I love the long daylight hours that we enjoy at this time of year. However, because of this light, I woke up way too early on this Sunday morning. I peer out the window and what do I see? Snowflakes are blowing around in the stiff breeze.
We surely are enjoying highs and lows when it comes to spring weather lately!
Luckily, I knew the forecast for this weekend wasn't looking good so on Friday afternoon I headed out to Stowe, Vt., for a bike ride. The sun was shining and I needed to be in it.
I enjoy both the recreation path and the rather quiet backroads that Stowe has to offer. And on a weekday there are few people to say "passing on the left" on the path!
The tulips and trees were flowering in Stowe, but I noticed that the lilacs hadn't popped yet up in the hills above town. I grabbed a coffee and low-fat scone at Harvest Market (on the Mountain Road) and enjoyed it by the river on the recreation path, prior to heading out for my bike loop. I'm still at a loss when it comes to a coffee hangout in Stowe, ever since the Stowe Coffeehouse closed. If anyone has a suggestion, please share!
When it comes to skiing and biking, loops rock. I started at the end of the recreation path, went up Edson Hill Road (yup, the steep, nasty hill near Wiessner Woods) and enjoyed a classic view of Mt. Mansfield's ski runs. I just saw a few pockets of snow remaining at the top of this side of the mountain.
Then I did the ups and downs on the dirt road before enjoying a long, rather chilly downhill on Weeks Hill Road and the twists and turns back on the recreation path. I love how the path follows the contours of the river in most places, and crosses it about 11 times.
<link http: maps.google.com maps external-link-new-window bike loop in>I posted a map of this 10-mile biking loop here.
I just snapped a couple of photos. I look forward to many more bike rides this summer — in the woods and on the paths and dirt roads of Vermont.
