Mountain Biking, Killington, Vermont

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:27:41 -0500

These photos are from my mountain biking excursion last Sunday at Killington. I took the gondola up to the top of the mountain a few times and rode my bike down. Sounds easy, you might say? NOT! Mountain biking down a 4,200 foot peak can be quite intense as you ride over very bumpy, very rocky areas. Some of the trails are so narrow that they are practically single track (not much wider than your tires). Some trails have steep drops off of a cliff face and some are so steep that you have to ride your brakes for hundreds of feet. I actually almost flipped over once - balancing on one wheel and it could have gone either way - shifting my weight back the slightest bit after hovering over one wheel for like three seconds brough me back to reality - WHEW! I did have one crash and still have the cuts on my legs to prove it.

By the way, I was dressed for warm weather in bike shorts, a short sleeve biking shirt, gloves and a helmet while several people came dressed up in full battle gear - full coverage body suits, helmets with face guards, shoulder, elbow and knee pads. I think I would have had more confidence if I was padded to the hilt. Maybe I will try this again in cooler weather and get a little crazy :)

This is East Fall - one of the trails I ski down during the winter. Yikes, it looks steep even in summer!

Here are examples of two of the trails. Note how rocky the one is and how skiny the other is. These were EASY trails. It was too dangerous for me to stop and take pictures on the more difficult trails!

Kent Pond, Killington, Vermont Hike

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:16:30 -0500

Here are some photos that I took while hiking last Saturday at Kent Pond in Killington, Vermont. I love walking in the woods and being surrounded by the beauty of nature. There are several different hiking trails in the area - some are a flat easy jaunt while others will have you a huffin' and a puffin' going up some steep slopes.

If you are like me, you will wander off trail and get lost. Guess I sort of like blazing my own trails and seeing what is off the beaten path. Unfortunately for me, that meant coming down through an area laden with prickly bushes (still have the scratches on my legs to prove it) and a long hike back to the truck. There is so much to see on this hike - from a pretty pond, to waterfalls, a meandering stream, wildflowers...

A friend I met on the trail (Jack)...

Localism: Rutland County, VT

Mountain Biking, Killington, Vermont

Kent Pond, Killington, Vermont Hike