any recommended routes around Smugglers Notch in Vermont?

Wanted to make sure this did not get lost and anyone with a thought got a chance to respond. Thanks

I don't think I can help much, though I did do Smugglers Notch itself before. I started right in the center of Stowe and rode through the notch from there (Rt. 108), down the back side into Jefferson. Took a right turn on Rt. 15 and followed that back to Rt. 100 and into Stowe again. Nice roads, though you need to be careful in the notch itself as it gets VERY NARROW and the road squeezes around some boulders near the crest of the notch. If I recall, this loop is somewhere around 40+ miles or so. I'm not sure of back road/alternative routes...basically Vermont is Rt. 100 north/south and anything west of that goes over some killer hills. Farther south I have also ridden across Middlebury Gap, between route 100 and route 7 in Middlebury. But that's farther south than your itinerary. Wish I could be more help...bring low gears with you!! :)

Depends on how many mountains you want to climb, how many miles you want to ride, and how much time you have? Are you staying in Stowe or Jeffersonville or elsewhere?

Loops from the Jeffersonville up to North Hyde Park/Eden and back down are nice. A longer loop from Jeffersonville down thru Jericho and Richmond, east on Rt. 2 and back up Rt 100 would be nice. Or make a loop out of 100 and 12 with Rt 2 on the bottom and Rt 15 on the top.

Staying at Smugglers Notch Resort
Not sure of exact roads names/numbers
Would like to do a 2 hour ride with climbing (say 30-40 miles)
Thanks

When you get there, get to a bike shop and tell them what you want to do. There's fantastic riding all around N and NE VT. At the shop, they can give you advice and they'll also have books. They'll probably have organized rides with their own club with members of different levels doing different loops. Have a great trip!

Are Route 109 and Route 118 rideable?

Are Route 109 and Route 118 rideable?

Wow, not sure! They look to be dirt roads on the satellite view. Go here:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

And type in Eden Mills VT and hit "Go". Then choose either the satellite or hybrid selection. Zoom in as far as you can, it appears to be white-ish roads (dirt?). If you scan east or west, you can see areas where it looks like the pavement ends and the dirt begins. This method surely isn't conclusive, so perhaps someone with local knowledge can chime in!

Staying at Smugglers Notch Resort
Not sure of exact roads names/numbers
Would like to do a 2 hour ride with climbing (say 30-40 miles)
Thanks
I was at the Smugglers Resort for week 26 which was the last week in June/first week in July and I rode the route below which is 41 miles and about 3000 feet of climbing. The last part was the climb is from Jeffersonville up to the resort. I was having some asthma issues otherwise I would of continued up to the Notch which I did separately. It would of added 3 miles at about 7% climb.
http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=2391

Thanks
Looks like a loop around Route 15
Sounds good so I don't get too lost
Right amount of mileage and climbing

How did you like the resort?
Was the last climb really steep?

Thanks
Looks like a loop around Route 15
Sounds good so I don't get too lost
Right amount of mileage and climbing

How did you like the resort?
Was the last climb really steep?
We have had a time share at Smugglers for about 10 years now. We go during that week (26) every other year and get an off week in other years which we usually turn in to stay somewhere else. We like it there.

The hardest part (of the route I linked) is probably the climb from Jeffersonville back to the resort. However there aren't really any steep parts. Most of the road is more of the gradual nature. In fact I calculated it to be just under 5 miles with a climb of 2.7%. If you decide to do so the climb from the resort up to the Notch is more difficult, with a 3 mile climb averaging 7%. However it is pretty steady so there are few killer steep areas. I figure the total climb from Jeffersonville to the Notch is just under 8 miles with an average incline of 4.4%. Since the TDF just ended I would compare the climb to approximately a category 2 climb we saw during the tour.

Routes 109 and 118 are paved (we do have a few up here). I think the best route, if you want to leave from the resort, would be to ride uphill thru the notch (go early before the crowds), down the backside into Stowe, then some backroads or Rt 100 north to Morrisville, then Rt 15 West to Johnson, Jeffersonville, then back up to the resort.

The other is to head downhill from the resort into Jeffersonville, pick up Pleasant Vally Road heading sourth (next to the Jeffersonville Inn) and follow that road to Rt 15 in Underhill, then north on Rt15 back to Jeffersonville.

Brian

I'm absolutely dying to get to my first St. Johnsbury to Lancaster, NH ride along route 2. What a beautiful area.

Rt 2 between St. J and NH is the major east/west route in summer. Its a beautiful road, but its loaded with RV'ers and people pulling trailers, in addition to big rigs trying to get to the interstate. Perhaps early on a Sunday, but there's not much shoulder on that piece of road

Brian