Tour de Vermont’s Covered Bridges
Day 1: 4/26/2024
159 miles, 13,802 ft. elevation gain
I set out with the ambitious goal of seeing every covered bridge in the state of Vermont. When I first got into Dartmouth I remember researching the riding around New Hampshire and Vermont and picturesque images of rolling gravel roads and perfect covered bridges stuck with me. Indeed, the covered bridges scattered among the hills of Vermont are some of my favorite gems of the Northeast. I’ve seen a lot of covered bridges in Vermont, but I knew there were a ton that I had not seen. While researching the bridges I couldn’t find an exact list of all the bridges in the state. There seem to be about 100, but I can’t be sure as some are on private land, many are no longer open to cars, and some have been torn down in recent years. I ultimately designed a route that covered 105 bridges. However, along my journey, I discovered at least two of these 105 have been recently torn down, bringing my best estimate to 103 covered bridges in the state of Vermont. Many of these bridges are only accessible by gravel roads. Since my road bike was broken, I figured this was a better time than ever to tick off this ride. I saddled up my mountain bike and headed out!
My first day was marked by a constant state of euphoric rider’s high driven by the most perfect weather, fantastic views of the Green Mountains, a glorious sunset, and a moose sighting! It was a very enjoyable day in every way!
Day 2: 4/27/2024
158 miles, 11,745 ft. elevation gain
I had great weather in the morning. I was meandering around northeast Vermont all day. There isn’t a ton going on up there, so I did not see a ton of bridges. But the riding was quiet and peaceful, just the way I like it. Around midday, the sun started to give way to building cloud cover. Rain was forecasted to move in that evening so I found a covered bridge that is no longer open to cars and set up camp right in the bridge! Pedestrians and cyclists are welcome to use the bridge as it is part of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, but it is not open to cars. The weather was great for sleeping and I was lulled off by the sound of thunderstorms and rain pounding the roof of my little bridge.
Day 3: 4/28/2024
159 miles, 11,598 ft. elevation gain
I woke up under my covered bridge to the pounding sound of rain, so I just rolled over and went back to sleep. I was nice and comfortable and I didn’t need to push particularly hard. I knew I wasn’t going to get to every covered bridge in the state. So an extra hour of sleep coupled with intentional riding later in the day would be just as beneficial as pushing through the rain and sleep deprivation. It was cloudy most of the day, but I was happy seeing all the bridges. There are some very beautiful sections of northern Vermont that I have never seen before. Through intermittent rain in the afternoon, I started really racking up the bridges. Montgomery, Vermont has five covered bridges! That is a lot for one town. It was raining as the sun set so I was hoping to find another abandoned covered bridge to sleep under. I thought I found on in Underhill, Vermont, but when I got there the bridge was gone! I guess it had just been taken out. I found a pavilion in a nearby park and set up my bivy on top of a picnic table, the only dryish spot I could find.
Day 4: 4/29/2024
207 miles, 12,861 ft. elevation gain
One of the best days I have ever had on a bike. I thought the cold riding was behind me, but I rode through some wintery mix in the morning. I didn’t expect this weather in late April, so I did not have the gear to stay warm. I stopped in a coffee shop in Bristol, Vermont for about 2 hours to warm up and wait for the precipitation to pass. My legs felt so good all day, especially after my break. The sun came out around lunchtime and it heated up to about 60 degrees! Fantastic riding weather all afternoon and evening with fantastic views of the Green Mountains. I pushed up and over Route 103 into Ludlow as the sun set. I rode in the dark blasting tunes in my earbuds and having the best time ever. I was incredibly happy with my power numbers and relatively low heart rate with a negative drift throughout the day. This was one of the first rides of the year where I felt truly inspired in my ability to complete the Pan-American come fall. I saw 29 bridges on the day, bringing my total to 74/103 bridges
