Sutton QC to Morrisville: Hot, hot, hot

It’s a beautiful clear day with not a cloud in the sky. I approach today with both excitement and trepidation as 61 miles  will be our longest pedal so far with temps in the upper 80s. But I am leaving such thoughts in the background as the waitress at our hotel, Auberge Sutton Brouerie, brings Ted and me a breakfast that looks like a piece of art and should fill our bellies to fuel us for the road ahead.

Prior to our departure, we get chocolate and strawberry croissants for roadside snacks.  Heading out of town, we notice many more cyclists than we see in Vermont. The asphalt road is smooth and we get to the border before 10 am; within the first hour of pedaling we have gone a little over 10 miles.

The day is already quite warm and the shade afforded to us is welcome; I only hope that it continues. We have to be smart on this ride and not burn ourselves out. That means taking frequent hydration and fuel breaks. 

A stiff breeze both cools us and retards our progress. With the breeze comes many smells (of cows) and sounds. Little pigs squealing after their mother, baby goats bleating from their crates, and cows mooing loudly. 

The river has returned to hug the trail and we benefit from the cooling breeze over its waters. Reaching Enosbury in record time, Ted has another bike mishap: the cable on his front derailleur has snapped. No worries, as he can continue. Perhaps we can get it fixed tomorrow. 

Getting sandwiches, we stop for lunch at Kane Road, which oversees a lovely weathered barn sitting in a recently hayed field. We have biked nearly 25 miles so far. 

Reapplying our sunscreen, we head out with the sun high and hot.

With a quick left turn,  we leave the MVRT and are back on the LVRT. We are 34 miles from our hotel. Even though we are retracing our path of a few days ago, it is in a different direction, giving us opportunities to see things we could not before.

Darting in and out of the tree shadows imprinted on the trail, we try to stay cool. We also stop to hydrate every 20-30 minutes. Before the day is over, each of us will have drained nearly a gallon of water from our bottles. 

Taking a rest at the Sheldon Historical Society building, we notice a group of children that are on a bike/camping tour playing basketball. Rapids roar in the background.

The heat increases, governing our speed. Metal farm house and barn roofs appear on fire. Suddenly the gravel bed has gotten quite loose, making progress even more difficult. Turning off the trail to the right, we find a connivence store in East Fairfield and purchase a pint of Ben & Jerry’s pistachio ice cream.  With that, a chocolate croissant, and ice water, we are revitalized. 

Approaching Jeffersonville, we spot an old English double-decker bus named Riverside. It is not going anywhere fast. We cross the Lamoille River and are 14 miles from our hotel. 

We pick up the pace of our pedaling. A final hydration and croissant stop in Johnson lets us meet Cecil, who is putting up posters for his school. (In a weird coincidence, Ted spots him as we cross the street in Morrisville while returning from dinner.)

Soon we have reached our hotel happy with our accomplishment. We are ready for a shower, but not before we take a dip in the hotel’s pool.