rumrunn6

going to a wedding next weekend in the area. Wifey thinks we'll have time for a bike ride while we're up there & suggested we try some portion of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. we're staying at Jay Peak, 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay, Vermont 05859

anyone have any experience with this trail?

https://www.traillink.com/trail/miss...ey-rail-trail/

https://www.mvrailtrail.org/

https://vtstateparks.com/assets/pdf/...isquoi_map.pdf

https://www.trailfinder.info/trails/...ley-rail-trail

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/v...ley-rail-trail

professorbob

I've ridden the whole thing in both directions (before Covid). It's a very pleasant trail with beautiful scenery. Hardpack dirt surface. I was touring using 700x28 tires and had no problems whatsoever. It's a rail trail, so no climbs more than 3% (if that). Enjoy! I'm also looking forward to the completion of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail which will go the width of Northern, VT from St. Johnsbury too Swanton. There are a couple of 10(ish) mile-long sections that are complete.

rumrunn6

THANK YOU! ... turns out we won't bring bikes, probably take a little hike when we arrive for the wedding then probably start hooking up w/ friends who also traveled

indyfabz

I rode the entire length from Richford to St. Albans back in mid-June after leaving Newport and riding over Jay. Perhaps they hadn’t done any trail maintenance, because a lot of segments had high weeds/growth. Maybe it’s better now. Two narrow tracks with a hump in the middle in a many places. And you will notice the grade changes.

The first photo is a moderately bad section. There were others that were worse. The second photo shows a nicer riding surface in the area around a town it passes through. Enosburg Falls, IIRC. Note that there are also a lot of crossings of VT 105.

rumrunn6

oh man, that's nice! showed it to Wifey. we should have planned on staying another night!

indyfabz

The northern terminus is in Richford, which seemed, quite frankly, bit of a dump.

If you head south from Enosburg you will hit the junction with the Lamoile Valley Rail Trail in/around Sheldon. I cannot get on their site here at work. You might want to check it out. It's www.lvrt.org

The trail is supposed to be fully completed by this fall. There is a good map on the site showing you what is currently rideable. Don't know how much E-W of Sheldon is currently open, but it might be worth checking out.

rumrunn6

just circling back ...

the wedding was terrific. in an open air barn, with a smokey BBQ going, cocktails, dancing etc

with our free time we hiked on part of the Long Trail at "Jay Pass" on Route 242, then swam in the resort pool & soaked in the hot tub w/ cocktails

on the Long Trail we met a cpl thru hikers & in the parking lot met a cpl cyclists

lean-to near the road

the big sign

the girl we met was glad to have reached the road, she was almost done, I guess she was headed to the Canadian border

I guess this info would be useful for a thru hiker

letting the hikers know where they were

the ski trail! boy was it rough! we couldn't walk it! I guess it's better w/ snow-pack!

the Long Trail. it took a while to get used to the mentality of hiking. used to do it/ w/ my Dad a lot. you have to find your own pace & rhythm

I married her cuz she liked it

the cyclists were going up & down this mountain road. may God bless them

rumrunn6

w/ only a cpl hrs before the wedding, we soaked

we could have taken the trail to the top of this mtn

the parking lot on open street map



https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=1...1285/-72.50390

zoom out to see the trail go to the top of the mountain

went out to eat at "Bernie's Restaurant in Montgomery. we recommend it!

https://places.singleplatform.com/ber...e#menu_1685714

& nearby I spotted a bike shop

https://www.thejaycloud.com/

closed so I couldn't go in

indyfabz

Don’t know about 242, but I rode 105 east to west fully loaded in June. It wasn’t super hard. It would have been easier if it weren’t for the gusty headwind.