Page 30 - Rails tp Trails_Winter 2014
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rails
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winter.14
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destination
I’m meeting Brian Currier and his wife,
Crystal, who have graciously agreed
to take me part of the way along the
from
Cambridge Junction to Johnson, on their
snowmobiles. I’m a snowshoer and a
hiker, more accustomed to exploring on
foot. But I’ve got a lot of ground to cover
today, and the LVRT is very closely tied to
snowmobiling. In fact, without the hard
work, resources and perseverance of the
,
this rail-trail would never have come to be.
While the old Lamoille Valley
Railroad is now just a part of Vermont
history, its footprint is an exciting part of
the state’s future.
Although sections of the corridor
have long been used by snow travelers for
winter recreation, the line had not been
developed for trail use beyond the snow
melt. VAST is now leading the effort,
championed by U.S. Senator for Vermont
Bernie Sanders, to convert the corridor
into a four-season recreational trail.
Two sections are scheduled for com-
pletion by the end of 2013, with new
bridges, ditching and drainage, brush
removal, and a bike-friendly aggregate
surface. One section is 13.5 miles between
St. Johnsbury and West Danville; the
other is the 16 miles between Cambridge
Junction and Morristown that I’m travel-
ing. Trailheads are being constructed in
Cambridge, Johnson, Hyde Park and
Morristown. When complete in several
years, the LVRT will be the longest rail-
trail in New England at 96 miles, span-
ning the breadth of northern Vermont.
Earlier in the day, I had stopped for a
breakfast sandwich at the Cupboard Deli
&
Bakery, at the trailhead in Jeffersonville
on State Route 15. The Curriers and I
meet nearby at the junction of the LVRT
and the Cambridge Greenway path. The
junction is marked by one of Vermont’s
iconic covered bridges, the kind you see
pictured on maple syrup jugs. This one,
built in 1887, spans the quiet Lamoille
River, which is the constant companion
of travelers along the LVRT.
The Lamoille Valley Railroad corridor is rich
with lovely rural surroundings and historic
features. Locals have long enjoyed using the
trail in winter—soon it will be developed for
biking and walking, too.
Brian hands me a helmet and I
climb onto his two-seater, carrying my
snowshoes on my back. The trail here
runs along the southern bank of the
river, winding through gentle farm-
land and thin hardwoods. Across the
Lamoille, the landscape is breathtak-
ing in the pale sunlight, as we cruise
through meadows and woodland under
the tall shadow of Smugglers’ Notch
and the Green Mountains with the
fresh air whipping my face. The ter-
rain is relatively flat and easy—I can
see that it would be very inviting for
cross-country skiing. Just before we
get to Johnson we cross the Long Trail,
Vermont’s 100-year-old section of the
Appalachian Trail.
About eight miles
along, we ride into
the quaint town of
Johnson, home of
Johnson State College
and the Vermont
Studio Center.
Johnson offers a good
variety of college-
town eateries and
amenities just off the
trail. We warm up
with coffee and a cup
of curried soup at
the hip and healthy
Lovin’ Cup Cafe.
Everyone is super
friendly and chatting
about the early spring weather. Brian
and Crystal have to head home, so we
say our goodbyes.
After I make a quick stop for water at
DJ’s—a classic Vermont country store—
I strap on my snowshoes and venture
out, heading east toward Hyde Park (five
miles) and Morristown (2.5 miles more).
The groomed trail is more uphill here,
but the slope is gentle and the river flows
along just below me as I traverse farm
fields and quiet countryside that is home
to rabbits, whitetail deer, moose, beaver,
coyote, foxes and owls.
I greet a young couple snowshoeing
with their infant son in a belly pack,
enjoying what may be the last of this
The Imagination Company
Kevin Russell
V E R M
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15
15
Map Illustration
by Danielle Marks
Danielle Marks Design
364
Lakeview Drive
Hartfield, VA 23071-3110
804 238-1539
danielle@daniellemarks.com
www.daniellemarks.com
All artwork © 2013
Danielle Marks
89
missisquoi
national
wildlife area
Black Creek
Lamoille River
Lake
Lamoille
Lake
Champlain
Missisquoi River
swanton
highgate
sheldon
fairfield
cambridge
junction
cambridge
jeffersonville
johnson
hyde
park
morristown
morri
0
4 6 8
2
MILES
v
e
r
m
o
n
t
Map for reference only. Not for navigation.
or access point
Trail length:
93.2
miles
Trail surface:
Unpaved
completed
map illustration by daniellemarks.com
Phase 2
Phase 3
Canada
New York
New Hampshire
Note:
Location of trails
and trail access points
are approximate.
