With a little nice weather and a couple days off from work, I took off for Vermont for some scenic riding, soul- searching, late-evening beer drinking, and generally, something I love to do.

For the record/disclaimer, I upload a lot of pics to photobucket, they may shut me down for too much bandwidth from a free account or whatever, also, I've never asked site staff or anyone about doing these threads, if it's unwelcome, or AWOB, I'll gladly stop doing them.

So, here's some of the pics I took. I'd really love it if one of you VT locals would take a ride up the entire T100 through the Green Mountains and share some pics, that's my favorite ride in the State, not sure if I'll get a chance to do that this year.

Anyhow, I wasn't feeling too hot on my way out of Maine Saturday morning, for some reason, and was in no mood for snapping pictures.  I did stop at the little tourist info thingy near Fryeburg to stretch my legs for a minute and snapped a picture or two here. I didn't entirely realize a person so inclined could canoe that far, with some portaging obviously. Anyway, I thought it was interesting because I aim to canoe the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and the St John and Aroostook Rivers someday.






I kind of blasted across NH, didn't take any pics though I should have. Oh well.


When I got to VT, my main destination was Quechee Gorge, something I'd never seen before. http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/waterfall.php?name=Quechee+Gorge






I think that's a killdeer, someone can correct me. It was doing all that "flopping around injured" behavior and leading me away from it's nest.













I'm no botanist, but I assume these are common. Anyone tell me what they are?






and
















I see VT has problems with gangstas too, taggin' they hoods an' shit. .






This is actually remarkably steep, and deep. Can't really capture that in a photo.









the dam. I could only seem to get a peek of that without walking too far.





A couple shots looking down, from the bridge.







I stayed in White River Junction, VT that evening. Not a bad town at all.


The next day, I mainly wound around the Connecticut River in VT and NH. Very scenic roads.












I had to pull over and take a picture of this. This is the best looking Dalmation I've ever seen.


















So at this point I'm well on my way back into NH.

You know when you're out on the road somewhere, and you see something ahead that just makes you go "Holy Sh#t!!! WTF is that?!?"




























It's a freaking INTERCONTINENTAL MISSILE, THAT'S WHAT!!!







On a thread I did recently, someone noted that their bike would be pissed if it wasn't included in the photos, as I had kind of left mine out of the pictures for the most part. I concurred. I really love this bike, and it's been very good to me, from the County, all over the Appalacians and beyond.











I had a bite to eat in Lincoln, and had decided to take the Kancamangus Highway through the Whites. That road never gets old to me, though I've been favoring 302 in recent trips. Didn't have time to stop and see everything, but I snapped a couple pics on the way through.




peckerhead

















Now, these, I recognized as Daisys, because I bought some recently







I'm telling you, if I lived out this way, you couldn't keep me off these mountains.















Somewhere in the vicinity of Fryeburg again, I had spotted a couple of sweeet old Hondas the day before and had to check them out this time. They had an old trail 90 or something out there the day before, but it was gone, must have been sold.








That's just my style, I love it.









Somewhere in the area of Bridgton?, I saw an old bike painted olive drab, with a side-car, in front of some kind of shop downtown, anyone local take a pic of that for me? I'd like to take a better look at it but didn't stop.


I always thought Shawnee Peak would be a good backdrop for a pic of the bike too.




I had just enough time in the day to squeeze in one more stop on the way home. I've been meaning for a long time to stop in the small town of Leeds, Maine and climb Monument Hill. I had heard of it, but never quite made it there. This was awesome.



My batteries in the camera were toast at this point and some of the pics didn't even save. Oh, well.

This was at the base. Not a bad hike up though, not too too steep.




And the summit. Incredible.











One side of the monument, the picture didn't save, the camera/batteries were totally uncooperational at this point. The four sides read "1865 Was Sure Peace" and it was a touching Memorial.  

The one pic that came out from the summit of Monument Hill. Even with a storm rolling in behind me, I could clearly see the White Mountains distantly.



Leeds, Maine is a pretty small, pretty rural town of 2000 people, a typical town in Central Maine really. They also had a very nice 9-11 Memorial in the center of town, which made me proud to be a Mainer and an American.

Well, that's it for this ride folks, I just spent a couple hours putting this thread together on a day off from work, so I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks and stay tuned, I took a pretty good ride yesterday with a ton of pics,

great post, thanks

my uncles had a dairy farm in Shoreham Vt ...

we would spend summers there and go for drives like yours on a frequent basis ...

haven't been back for a while ...

you've got me thinkin' ...

Very nice pics, thanks for sharing.


BTW - thats a negative on the "killdeer". The pic is a little fuzzy but it appears to be a Robin. Killdeers are brown on top w/ white bellies and black bands around neck/back region.

It was kind of a poor shot with the zoom, and I'm no pro-photographer, I just point and click.. You're right, I suppose a robin would lure me away from it's nest too. On closer inspection, yeah, it's pretty obviously a robin. I barely even looked at it, I was going on behavior.







Thank you. I'm actually headed down to WV on the bike soon for a much- needed vacation from work. You've got an incredibly gorgeous state yourself. I'm infatuated with the Appalacians.

man, i wish i didn't sell my bike.

i live on the border of southern VT and NH.  the area is quite beautiful.

I think as ARFCOM goes these are my favorite post. Thanks for taking the time to share them.

Thanks for the photos.  I'll have to try Monument Hill next time I'm in Maine.

Great pics. I think the flower is a smooth aster.

Now that's flattering. Sheesh, you'll make me blush.

Yay! More pics!

Nice to see some pretty country when the weather sucks at home.

I yahoo image searched smooth aster. I think you're right.

I see you stopped by my hometown of Warren NH, I actually helped re-paint the missle years ago.

you were within range of me!

Warren used to have a nice little Museum not far from the Missile....................Warren also has a nice fish hatchery right on 25 too!!

I live maybe 30 minutes north of Lincoln.right up 93.

You should ride from Lincoln up to Bethlehem then take 302 right into Portland...lots of nice places to stop.

We like to stop in Raymond and get Lobster Rolls at this one place.

Next time your up this way let me know maybe we can put you up or show you around some!!

Nice pics. Thanks!

Nice pics, but wtf??

WOW, those pics are truly amazing

thanks for posting them

I've been to every one of those places you've mentioned and shown. I've also paddled a lot of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. It is some of my favorite country in the entire US to travel into.


Great pics, brought back some great memories (6 years have past since I've been that way) and I had to break out some of my photos to look at of my past adventures there. Thanks!

Wicked gorgeous aint it folks ??



I remember that old bike and sidecar in Bridgeton......it's a Ural , and it sits right there downtown all the time.....those are cool as hell.

Great pix SW..Thank you once again!
I dont feel bad this time as I recognize much of it .

Except the flowers.........I dunno.....second pics look kinda like Baby's Breath , the first are mutant Daisys I think

Great ride pics, looks like awesome country.

You must have traveled near my home away from home.  I spent my college years at Plymouth State University in Plymouth NH.  I awoke every day to magnificent vistas and mountainous wonders.

I now live on the coast in Maine but nothing compares to the White Mountains.

Dittohd

These threads make me want to sell off all of my worldly possessions, learn to ride a motorcycle and spend the rest of my days travelling.

That's an incredibly generous offer, I may just do that. Right back at ya too.

Bump, just cause that cracked me up./

My buddies own those Hondas. I was just working on the green Scrambler w/ him the other day actually. Nice pics!

I'm riding around West Virginia this week and this is some wacky shit.

I have been through some amazing places this week. Nasty weather gonna chase me all the way homethough. sheeit.