Riding Vermont's trails to greatness

September 18, 2005|Mark Condon, Globe Correspondent

(Page 5 of 5)

Recognizing the growing number of downhill bike riders, the association added a downhill trail on a ski run at Burke Mountain and cut a trail that leads over logs and rocks and a 25-foot log bridge. In other words, there's something for mostly everyone.

After getting back on the trail, we still couldn't find Old Webs, and instead took the Border trail through a stand of thick maples, beech, and birch. We came out onto an open field and saw Burke Mountain. After being under the umbrella of woods for so long, it was a stunning view, the mountain looking like a massive, green pyramid in the distance.

After crossing Darling Hill Road, we headed up Jaw, a tough, double-diamond trail, and rode to Sugar Hill, a ridge with thick stands of sugar maples.

Just before we took a lunch break, we rode a new section of trail called Worth It. The trail starts out as a doubletrack, heading up a steep, steady pitch between maple and beech trees. We inched up the climb, gasping for air, cheered on by a father and son who had stalled out. We turned onto the narrow trail, and swooped and looped through the thick, cool, dark woods. We stopped at a trail intersection, and Eric said, ''That was a great trail."

As we headed back to town, he said to me, ''You really hyped these trails."

''And what do you think," I asked.

''You were right," he acknowledged, and sped off down the trail.

Contact Mark Condon, a freelance writer in Maine, at mcondon40@yahoo.com.