Trail Around Middlebury- Day 194

  Yesterday, I joined a spur of the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) that has been built for the North Country Trail. Today, I completed the section on the TAM and the spur on the other side of Middlebury. Some of the trail is mowed paths along the edge of farm fields.

Here is the TAM emblem. They aren't all this big, but the trail is well marked.

Some of the trail is nice wooded sections in various parks or preserves.

Last time I did this, you could choose either the west or east side of the loop, and Marie and I did the west side (See Vermont Extension for that hike). Now, the east side has been made the official route, so I got to see that side this time.

The trail has to get across Otter Creek, a serious waterway. On this side of the loop, there is a double bridge over Belden's Falls. The second span can be seen above the chain link fence.

Above the falls, the water is quite placid. Below the falls, it's in a rocky gorge!

One of the fields was occupied, but I just walked around these ladies. They just watched me.

The biggest surprise was this patch of thimbleberry in bloom. You see lots of them in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but I hadn't thought about finding them in Vermont.

Those mountains are looking a lot closer! I have climbed 700 feet since leaving the shore of Lake Champlain, but I'll climb 1300 feet tomorrow.

Which brings me to the part some of you don't want to hear. There will be no blog posts for 3 days. I will be backpacking again. I'll keep trying to get them caught up, but I'm just too tired to do them any faster.

Miles today: 17.3. Bittersweet Falls Road to Oak Ridge TH. Total miles so far: 2414.5.

See Welcome to Vermont