Day 107 Ticonderoga NY to Bristol VT 67km

With our route across Vermont planned to the best of our ability, we seem to hit a real stumbling block on accommodation, with absolutely nothing available for tomorrow night. After a frustrating, and somewhat anxiety provoking morning on the net and phone, we pedal out without a plan. Fortunately the ferry provides a welcome distraction, and the weather is welcoming as we roll into our 11th state.









Only 8 miles into Vermont, and even our redesigned route is proven fallible. We are forced into a detour around bridge work, a detour that not only adds miles (and some not insignificant hills) but also exposes us to some heavy, fast moving traffic. Big trucks passing at 80km/hr on narrow roads is not pleasant. It is a relief to enter the quaint town of Middlebury, a college town, so busy with students, it's like being on the set of the all American college movie. Picture perfect with old buildings, pristine lawns, beautiful, young, white people everywhere you look! The city park seems a good spot for lunch, and we enjoy a bit of people watching over our sandwiches. A rider whom we met briefly at Niagara Falls rolls back into our lives. He has been talking to the locals, some of whom assure him the roads are open. We offer the fruits of yesterday's research, sharing our plan for an alternate route. With the help of the local bike stores, who even ring bike stores on the other side of the mountains for us, the route is rejigged yet again. As it turns out one of the roads we planned to use is so steep as to be virtually unridable. All this organising and the daylight is creeping away from us, and the rain clouds creeping ever closer. The 8 miles to Bristol are another hill climbing challenge and we realize on arrival, no campground. We pull out some advice from our bicycle touring mentor, Willie Weir, and try to initiate some kindness (towards ourselves). We have some success with the folks at the Town Office, letting us in on a secret little park, where we would be welcome to pitch out tent. So after filling our water bottles at the office fountain, we follow the excellent directions to our secret park.




Where dinner and our portable home are assembled just as the rain starts to fall. With no plans for tomorrow night, and just a rough idea of the route we should follow, Vermont is proving to be a tricky little state to cross. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad