The last few days have been so exceptionally gorgeous that we couldn't help but take a few minutes to enjoy them. What better way than to take advantage of the D&H Rail Trail which literally runs through our back yard. This amazing 19.8 mile trail was once an active part of the now defunct D&H railroad and thank goodness that the state of Vermont saw its value once it was no longer a viable mode of transportation for trains! Beautifully maintained by the Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation, it is now enjoyed by many people as a great place to hike, bike, snowmobile, cross country ski, ride horses, push baby strollers, walk dogs, etc. etc. It is immensely popular with young and old alike and runs from Rupert, VT to Castleton, VT with many access points along the way.
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Jill and I rode our bikes. This is about a half mile north of our farm.
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| One of the old railroad bridges, made over into a pedestrian/snowmobile/horse/bike bridge. |
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We rode into lovely West Pawlet, about a mile and a half north. This is the view from the trail access
across rt. 153. The trail from this point heads north into Granville, NY, a mile or 2 away. |
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An old railroad depot in West Pawlet.
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| After an enjoyable bike ride into West Pawlet, we headed back home. Here you can see the Indian River, which runs along the trail, on the right. |
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In fact, not far from our back door is a quiet little fishing spot. Dan snuck away from farm chores for
a few minutes last Sunday to throw his line in. |
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1 comment:
Thanks for sharing this. I'll check the trail out next time I'm on the west side of the state - writing this from Brattleboro. Rail trails are fascinating, combining my loves of the natural world and railroad history. Perfect! I was a big fan of the D&H back in the 70's, when I was a boy in Scranton, PA; it was a big road, with a beautiful, classy paint livery on their locomotives.
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