Barre, Vt.
Millstone Trails, a 90-mile network that traverses forest, fields and Barre’s celebrated granite quarries, hosts a weekly group ride, and on a temperate afternoon last month, I decided to tag along. Millstone has become known for its dramatic views and challenging rides. I’m not the most technically skilled cyclist, but the alluring photos and descriptions on the Millstone Trail Association’s website drew me in.
I was a little nervous about riding with a group, but my worry was unfounded. The other riders were friendly and encouraging, and I found the trails we rode, labeled “easy” or “moderate,” to be mostly rideable, with some walking in steep or rocky sections.
The Tuesday night rides are sponsored by the Millstone Trail Association, the nonprofit that maintains the trail network, which is spread out over 1,500 acres. The volunteer-led outings are “no drop,” which means no one is left behind.
“Rides will be based on fun, not speed or ability level,” the trail association website reads. “All are welcome.”
In addition to a mountain bike, helmets are also required. Bike lights are encouraged, although the ride I joined wrapped up well before sunset.
On a pleasant Tuesday evening last month, five of us met in the Barre Town Forest parking lot on Brook Street, talking and putting on helmets and gloves before the ride.
Darren Ohl, who serves on the association’s board, said the group rides are new this year. “(We’re hoping to) get new young blood involved in what we’re doing.”
We headed out from the trailhead, our leader Ben Brown’s golden retriever joyfully tagging along. The first trail was easy, but we soon veered onto more rugged, hillier terrain.
As we tooled along, some of the riders sought out “features,” narrow, curvy bridges or chunks of granite to jump off of, but I stuck to the main paths, just glad to be staying upright.
One of the great things about mountain biking is the learning curve. For me, navigating even slightly rocky or rooty trails requires a delicate blend of skill, faith and bravado, any of which I may lack on given days. But that’s what makes it thrilling — traveling a trail that’s just beyond my current ability and not falling, or falling and riding it again and again until I don’t.
At Millstone, I noticed that everyone else on the ride was using flats — wide pedals that, rather than attaching to one’s shoes, as the mysteriously named “clipless” pedals do, feature short metal pegs designed to offer a grippy surface for your shoes without the prospect of not being able to “unclip” at a crucial moment. A fellow rider said he recommended them. “They’ll make you more confident.”
I bought a pair when I got home.
We stopped several times during the ride, for water or to let people (usually me) catch up. During one break, riders compared their wounds from recent spills — stitches here, an abrasion there.
Some of the trails are doubletrack, meaning they’re wide enough for bikes to ride side by side, but most are singletrack. They meander through the town forest and land owned by Rock of Ages granite quarry.
Many of the people who use the trails also volunteer to maintain them, “adopting” certain routes, and we stopped to admire a bridge that Brown had recently upgraded.
Later, rider Jacob Grossi anchored down a shifter cable that was catching in the cassette of Kristy Hunt’s bike. A twist tie Grossi was carrying did the trick.
After the ride, Hunt, who recently competed in her first race, said she’s been riding every day since Christmas.
She’s working on getting faster on the uphills, said Hunt, who’s been mountain biking for three years. For her, the best part of the sport is “probably the challenge, and the freedom.”
After riding for about 90 minutes, we’d barely scratched the surface of what Millstone has to offer. Which means another trip to Barre is in my future. But biking is only one way to get around in the trails network.
Marcy Christian, the trail association’s interim co-president, said there is “a real diversity of interest” at Millstone, which is also popular with hikers.
Disc golf has been a “huge draw,” with about 80 people taking part in a recent tournament, Christian, a self-described “walker and dog walker,” said in a telephone interview. And with snowshoeing and skiing, the trails have a winter component as well.
The association, which maintains the trails year-round, recently bought a new snowmobile, she said. “It’s really an all-season (place).”
If you go:
Trailside parking is available at three locations. If you’re using GPS to get to the Barre Town Forest parking lot, at 44 Brook St., punch in Websterville for the town; Barre has a Brook Street, too, but it’s downtown, six miles from the trailhead.
Trail usage is free for walkers, runners, hikers and people playing disc golf; mountain bikers need to buy a $10 day pass. You can buy passes online at millstonetrails.com, or in person at several local stores, which are listed on the website. Maps are also available online and at the stores.
Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.