JD
New member
I had the whole day off, the sun was shinning and the plans were layed. Rick, Tony, and I were going to tackle a big xc ride in the stowe area that heads over to morrisville and back. One of my favorite rides, it's a great mix of old school single tracks, off the beaten path, tech riding with big climbs and some scenic dirt road and ancient road riding. It's a 4-5 hour loop. About 30 miles with about 4-5000 vert the last time we rode it, today were were gonna add one more section of trail for another few hundred vert and some good singletrack. Just as we got onto Maple Run road, Tony had to stop for a rear hub issue. After a bunch of trailside tweaking and some safety discussion, He decided he would drop out to the shop, Rick and I woould do a quick loop on God Street/Seamus/Spring trail and head down to hook up with him once he got his issue sorted. Rick and I headed off. The loop on Maple Run is in fantastic shape. It is a Stowe Classic that has morphed over the years and they way we ride it now provides a climb of single track and dirt road, to a bunch of sweet, remote trail back down to town. From where we split with Tony, we were back to the shop in an hour. Alas, Tony's wheel was not immediately fixable, so Rick and I hooked up with a coupla other friends just getting ready to head out and we left for Imburno, another Stowe Classic that has been out of comission for 2 years but has been resureced this year. This ride starts with a short steep road climb out of town, a quick connector trail called Black Dog, then up Brownsville Road for a while before ducking into the woods for a high elevation singletrack lolli-pop shaped loop. You climb for 40 minutes before hitting Imburno, then hit some nasty climbing that comes in pulses. After the first grunt I was tapped. I know the last 1/2 mile of the climb is the real crux, and I was so spent. Then the internal dialogue starts..."there is NO WAY I can make this today......" "Yes you can, you've made it before, just pace yourself and recover where you can..." "But I am SO spent..." "Shut up and pedal."
Head down, stroke at a time, I lurch up the hard packed, 6 inch wide brown ribbon snaking it's way up thru the ferns. The occasional greasy rock bridge snaps me back into reality demanding light throttle control and light steering. about half way up you hit the split and rip about 5 minutes of sweet trail that was added about 4 years ago. Several well made berms, a couple of small gaps and one sweet wooden kicker out to a natural transition that just rides perfect. Smooth, lofty air in the middle of sweet VT maple glade pump track trail. Then the last push. Everyone spun out on the mossy ledge turn just after the skinny bridge, then Rick and I hit our groove and attacked the climb. Rick is build like a brick shithouse. A short polock from western mass with a strong BMX backround, he is a joy to ride and ski tour with, and is a strong little sucker. Blowing snot and not caring, make the log ride...push up the first part of the last climb, full endorphine trip state trying to recover for the last push I was actually drooling on myself. Total trance....commit to going for it as Rick steps off to walk the last impossible 40 pedal strokes up the wall-of-a-doubletrack climb and spin on a root and am done. But I am there. Walk the last 40 yards, wipe our chins clean of drool, sweat, snot and mud, and wait for the posse to regroup. Dazed by the climb in a nice stand of hardwood with massive ferns filling in the underbrush. Cool breeze, so much new green everywhere, bugs! It is summer. We then bombed out, out, out to the road and back to town. Blazing down this old school rake-and-ride singletrack that has ben hidden in the bushes of Brownsville since 1996ish, it is such a taxing climb, it never get's over ridden, has stayed tight and tech. Totally burned in and fast rolling, but not wider then 8-12 inches. It's the goods. Bummed we got skunked on the Mud City loop, stoked to have Imburno back and some other classic Stowe singletrack newly loved on and riding so good. I love riding trail and I love my bike.
Head down, stroke at a time, I lurch up the hard packed, 6 inch wide brown ribbon snaking it's way up thru the ferns. The occasional greasy rock bridge snaps me back into reality demanding light throttle control and light steering. about half way up you hit the split and rip about 5 minutes of sweet trail that was added about 4 years ago. Several well made berms, a couple of small gaps and one sweet wooden kicker out to a natural transition that just rides perfect. Smooth, lofty air in the middle of sweet VT maple glade pump track trail. Then the last push. Everyone spun out on the mossy ledge turn just after the skinny bridge, then Rick and I hit our groove and attacked the climb. Rick is build like a brick shithouse. A short polock from western mass with a strong BMX backround, he is a joy to ride and ski tour with, and is a strong little sucker. Blowing snot and not caring, make the log ride...push up the first part of the last climb, full endorphine trip state trying to recover for the last push I was actually drooling on myself. Total trance....commit to going for it as Rick steps off to walk the last impossible 40 pedal strokes up the wall-of-a-doubletrack climb and spin on a root and am done. But I am there. Walk the last 40 yards, wipe our chins clean of drool, sweat, snot and mud, and wait for the posse to regroup. Dazed by the climb in a nice stand of hardwood with massive ferns filling in the underbrush. Cool breeze, so much new green everywhere, bugs! It is summer. We then bombed out, out, out to the road and back to town. Blazing down this old school rake-and-ride singletrack that has ben hidden in the bushes of Brownsville since 1996ish, it is such a taxing climb, it never get's over ridden, has stayed tight and tech. Totally burned in and fast rolling, but not wider then 8-12 inches. It's the goods. Bummed we got skunked on the Mud City loop, stoked to have Imburno back and some other classic Stowe singletrack newly loved on and riding so good. I love riding trail and I love my bike.
