Meredith to Burlington VT

BoulderBronco · 02-01-2011, 10:17 PM

I've mapped out the trails and it is possible. Anyone ever done anything like this? The question is, is it insane to try to go that far? Am I crazy for even thinking about it? I'm a veteran rider and can easily handle an all day trip. But not knowing much of anything about the trails I'm not sure what would be involved or even roughly how long it would take, 3hrs? 6hrs? More? Would most of the trails be groomed so I could maintain an average speed of say 35mph or are many of the trails going to be rough and unpredictable? What about refuling? I am thinking I would have to plan out the stops for fuel/food. Any thoughts on this or any other trail run of this distance would be much appreciated.

secondcurve · 02-02-2011, 09:44 AM

I can't answer your questions about the condition of the trails between Meredith and Burlington Vermont but I can tell you the time to travel that distance will be a lot longer than 3-6 hours.

magicrobotmonkey · 02-02-2011, 10:29 AM

A couple of weekends ago, we went from laconia, nh to epsom nh. Approximate travel time was 3 hours. That was all through towns with good clubs keeping the trails marked and groomed. Even so, things got a little sketchy in Chichester.

Remember that the maps have a hard time keeping up with trail changes. Even if you go town by town and get the club maps for each section, you are going to have a very hard time navigating.

BoulderBronco · 02-02-2011, 08:41 PM

Thanks for the input. I think it's more than I can chew, especially with all the uncertainty in the trails. If I knew what the trails were like I would feel better about it. Nice groomed trails all the way there and it wouldn't be to bad, even if it took all day. But if half the trails are rutted out bumps, it would be a nightmare and take twice as long.

magicrobotmonkey · 02-03-2011, 07:59 PM

If you had time, and it was a run you wanted to do yearly, it would be sweet to do it in chunks. Maybe if you had a willing driver, you could do a days worth, then trailer to/from each spot, just to see the trails. I've been wanting to do a run from the lakes region to the lake george region, but I feel it will takes years of planning!

chipj29 · 02-04-2011, 09:34 AM

I would think long and hard about this one. First of all, you would need to register your sled in NH ($64 for resident club member), and you would also need to get a VT trail pass. I don't know how much that is, but it is probably at least $50.
Secondly, think about the time it would take to make this trip. I don't know how long a drive it is by car, but it would at least double that time. For example, I know for a fact that from my house in Bow to get to Plymouth via the snowmobile trails, it is 180-ish miles round trip. That in itself is a 8-10 hour day.

No doubt it would be a fun ride, and some great scenery. Just make sure you prepare yourself for a long trip, possibly needing an overnight somewhere in the middle.

Formula · 02-04-2011, 09:50 AM

This week’s ride will not be for the faint of heart, a 200 miler.

Expert riders only as we will be returning after dark and from the sounds of it 4 to 8 inches of snow.
We will be meeting at Fuller’s at 7:30AM, not the VK.
Then proceeding to Trail #8 RR in Meredith up to Lincoln. DD for coffee & bagel, then up bike path to Bethlehem.
From there to Littleton to Trail # 5 RR bed and down to Woodsville HOP for lunch.
Trail 5 to N. Haverhill, Warren, Wentworth. Then Rumney to Plymouth and come back via Squam Lake to Old Harvard Rd.

Steve Janaitis

sjanaitis@venturecdc.com

trfour · 02-04-2011, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoulderBronco

I've mapped out the trails and it is possible. Anyone ever done anything like this? The question is, is it insane to try to go that far? Am I crazy for even thinking about it? I'm a veteran rider and can easily handle an all day trip. But not knowing much of anything about the trails I'm not sure what would be involved or even roughly how long it would take, 3hrs? 6hrs? More? Would most of the trails be groomed so I could maintain an average speed of say 35mph or are many of the trails going to be rough and unpredictable? What about refuling? I am thinking I would have to plan out the stops for fuel/food. Any thoughts on this or any other trail run of this distance would be much appreciated.

Some friends of mine did a putt from Alaska to Nova Scotia, 10,252 miles in some 56 days. Trail conditions may vary, depending on how far your trip is. It can be done however, you may want to consider doing an extended trip on a fan cooled sled... We all know how trail conditions can change in a heartbeat!

