The church bell in St. Albans rings nine and we start our way to Canada on a cloudy and cool morning. This trip is only 38 miles so we should be able to handle it easily. It’s a quiet Sunday with only a few people walking the trail and even fewer cars on the roads we need to cross.
That is not the case, however, with gnats, flies, and other biting insects looking to take a chunk out of me. For once they ignore Ted. A stop to shed a layer of clothing must be executed quickly. A momentary breeze keeps them at bay.
Nearing the Missisquoi River, farms start to appear all around us as we travel north. For now, the trail hugs the meandering waterbody. Stopping for a water break at the cross-roads of the LVRT and the MVRT, a large grain elevator stands in the background, towering over the landscape.
The trail surface is indicative of what we experienced on the GAP and C&O trails: two ruts a car’s width apart having a grassy middle. Like much of our journey so far, this trail is surrounded by corn and cows. I know we are close to the road but we are cloistered by thick trees and vegetation on both sides. The biting insects have increased in frequency.
North of Enosburg Falls, the trails crosses VT 105 more times than I care to count. This State road is not bicycle-friendly as its shoulders are non-existent and its drivers seem to have little regard for cyclists. The broad river has reappeared on the right of the trail, flowing rapidly.
On this stretch, we see a wide diversity of designs and conditions of barns ranging from decrepit to deluxe. Cows reside in both, however, apparently indifferent to their digs. Soon we arrive in Richford where the MVRT ends. Richford is like many towns that have fallen on hard times with little traffic downtown and more empty than occupied buildings. After a filling lunch at the Greenwood Bakery & Deli, we head for the border.
Climbing up a hill, we stop at the crest taking in a panoramic view of the far mountains and the countless farms that dot the valley below us. Coasting down the hill, we reach the U.S.-Canadian border. We both get though customs in a snap, and it is only a few miles to Sutton, our destination for the night.
A side road takes us past a boulangerie where Ted gets a cheese croissant while I get a blueberry one. A nice end-of-ride snack prior to our arrival at our hotel in Sutton.
