VermontStrong: Support the Green Mountain State

It's no secret that I love Vermont. I love the riding and the landscape, but it's the people that give the Green Mountain State such a great vibe. Well, parts of Vermont got destroyed with the recent floods. I'm sure you've seen the new footage from places like Ludlow and Montpelier. I'm hundreds of miles away from the devastation but my spirit is there with the people. 

If you're interested in helping, here are some resources:

• Montpelier Foundation
• American Red Cross
• Okemo Valley Flood Relief
• Vermont Community Foundation

Or you can buy gift cards from some of the local businesses to give them a cash boost for now:

• Onion River Outdoors
• Bear Pond Books

Know of another way to help? Another resource? Another business to add? Let me know!

SafeTrails: Feel The Heat

It’s been a hot summer, and climate scientists predict that the season is going to continue to get hotter and hotter every year. Here in New England, we’ve typically had our share of “hazy, hot, and humid,” days, but we’re seeing more; although other parts of the country (Hello Texas), and the world (Hello China) are suffering more than we are. That being said, the heat here CAN still be dangerous and it’s often the temperature combined with humidity that causes problems.

Central Vermont Cycling Tour

Ah, the good old CVCT. This was one of the earliest gravel rides Jean and I did, back in 2016. We had actually signed up in 2015, but the weather was so torrentially bad, it was cancelled. Anyway, fast forward through a pandemic and other stuff, seven years later, and we're back.

It was a great weekend of camping with our friends Liz and Dan at one of our favorite campgrounds, Lazy Lions in Graniteville, VT.  Clean, quiet, and nearby trails to walk the mutts, what more could we ask for?