Plan well and be safe!... With the handle "BoulderBronco", I'm sure you can do it! Best of luck!

This machine is one of four that made a 10,252 mile trip from Alaska to Nova Scotia. This machine was operated by Denis Boucher and earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. It took 56 days of trail riding to complete this trip in 1992.

http://www.nhsnowmobilemuseum.com/continentcrossing.php

For a larger Picture, click this link; http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...hp?photo=12370
Photo by trfour

Terry
__________________________________________________

02-01-2011, 10:17 PM	#1
BoulderBronco Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 121 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Meredith to Burlington VT I've mapped out the trails and it is possible. Anyone ever done anything like this? The question is, is it insane to try to go that far? Am I crazy for even thinking about it? I'm a veteran rider and can easily handle an all day trip. But not knowing much of anything about the trails I'm not sure what would be involved or even roughly how long it would take, 3hrs? 6hrs? More? Would most of the trails be groomed so I could maintain an average speed of say 35mph or are many of the trails going to be rough and unpredictable? What about refuling? I am thinking I would have to plan out the stops for fuel/food. Any thoughts on this or any other trail run of this distance would be much appreciated.

02-04-2011, 09:34 AM	#6
chipj29 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bow Posts: 1,874 Thanks: 521 Thanked 308 Times in 162 Posts	I would think long and hard about this one. First of all, you would need to register your sled in NH ($64 for resident club member), and you would also need to get a VT trail pass. I don't know how much that is, but it is probably at least $50. Secondly, think about the time it would take to make this trip. I don't know how long a drive it is by car, but it would at least double that time. For example, I know for a fact that from my house in Bow to get to Plymouth via the snowmobile trails, it is 180-ish miles round trip. That in itself is a 8-10 hour day. No doubt it would be a fun ride, and some great scenery. Just make sure you prepare yourself for a long trip, possibly needing an overnight somewhere in the middle. __________________ Getting ready for winter!

02-04-2011, 09:50 AM	#7
Formula Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 183 Thanks: 12 Thanked 28 Times in 16 Posts	Check this trip out if you are interested in a long day This week’s ride will not be for the faint of heart, a 200 miler. Expert riders only as we will be returning after dark and from the sounds of it 4 to 8 inches of snow. We will be meeting at Fuller’s at 7:30AM, not the VK. Then proceeding to Trail #8 RR in Meredith up to Lincoln. DD for coffee & bagel, then up bike path to Bethlehem. From there to Littleton to Trail # 5 RR bed and down to Woodsville HOP for lunch. Trail 5 to N. Haverhill, Warren, Wentworth. Then Rumney to Plymouth and come back via Squam Lake to Old Harvard Rd. Steve Janaitis sjanaitis@venturecdc.com

02-02-2011, 09:44 AM	#2
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,117 Thanks: 1,325 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	I can't answer your questions about the condition of the trails between Meredith and Burlington Vermont but I can tell you the time to travel that distance will be a lot longer than 3-6 hours.

02-02-2011, 10:29 AM	#3
magicrobotmonkey Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 160 Thanks: 42 Thanked 44 Times in 31 Posts	A couple of weekends ago, we went from laconia, nh to epsom nh. Approximate travel time was 3 hours. That was all through towns with good clubs keeping the trails marked and groomed. Even so, things got a little sketchy in Chichester. Remember that the maps have a hard time keeping up with trail changes. Even if you go town by town and get the club maps for each section, you are going to have a very hard time navigating.

02-02-2011, 08:41 PM	#4
BoulderBronco Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 121 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Thanks for the input. I think it's more than I can chew, especially with all the uncertainty in the trails. If I knew what the trails were like I would feel better about it. Nice groomed trails all the way there and it wouldn't be to bad, even if it took all day. But if half the trails are rutted out bumps, it would be a nightmare and take twice as long.

02-03-2011, 07:59 PM	#5
magicrobotmonkey Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 160 Thanks: 42 Thanked 44 Times in 31 Posts	If you had time, and it was a run you wanted to do yearly, it would be sweet to do it in chunks. Maybe if you had a willing driver, you could do a days worth, then trailer to/from each spot, just to see the trails. I've been wanting to do a run from the lakes region to the lake george region, but I feel it will takes years of planning!