I’m in the kind of place where every road has *hill* in the name. And currently at a very unique hostel.
It took under 30 minutes to get from the campground to where I got on the VTXL. I’ll be doing about 300 of the 500 km route. Given my experience today, I am satisfied with the choice to not do the whole thing right now! (But it would be awesome.)

The riding itself is indeed hilly, quite remote, and, mostly, astonishingly beautiful. I spent hours riding smooth dirt roads in the middle of absolutely nowhere, surrounded by forests thick with trees. The only sound was the water running in rivers and streams and my own panting. I saw almost no humans.


Remember that low gear I figured I could ride up a wall with? I got very acquainted with it today! I hereby declare that my bicycle has appropriate gearing for an all terrain touring rig. Tell me to shut up if I ever suggest otherwise.
And those famed class 4 roads? Check. It was some of the best riding of the day, and also the hardest. Very steep riding in short bursts, though pretty tame surface conditions where I was. I fully expect to find rougher stuff.


I had planned on a short day today, but didn’t properly account for how slowly I’d be moving. I made it maybe 2/3rds of the way to my intended destination, and it took pretty much the whole damn day. On that class 4 road, in one of the few moments I had cell service, I looked up other places to stay. I was pretty far from any campgrounds, so I looked up hotels. Found a reasonably close hostel, and aimed for it as it started to sprinkle. When 20 kms can take over 2 hours, reasonable distance takes on a whole new meaning.
10 minutes later it was a torrential downpour. Cell service disappeared again, which hardly mattered since I couldn’t even use my phone due to how wet everything was (and my phone generally misbehaving). One way or another, an hour and a half later I ended up at Stagecoach Stop Hostel, soaking wet, cold and hungry. My rain coat is shit and is going in the garbage where it belongs.
I don’t totally get it yet, but it seems this place is a nonprofit community hub run by a local organization called Vershare, and it is the only thing around here other than the 600 town residents. On arrival, after making sure there was a room available, I was given a near beer Guinness and asked to wait for Shirley to show up and get my room ready.
As luck would have it, I arrived on beer night. A random assortment of locals gather on the porch and drink beer and chat. I could write a whole post just about that experience! Nice folks and a lot of transplants from all over New England.
Shirley showed up and brought me food (burritos!) despite me not having asked. She also put my clothes in the dryer and gave me her number in case I need anything else. She’s a volunteer and has been running the hostel for 12 years. Lovely, lovely person.
There’s a nonzero chance I’ll stay here tomorrow. It’s still pouring and the forecast for tomorrow isn’t looking good, though nothing but sunshine starting on Saturday. I’ll keep you posted.

Awesome!
Hurricane Debbie may push quite a lot of rain up north. Toronto is expecting 25-50mm, Ottawa and Montreal 50-100, Sherbrooke 50-75. I expect it would be similar on your side of the border, but in inches.
A day in a nice hostel sounds like a good plan.
Agreed. So here I sit
Hey Chad,
Glad you’re getting a chance to try out every gear they installed in your bike – that was quite the elevation change yesterday — like a vertical mile
(A chill day on that porch might be a welcome treat for your legs and if they can rustle up a few more burrito’s for you…)
Covered bridges, coach house inns (I read on the Vershare site that coach house is on the Boston-Montreal route.. real horse drawn coaches)
I remember a Stephen King short story where one would take back road short cuts and go back in time – sounds like you found the road. Place and people in the Vershare place sound pretty cool. Thanks for leaving links to places along your trip !
If you do hit the road wear your water wings near any streams/rivers.
It felt a little like being in the past!
I knew Don would be the one to bring up Stephen King!
And the hurricane
Enjoy that low gear 😉
And a burrito from someone who didn’t even know how much you love burritos?! This hostel may have been made for you.
That’s what I’m thinking
You have always been able to find adventures. Vermont looks beautiful. I would be more comfortable if you saw people along the way. Missing food photos you always post. It’s looked pretty boring so far. Stay away from the hard rains. Rest up.
New England can’t compete with Europe or Colombia on the food front. With any luck I’ll be posting mounds of poutine from Quebec.
Astonishingly beautiful, only the sound of water in streams…sigh. Sounds like heaven. I love Shirley and her instinct to care for complete strangers, and she nailed it with those burritos. Hope to hear more about your fellow hostel dwellers and why they are there. I am imagining some horses parked alongside your bike, nice. Sounds like a sweet place to take a day off.
I had to look this up: The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge can last over 100 years. In the United States, only about 1 in 10 survived the 20th century.
You’re getting to see some rare survivors on this trip, pretty cool!
I’m glad you looked that up! I had been wondering.
Wow! Your day sounds amazing! To be in all that nature – yes please! Sounds like a perfect place to land and what a cool night beer night sounds to be. Hope you met some fun folks.
As for the bridges – their history is pretty cool. Having spent time in Ohio there many – and they are all so unique and cool.
Hope you enjoy your time there and stay dry. How nice your clothes were out in a dryer and burrito was handed to you. Meant to be.