislators and advocates at the moment). With its open doors and ease of access to lawmakers, it truly is the people’s house and an inspiration for many Vermonters. When we arrived, there was a strong smattering of people soaking in the last warm rays of sun from that day. People were almost all masked, spread out across the great lawn and there was even a small band in a large circle playing the Battle Hymn of the Republic (AKA John Brown’s Body). It was all very pleasant with just the right hint of patriotic. We pushed on through town, now shaded by the steep hill up to Hubbard Park. We reached the cars and parted ways with me figuring this would be the last 251 ride of the season.