MTB or Gravel 2023

[jthree]

Yes great fun last night at Catamount. It’s a really great place!

And yes last week I went to Hinesburg town forest on a VMBA Women’s group ride. It was WAY out of my league but I learned a few things. 1. The VMBA ladies are awesome- skilled riders but really encouraging to newbies. Basically like MTB versions of the Divas. 2. Technical mountain biking is scary but addictive. I came home bruised, scratched up and exhausted, but determined to learn more and get better. 3. I need a new mountain bike! Will be posting on the gear thread soon. @elemmac , @echo_VT , @empogo you all should check out the VMBA women’s rides!

 

[echo_VT]

I don’t think I know how to access them, but let me know — I’ve been looking at the Ranch Camp women’s Monday rides and MAMBA does a Tuesday ride. Haven’t made it out but want to! Weather has been weird so I’ve been laying off lately. Hope we get to a more normal summer…!

 

[jthree]

I don’t think I know how to access them, but let me know — I’ve been looking at the Ranch Camp women’s Monday rides and MAMBA does a Tuesday ride. Haven’t made it out but want to! Weather has been weird so I’ve been laying off lately. Hope we get to a more normal summer…!

VMBA has an events page on their website and they also post on social media

Agree about the weird weather, I am done with the heat, humidity, and constant threat of shower/thunderstorms!

 

[empogo]

Been riding twice a week (except for the really wet weeks ugh) and getting a tiny bit better at steep climbs, but I didn’t take up any sports until age 39 so I guess I can cut myself some slack in that department!

I mostly ride Blueberry Hill in Warren because it’s so close to me, but I got up to Cady once and just did the Skida sponsored MTB clinic at Bolton on Friday, which was a huge confidence booster. Really starting to love my bike… maybe it’s because I got shiny purple pedals.

I’m generally available weekdays in the summer/fall; weekends can get busy with weddings but some Sundays I’ll be available. Instagram or txt are the easiest ways to reach me by far, message me here if you don’t have those and we can connect. (I think most of us in VT are already in contact, but just in case someone else reads this later!)

 

[echo_VT]

last Sunday @empogo and I met up to ride blueberry lake / blueberry hill together and it was awesome. She showed me around I think it had been 2 years since I had been there and we did all the trails.

the Saturday before I met up with a fellow Stowe ski instructor I had rode with last season at North Branch. We did the trails from the parking lot this time.

and wow. Both Sat and Sun climbing were hard workouts primarily due to losing fitness in July due to the rainfall we’ve had. Thanks to @empogo for waiting together.

I have been going downhill a lot at Bolton Valley. You’ll find me in a couple photos for the IG page


It was a fantastic 4 weeks of riding with Bolton Babe Force.

I did also get to go to Trapp and learn beginner lesson plans and things to look for from a fellow coach. He is looking to take people around and he needs assistant coaches. It looks like I might be out of town when it happens but if he has any other clients I asked him to call me so I can shadow.

 

[echo_VT]

Yesterday got to ride the fine trails at Cady Hill. The storm that was supposed to be coming never came!

Met with fellow snowboard instructors and we went after flo and bear for the most part and rode snake and sapsucker to climb up

it was a blast

 

[jthree]

Love your pics and that you are getting a lot of riding in! I am so excited for my new bike to come in (I'll update my other thread soon) but when I demo'd last week I realized what sad fitness shape I am in. I need to get in better shape so I can enjoy my new bike (and also need to level up my skills- I hope to find a weekend I can do a clinic soon.)

 

[echo_VT]

I have terrible fitness actually bc of the rain so I have been taking lots of breaks and going really slow. There are women’s clinics coming up for beginners and intermediate at Bolton in the coming weekends and there are intensive weekends too for mixed adult groups as well!

 

[echo_VT]

Little river muddy party lap for a wonderful woman, a fearless and very patient group leader yesterday… started going up and it was cloudy and humid… then rain fell upon us so we rode down. Definitely felt like a kid splashed in all kinds of mud…! Stayed for apres with some home made salsa and chips — and excellent cupcakes afterward.

 

[geargrrl]

Any gravel riders? I haven't touched my mountain bike since I got my Cutthroat.....

 

[ilovepugs]

Any gravel riders? I haven't touched my mountain bike since I got my Cutthroat.....

I ride gravel! But it’s been so wet in Vermont I haven’t been out much lately.

 

[jthree]

I ride gravel! But it’s been so wet in Vermont I haven’t been out much lately.

I ride gravel too (although most often lately I've been riding my gravel bike on the paved rec paths near my home!

 

[ilovepugs]

Did a clinic at Kingdom Trails in Vermont this weekend. Got to demo the Santa Cruz Hightower for free and it was smooth as butter. Now I want to upgrade my hardtail! But I have to imagine that part of the appeal was how smooth and flowy the KT trails are. There are so many roots where I normally ride!

 

[echo_VT]

Ok! I have been mountain biking a lot since that last post.

The week after I went kiteboarding in Massachusetts. The weekend I was back I did:

- MTB at Cady Hill for a couple of flo laps and one on bears with some Stowe instructors and chief face licker (doggie!)



- hardwick town forest with Stowe instructors… no photos just the garmin route…
Trail names:
- squiggle
- over and out
- two bridges
- middle school
- Dave’s drop
- billing’s bypass
- rocky top
- Reggae roundabout
- drop in a bucket
- Wild West
- two bridges
- over and out

- Waitsfield flatbread trails
Aka Howe Block, Camels hump state forest
Up:
- revolution
- evolution
- Dana hill connector
- Dana hill road
- enchanted forest

Down:
- evolution down

Up:
- Dana hill connector
- Dana hill road

Down:
- busternut
- goodnight Irene

Take the road back
Dip in the water after




- Adams camp with Stowe Instructors

Up: hardy haul, cheddar
Down: shredder, Kimmer’s

 

[echo_VT]

Intro to Cady Falls with Stowe instructors

- entrance trail to road
- rootsy trail
- right side
- rainbow
- bow tie
- o.m.g out


Start of the ride photo ^^
Notes: OMG has the best flow trail of the season so far!

- Bolton Babe Force X Kaden apparel downhill day… no photos but there’s an IG story! Did blue trails vista glades, bluebird, broken bridge — and sessioned a wooden plank roller feature and a jump. Sadly didn’t get to ride wright brothers this time but have in days passed when doing BBF earlier in the summer (July to Aug) — also became an IG face of Bolton Valley lol

- Perry Hill with WTW crew
Red tape to scotch tape to permission to burning spear and back scotch tape to red tape and back down

 

[echo_VT]

Lots of hiking as well in between MTB, new work, and rain. We’ve had a lot of rain…!

 

[echo_VT]

A ride in the trails of Calais by Robinson Hill and Curtis Pond on Saturday with Stowe ski instructor and another Stowe colleague. All technical on the medium side. Generally easy from a slope perspective mostly up and down.

and a ride at blueberry hill on Sunday afternoon with ski divas @empogo and @jthree — had a great time!

Photos taken by all three of us

 

[contesstant]

My favorite time of year for riding is here! Fall! We might not get the level of fall color like in the east, but we do have aspen trees here, which are turning now at higher elevations, but it’s rained for 3 days, so no riding for two more.

My husband regretted leaving thecGoPro in the car. Made me ride super slow so he could follow while taking phone video, which I can't upload for some reason. We got into some even more colorful areas, but the trail was steeper and windier, so no video.

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[echo_VT]

Looks amazing !