May 23, 2025
Day 12 Rochester, VT to Ticonderoga, NY
Leaving New England!
Average speed: 9.7 mph
I don’t know the last day I saw the sun. And the forecast for tomorrow and Sunday is mid-40s and light rain! Good thing I’m taking Vitamin D!
It was good to get riding again after the day off. I spent too much time yesterday examining the weather, debating what to wear (and buying winter gloves I did not use) and thinking about the climb. I had hoped to get riding by 6:30 but when I woke and looked at the weather app, the rain was predicted to start at 7am and go until 8, so I waited. That did not work.
I stared riding at 7:45, in light rain and headed towards the Brandon Gap climb. The rain was not bad, the clothing gear was working (regular Showers Pass gloves) and then started the climb (and turned on Strava, which I neglected to do). The climb was very manageable - the grades are not bad and there were several low grade sections to recover. It was much easier than the Kancamagus and easier than the Middlebury Gap (each direction) I rode during the GML rides.
I can see why ACA switched the NT route from Middlebury to Brandon. The traffic on the lower portion of the west side of Middlebury is higher, the road curvier and narrower. I actually got brushed to the guardrail going up the west side by a Subaru that got too close. The downside of the switch is you lose out on passing through Middlebury, a quaint college town, but Brandon was also a great place to rest.
The downhills of the climb, in the cold rain, were not completely enjoyable. The rain had picked up again and the wind cuts into the core so I put on an extra light down jacket under the rain jacket and it worked very well. After four miles downhill and three miles into the center of Brandon, I stopped for a sit down breakfast. If there was surge cafe pricing, I would have paid $100 for the coffee, breakfast sandwich and home fries. Inertia is a real thing - when you’re moving, even in cold rain, you don’t mind to keep moving. But when you stop, relax in warmth, and enjoy the view, it’s tough to get going again. After about a half hour chilaxing I got back on the bike.
After making my way through the busy Brandon Center (a mini-Middlebury) and a short stint on the truck-heavy Route 7 I turned onto a side road. This began perhaps the best stretch of miles since the NE coast in Maine. It was quintessential Vermont - the rolling hills (with manageable climbs), the farms and field, the Green Mountains, cows, barns, some horses and the just the smells of the country. The light rain did not detract from enjoing the experience and the cool temps helped.
The near term destination was the Ticonderoga Ferry. This is a small time operation which provides a very convenient was to get across the lower portion of Lake Champlain. It’s been around since 1759. The alternative to this ferry is a 20 mile detour, which of course, makes the ride a lot harder. When planning this trip I was concerned the ferry might now be open yet, but it did open for the season three weeks ago. Then, because of the Nor’easter and rain, I was concerned that it may have temporarily stopped running. It was open. Ad did some research and it seems to only shut down during thunderstorms.
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From here we landed in NY - the fifth state and first out of NE. My Garmin showed 1.7 mile to reach “End Point” - I thought I was going to Ticonderoga. Then being the stable genius I am, I realized that I was ending the NT-11 map set and moving to NT-10. A real milestone and the second map to retire.
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Ticonderoga is an old time town but still full of energy (and has a Star Trek exhibit in downtown). Fort Ticonderoga’s cannons were critical to winning the siege of Boston in 1775. Captain Knox and his soldiers, dragged the cannons from the Fort, through the forests of Vermont and Western Mass and brought them to Dorchester Heights in Boston. The British had Boston under siege after the Battle of Bunker Hill and when they awoke one morning, saw the cannons on the hill pointed at them in the Boston Harbor, they took off for New York, ending the siege. So, to this day, the school children of Boston, get the day off for Evacuation Day, March 17, also St. Patrick’s day.
Up the hill I made it to Circle Court motel (very good). A walk to WalMart to replace a broken GoPro bracket (successful). My timing was good for dinner. The Masonic Lodge, next door, was serving Turkey Dinners for $15. What a bargain.
Tomorrow will be a tough day - 61 miles and 5kish elevation to get to the nearest lodging and avoid camping. I’m following the Buddy and Doc path. I hope I can match their performance.
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 446 miles (718 km)
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1 week ago