8/31/08 Love Creek Mountain Bike Ride

I started off early this morning and rode to Love Creek Road.

On the way down LC, I saw a trail on the left before the trail I usually take so I tried it. This trail was in bad shape due to ATV's so I turned around.

Once back on Love Creek, I headed down a little ways and took a left onto the Trail.

I still had a problem going over a culvert on the trail. I almost made it but when I got to the other side, I hit a downed log, plus this section of the trail goes uphill.

I took a right when I got to the T Junction.

This section has several downed trees and several huge mud puddles on the trail. The downed trees have trails around them, so do the mud puddles.

Soon I came to another T Junction. The trail in front of me was marked with a "W" and the trail to the right was marked with an orange sign with a black arrow with letters N.E.T.R.A on it.

Following the NETRA trail, I soon came to a field.

I could see a road off in the distance and I thought it was Love Creek.

I rode to the road and found out it was Wentworth Rd.

Wentworth Road goes to Rt. 9 but I didn't want to go that way so I headed back through the field to the NETRA trail.

I stopped at the beginning of the trail and read the sign. It said that there would be a motorcycle race there in a couple of weeks.

I headed back to the T Junction and took a left to head back to Love Creek.

Again I almost made it over the culvert but I was in second gear and that was too low for climbing up the trail.

When I got close to the road, I thought I saw a deer. I found out it was a dog. It looked like a pit bull. I waited a few minutes to see if he would move but it didn't. I tried to back up but then he saw me.

He started to bark. I tried yelling at him but that didn't work.

He kept barking and he started to head towards me.

I turned my bike around and headed back to the field.

I made it back to the field with no problems.

So I had to take Wentworth Road to Rt. 9. If I took Wentworth Rd. the other way, I would be back on Love Creek.

Rt. 9 has a shoulder but it's not the best road to ride on.

I made it back safely home.

I can't wait to go again.

Check out the slide show at:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/slideshow/566062376EPvCJn;jsessionid=abc0HVUjF6IpceJMr6zWr

My Trek is fixed.

I brought my mountain bike to Tri-City Bikes and Mark told me that the freewheel was broke. He didn't have one in stock but he ordered it. The next day I got a call and the Trek was fixed.

Today, I did my usual mountain bike route (Berwick Rd., Blackberry Hill Rd., to Love Creek Rd.

When I was going down Love Creek Rd., there was a tractor going down, and it took up most of the road. While he was going through a puddle, I went to his left and said "Hello". He was surprised to see me but he did say hi.

I took a left onto a dirt trail. This is the second time I was unable to ride over a culvert that acts like a stream, too rocky.

Once I got past that, I continued a ways to the T intersection.

I took a left and rode a ways until there was a huge mud puddle, with many motorcycle tracks through it. I didn't think I could make it so I turned back.

At the intersection, I continued straight.

There were two trees blocking the trail but there were two side trails around them. After I went past the second one, there was a 100 foot long mud puddle. It looked deep so I turned around. I did see a small trail that may have gone around it but I headed back.

I got back to that culvert and I couldn't ride through it.

Heading back, there are some sections on Love Creek Rd. that has a really soft sand and the front and back wheels slips on it, but they are fun going through.

This years garlic.

On 8/4/08, I harvested our garlic. I planted 54 cloves and harvested 53 heads. I planted this years garlic on 9/3/07. When it starts to get cold, I put leaves in the garlic bed, that measures 15'x4'. The garlic overwinters in the bed and in the spring, I take off the leaves.

The garlic grew fast. When the tops start to turn brown, it's time to harvest the garlic.

This year I will be planting 90 cloves of garlic.

Maybe it's time to go into business.

My Trek is broken.

Today I went for a mountain bike ride. I ride a mile on a road, then about a mile on dirt roads.

When I got on Love Creek Rd. (Dirt) I went through some deep puddles, which was fun. Then I took a left onto a trail that I thought I've been on before. It didn't look familiar but I kept going. I was riding between tire tracks which were puddles. I slipped and my left foot went into the mud past my ankle. With a wet foot, I turned around and headed back to Love Creek Rd.

Once back to the road, I took off my left sneaker and got the debri out. I took a left and went to another trail on the left. This is the one that I've been on before.

Soon on the trail there is a small stream crossing. I got close to it but it was too rocky so I stayed on the bike but walked through it.

I continued on the trail further than before. Soon I came to a T in the trail so I thought it would be a good time to turn back. I'll explore it later.

So when I headed back, I went through those big mud puddles again, still fun.

I was about half way down Blackberry Hill Rd. when my chain was making noise while I was coasting. So I kept peddling.

When I started to pick up speed going down a hill, I could not peddle. I looked at it at the bottom of the hill and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. I would peddle forward, and it just went around in circles, not catching the gears.

So I had to walk 1/2 mile home, and of course, the last part is a hill.

I looked at my mountain bike and I still couldn't figure out what was wrong.

I'll have to bring it to Tri City Bike's and see what's wrong.

Stark's Nest hike on 8/9/08

Name of mountain(s): Stark’s Nest, Green Mountains, Vermont Name of trail(s): Long Trail (LT)
Hikers name: Farmer Bob and Gargoyle Girl (Jenifer)
Hike date(s): 8/9/08 Weather and trail conditions: Cloudy and windy to start. It rained when we were half way up. Partly cloudy on summit.
Total miles hiked: 5 Trip report: We left our house around 6 last night and drove to Waitsfield Vermont to the trailhead of the LT on Rt.17.
We got to the trailhead around 10:30pm and set up our sleeping bags in the back of our Vue. This was our camp.
We didn’t sleep to well.
We got up around 6am and ate breakfast. I brought my stove but I forgot the coffee (yes we were roughing it).
We geared up and were on the trail by 7am.
The trail starts out steep. There were many large mud puddles and a lot of running water on the trail.
Soon the trail had Mad River Glen Snowshoe signs next to the blazes.
The boulders on the trail started to get bigger with many tree roots on them, and very slippery. Soon we came to a ladder that made a steep climb much easier.
We came to a clearing and saw a chair lift. We thought this was Stark’s Nest. We checked out the ski map sign and found out this wasn’t Stark’s Nest, so we headed back to the LT.
The trail started to get steep again. There were several long ascents of slippery boulders.
We reached Dean’s Cave Bypass and a toilet for the Theron Dean Shelter. We took a short break and continued up.
There was another ladder to go up and some more huge boulders.
The last section before Stark’s Nest was small ups and downs until we saw part of a roof. We were at Stark’s Nest.
We took out the clue sheet for the Merry Pranksters Mad River Glen-Ski it if you can letterbox.
We followed the clues and found the box. First finders! Thanks for the patch.
After stamping the stamp and log book, we checked out the single chairlift and the views from the deck. Then I re-hide the Pranksters box.
We took a lunch break and hung out for a while.
As we were getting ready to leave, a dark cloud rolled in. We put on our rain jackets and headed down.
The hike back was slippery but we had no problems.
About halfway down we took a break and took off our rain jackets.
We past by many weekend warriors with their children hiking up the LT with little gear.
When we got back to the parking lot, it was full. People with camera’s, people on bikes, people making out on the guardrail, and people getting ready to hike on the LT.
We did plan on going over the Mt. Ellen after Stark’s Nest but we were pretty beat from the lack of sleep the night before.
Stark’s Nest was a pretty tough climb for a 3000’ peak.
I’ll never underestimate a non-4k in Vermont again.

Pictures at:
http://community.webshots.com/album/565292879OyeEBw