Day 59 Plattsburgh NY to Stowe VT

 Today was another beautiful day!  Our morning route took us along Lake Champlain where we took the Grand Isle Ferry (our 5th ferry of the trip) across the lake and into Vermont our 10th state. Eric joined us today and then after the ferry ride Mladin joined us too.  With one week left we are trying to get in time with everyone!  

After we entered Vermont the terrain got increasingly hillier.  We knew it was going to be a day of climbing and it didn’t  disappoint. We had several short/steep climbs before picnic and then after picnic we climbed “Smugglers Notch”. 

Smugglers Notch is our last long climb of the tour.  It started at mile 43.4 and you hit the summit at mile 51.6. So, an 8 mile climb with the last 2 miles hitting grades between 8 - 12%. I even saw 13&14% pop up on my Garmin for a short time!  

Terri and I were so proud of how well we did on the climb.  We are definitely much stronger than we were on those early climbs. I guess the 8 weeks of cycling might have something to do with the improvement 😝.  I will never be a great climber but was happy I could conquer that notch today!  

Terri of course reached the summit before me and was there to snap a photo of me.  We started down the mountain with 16% grades and switchbacks.  Those types of descents always scare me so I was definitely leveraging the breaks until we were out of the steepest section.   It was pretty much all down hill until we arrived in Stowe (about 10 miles). 

Just as we got to town a little rainstorm popped up so we pulled over to a restaurant Pie Casso and had a delicious portobello mushroom pizza and a beer to celebrate our day. Then off to our final destination for the evening The Commodore Inn.  Tonight’s dinner is Chinese.  

Stats: 62 miles and 3,825 feet of elevation gain


Samual Champlain

Lake Champlain

Terri, Eric and myself on the ferry


View of the lake and green mountains from the ferry


At the Summit of Smugglers Notch


Route elevation profile 


Yummy Pizza


Made it to Vermont!  I had distant relatives from this area




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