Gravel Grind of the Week
Hotter than a humid New England summer day? Gravel road biking. Tons of folks are (re-) discovering the road less traveled across North America. There are few better places with more options for experiencing this quieter, more adventurous form of cycling than Craftsbury. With that in mind, we figured we'd begin sharing some popular loops - especially this week, as many BKL day camp parents find themselves with ~6h of day to spend in Craftsbury as their budding athletes train with the GRP. Riding, running - these scenic, lightly traveled roads make for a great adventure. So let's check out the Ridge Run:
A pretty loop around the Black River Valley, suitable for running or biking. Click through to view on ridewithgps.com (also available for GPS download).
Enough elevation to be interesting, but nothing too sharp.
The Ridge Run is a classic, closing out our running camp sessions. You go from the winding tree tunnel of Lost Nation Road, through the river bottom before emerging on an open hillside with Green Mountain views from Jay to the Breadloaf Wilderness (think Sugarbush). This portion is similar feeling to Sam's Run ski trail, but with better views.
The road and its expansive pastoral views slopes down to the village of Craftsbury, with a short descent not long before you come to a sandy pull off in the road. Go to the right here, crossing a footbridge and the Black River as it burbles toward Craftsbury. You climb again from the bridge to the height of land on King Farm Road with its open views - check out where you just were. Descend past the sluice on Little Hosmer and either continue on via Mill Village Road to Lost Nation, or if you're wanting something a bit more sylvan, turn right on to Town Highway 19 and follow it to the end of the road and Elinor's House. Access Upper Bayley-Hazen trail and wind your way through ~2k of ski trail back to the Craftsbury campus.
10 miles. It takes most cyclists any where from 40 to 75 minutes to complete the ride, and runners from 60 to 90 minutes. While not a super rugged route, it doesn't have any real bail out options, so you're pretty committed. The least maintained road is the stretch of Lost Nation north of the Center, others are pretty well traveled and graded. Cyclocross bikes are the bike of choice, but mountain bikes work fine, and if you're of that persuasion, you can do it on a pure road bike pretty well too. Lots of options!
Speaking of options, should you be interested in extending your ride, you can continue down the Creek Road south to Craftsbury Village. Stop for a creemee at the Craftsbury Village Store, or visit the historic Craftsbury General store a half block further for a growler fill. Either option is chock full of tasty snacks for re-fueling and worth checking out. You can return either by the pavement (head north to the Common) or retrace your steps on the Creek Rd, turning left at King Farm Road, and picking up the standard route as you pass Young Rd.
Watch as we post more great adventure rides around the Center and the NEK beyond! Check out our ridewithgps.com profile for more routes locally, all downloadable to your device, or with the printable cue sheets.