I spent Sunday getting a start on two of my 2007 cycling goals. I undertook a 102 mile ride to log my first century in my century a month challenge, as well as my first miles in the UMCA Year Rounder. I’m still building my winter base and was planning on waiting until March to undertake my first century – but with a strong 43.5 mile night ride last week, warm temperatures, and a blue sky day in the forecast I set out for the longest January ride I’ve ever accomplished. I chose a route that allowed a bail out option that would have been a nice 60 mile ride – but as I neared the turn off I pressed on and enjoyed the day.
I left the house mid morning with the temperature near 39 degrees. Per the year rounder challenge I would be collecting receipts along the way – so I dropped in to the local donut chain for some early ride calories and a time stamp of my passing. I headed north into Colchester and Milton, then east to Cambridge where I stopped in at the general store to add a Luna bar to my jersey pocket and collect my second receipt. The morning ride through valleys and over rolling climbs had me constantly zipping and unzipping my jacket – my core was slightly cold or slightly warm – but my feet were always cold. Before heading out on the next leg of the route I added some toe warmers to my shoes – I felt the effects instantly and my feet were fine the balance of the day.
Leaving Cambridge I travelled east through Jeffersonville, the town at the turn off to VT Rt. 108 and Smugglers Notch on the north side of Mt. Mansfield. Smuggs was a sad site – most of the runs didn’t appear to have enough snow to ski. Cycling through the notch on 108 is on my to-do list – the scenery over the notch and along the Mountain Rd. to Stowe is inspiring.
Passing through Jeffersonville I travelled to Johnson, Hyde Park, and made a southward turn towards Stowe on VT Rt. 100 in Morrsiville. As I pedaled along the relatively flat valley I daydreamed about my first trip to Vermont. At the time I had just finished teaching my first year of design at the Cleveland Institute of Art, and I was spending part of the summer expanding my woodworking knowledge at the Heartwood School for the Homebuilding Crafts. During a weekend break in a timber frame class I drove nearly the length of Vermont along Rt. 100, terminating in two overnights at the original location of Smugglers Notch State Park. I rode the Gondola up Mt. Mansfield for a rainy hike, dined in Burlington and Waitsfield, and explored the heart of Green Mountains on forest service roads. I fell in love with the state on that trip and I convinced dear friends who were looking for a place to dig in and make a home to visit the following summer. They did, loved it, and moved here. It took me another 5 years before I was able to arrange work and life that allowed me to make the VT leap. They lived just off Rt. 100 south of Morrisville in a tiny over garage apartment. As I passed their old street I remembered hiking to beaver ponds near the current development of Spruce Peak, bagels and coffee in Stowe, and cooking for four on their tiny stove.
I reached a glum Stowe. The picturesque ski / resort town with bed and breakfasts, art galleries, coffee shops, and out of state traffic was a bit less busy than usual with the current weather. I continued south on Rt. 100 to Moscow, VT and collected a few more calories for the ride home and my third receipt of the day. Sitting outside the Moscow general store I snapped a photo of their gas pump which apparently hasn’t been used since premium unleaded was $1.39 a gallon!
I continued south past the Ben & Jerry’s factory and during a quick stop to check my phone in Waterbury I was accosted by a local shouting “Hey Lance Armstrong” from across the road. He asked me if I knew it was winter and wondered why I was out riding. Thanks Lance, for becoming a household name and dragging us quiet types out of anonymity and into the spotlight. Over the traffic he made some reference to playing frisbee at the beach and the weather, and I nodded and packed up, pretending to be in a hurry before he walked across the road and started a conversation. Heading west on US 2 towards Burlington I found the bright blue sky as the sun and temperature started to drop. I caught great views of Camel’s Hump somewhere between Waterbury and Richmond, and enjoyed riding alongside my shadow on the shoulder and in the fields.
I returned to Burlington at dusk, making quick work of the traffic along US 2 in Williston and stopping for my final receipt at a local store just a mile from home. I ordered up a hot chocolate and chatted with the clerk, who was amazed at the distance I just rode. He followed me out and promptly lit a cigarette while I sipped my cocoa and prepared for the final mile. The smoke and I didn’t agree – so I handed him my cup and finished the ride.
I covered 102 miles. Ride time was 7:20. Time off the bike was about an hour for a total time of 8:20. Climbing was approximately 6800′ with several grades at 6-9% and one topping out at 13%. My average speed was slow – but this is historically a time of year when I am not riding, so while I grimaced at my cyclocomputer, I know that this is the time to be building an aerobic base in preparation for the spring and summer.
