| | Cycling Vermont's Green Mountains and bike Mount Greylock!
An affordable tour for experienced cyclists who
enjoy climbs!
available by group request
This challenging but supported and affordable road
bike tour in the Berkshires and southern Vermont is based at the Maple Terrace
Motel in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Price is $895, with 4 nights lodging (double occupancy), continental breakfasts
, lunches, guided rides with maps and cue sheets. The rides are 35-45 miles, with somewhat challenging climbs, and with shorter and flatter loops available every day.
Day 1 Saturday: Check-in. After check-in at
the Maple Terrace Motel in Williamstown at 1 Pm on Saturday, we'll take a short
"get acquainted" ride along the foot of Mount Greylock.
Day 2, Sunday: Petersburg
Pass.
For our first full day's ride,
we'll head south from Williamstown for a few miles, and then turn west on Route 2
for a four mile, 5% grade climb up to the summit of Petersburg Pass. You'll
get a panoramic view of Mount Greylock to the east, and the Catskills far to the
west. Reaching the hamlet of Petersburg, NY, we'll turn south to ride for
several miles in the shadows of the Taconic ridge. After reaching tiny Hancock,
we'll circle back past Jiminy Peak to Williamstown, with a stop at the Store at Five Corners.
Day 3,
Monday: Bennington, Vermont: We take a very
scenic ride to Bennington, Vermont, with a climb along wide-shouldered Rt. 7,
and a beautiful ride on Barber Pond Rd. to Bennington (where we'll stop for
lunch). We love to check out the Bennington Fish Hatchery and
the old car museum . We have lunch today at
All Days and
Onions before riding past the
Bennington Monument and through 3 covered
bridges! We have a scenic return through pastoral Hoosic, NY and Pownal,
VT to Williamstown. 45 miles, intermediate, with rolling hills and long gentle
ascents. We will also have a 20 mile short version that breaks away before
Bennington, taking beautiful rolling North Pownal
Rd.
Day 4, Tuesday: The
Deerfield River. From Williamstown we pass through North
Adams and head up the Mohawk Trail (Rt. 2), winding through the "Hairpin Turn"
until we reach a fantastic view of the valley below at Whitcomb Summit. A
couple of miles later we begin a rapid descent to the Deerfield River Valley and
head up through the Green Mountains of Vermont, with a great view of kayakers
enjoying the river rapids. Reaching rural Readsboro, Vermont, we turn south
with a 10 mile gradual descent back to Massachusetts. We'll stop by amazing
Natural
Bridge in North Adams before taking the
back road to Williamstown.
Day 5, Wednesday: Around Mount Greylock. Today we'll take back-roads through North Adams, and continue on the wonderful
Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
Adams to Cheshire. We cross over to Lanesborough as we circle Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.
A moderate 3 mile climb on wide-shouldered Route 7 beside Brodie Mountain offers some of the most exquisite views in New England. You'll enjoy
the continuous 10 mile descent all the way back to Williamstown, "The Village Beautiful" with a stop at the Store at Five Corners.
While in Williamstown you might enjoy visiting the Clark Art Museum and the Williams College Museum of Art. Mass MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) has massive exhibits, and a performance on Friday evenings.
For further information,
email Gordon Harris
at Bike New England, or call him at (978) 312-1006, or by cell phone at (978) 979-6598
What's Included? Price: determined
by size of requesting group. 4 nights, with 5 days of rides and lunches included each full day of riding.
Inns: We stay at the Maple Terrace Motel in Williamstown. Massachusetts. All prices are double occupancy. Add $65 /night if requesting single occupancy. We may be able to assign a roommate if you are traveling alone.
Meals:
Light continental breakfast is provided by the motel. The price includes lunches on the road. We are on our own for dinners at Williamstown's fine restaurants.
Rides: Rides generally start about 9 am. Guides are Gordon Harris and Barb Lampron. Maps and cue sheets are provided for each ride.
Van Support: Full van support is provided for this tour, with one guide riding ride with participants. We also offer a short and long version each day.
Bike Rentals:
Road bikes with straight handlebars are available for rental with our tours at $25 /day, or $100 /week.
email Bike New England
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