Southerner’s Investigation of Mud Season

[Southside]

Most of those are balloon framed, and on rock on grade foundations, or at least growing up those I remember were. Some rooms always have cattywompus floors as a result. 

[SawyerTed]

From the looks of the outside, cattywampus floors are the least of the problems.    :D

Cattywampus seems to describe the whole structure!

[Southside]

Those might have been the inspiration for the "Wonky Chicken Coop" phase.

[Magicman]

There Ben and Jerry's ice cream

I did not know that a human could eat that much ice cream and still live.  I did and I did.

There is a Cabot cheese factory fairly close to B & J.

[peakbagger]

My recomendation, head west out of Lincoln through Kinsman Notch to US RT 25. Stop by at Farmway in Bradford then head west of RT 25 to RT 302. Take RT 302 West to Barre and check out the cemeteries, Barre was the center of the granite carving industry in VT and the carvers carved their own quite elaborate tombstones before they passed away. The Hope Cemetary is a bit more modern and laid out better Hope Cemetery – Barre, Vermont - Atlas Obscura . Sad to say, the granite carvers didnt know about silicosis and many died early. Rock of Ages up on Quarry hill has a factory tour but unless you want to see how they quarry granite probably not worth the time.

From Barre stay on RT 302 and head west of Montpelier, the capital, to I 89, then head north to RT 100. Head north on Rt 100 to Ben and Jerrys. Unfortunately Smugglers Notch is still closed. Its a lane wide in spots where it winds it way through a steep mountain notch around house sized boulders. Tractor Trailers get stuck in there all the time despite lots of warnings. After you have your fill, head back to Montpelier and take US RT 2 over to Saint Johnsbury VT. If you want to get back to Lincoln take I 93 south or keep going east on RT2 to Lancaster, then take RT 135 south down along the Connecticut River to Littleton and then back on I93 south and back to Lincoln. 

[newoodguy78]

I'll second a stop at Farmway in Bradford, that's a great store. The Hungry Bear right near there has good food. Stopped for dinner there hauling Christmas trees last year.Both my girlfriend and I thought the prices were reasonable and the meal was good.
Be careful in farmway a person can get carried away in there. :D

[peakbagger]

They also have discounts on Darn Tuff Socks, best sock out there made in Northfield VT (not that far away). 

[peakbagger]

Some photos from up on the Franconia Ridge. The first photo is looking east over the Pemi wilderness with Mt Washington in the background from the top of Mt Lafayette. The next photo is looking west at the top of Cannon Mountain and the Franconia Cliffs. The Old Man on the Mountain used to be on the far north end of the cliff. The last one is looking down the ridge at the top of the Loon Mountain Ski area. The pointy summits are Mt Liberty and Flume.

 


 

 




 

[Gere Flewelling]

Don't forget Polly's Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill NH. Great breakfast place and awesome view of Cannon Mt. others.  Best breakfast in the area.

[chep]

Hey I live in Bradford! 

[chep]

Sawyer ted if you end up in bradford holler! That goes to any of you forumites! 

[SawyerTed]

Thanks!  If would have been good to meet.  

We just walked by in the door back in Lincoln after a loop to Farm-way then Montpellier.  

We did see the cemeteries at Barre and the elaborate grave stones the stone carvers made for themselves.   I was interested to see how many immigrants there were just to come do stone work!  

[SawyerTed]

We "enjoyed" Highway 118 from Woodstock over toward the Bradford area.  It definitely had frost heaves and bumps due to the variable weather.  They were marked with signs.  Mostly it was broken and rough pavement with the occasional edge broken.  Those broken edges can be bad! 

The granddaughter of the owner of Farm-way said they haven't been bad this year. We had a nice talk with her and later with her grandfather. 

The motorcycles here are numerous.  Likely more motorcycles here than home. But daggone it if it doesn't appear to be rough riding!  

For the most part, the roads are ok, but in areas where they aren't, they really aren't ok.  

[peakbagger]

The Laconia Bike week starts the week before Labor day Laconia Motorcycle Week® (laconiamcweek.com) Bikers from all over the US descend on the region and ride around the area. The Kanc is one steady line of bikes cruising the highway. GIve it few weeks and the roads flatten out again.

Give it about a month and the ATVs move in up north of RT 2. Biggest ATV trail network in the Northeast and north or the big system in West Virginia. 

Like I tell folks, I live where they vacation ;) Still you picked an incredible patch of weather. Luckily the Black Flies haven't appeared yet, they normally come on strong Mothers Day and leave by Fathers day. 

[SawyerTed]

Sitting in the Manchester Airport this morning waiting on our flight to Charlotte. 

Many thanks to the kind folks here who shared sightseeing options in NH and Vt, especially @peakbagger 

We had a great time!  Who would've thought chili cheese fries would be good with maple syrup in the chili?  They were! Couldn't get the wife to try the poutine  :D

[aigheadish]

Were frost heaves (I'm unfamiliar) the problem with Rt. 2 going east out of Montpelier? We took that road up the hill and out of town (granted extra bumpy and noisy in the RV) and the road, going up the hill was terrible, one of the worst I've driven on. Maybe just because it was a hill it's hard to pave properly?

Well, I just looked at the map and I don't think it was Rt. 2. It was a BIG hill road just on the way out of town, still fairly residential, if I recall, and bumpy and terrible.

[thecfarm]

Frost heaves comes from the road not being built "right".
We have interstate roads that are nice and level in the spring, can do 80 mph easy.
Now the back roads of Chesterville!!!!!! Frost heaves!!!!!!!! This is a small town. Takes money to build a road up and get enough drainage and gravel to keep what is under the tar dry. That's what does it. The water freezes under the road and makes heaves, bumps.
This only happens in the spring.
The back roads of Chesterville are much better now, then a month ago. 

[SawyerTed]

Were frost heaves (I'm unfamiliar) the problem with Rt. 2 going east out of Montpelier?

My extremely limited experience is based on recent investigations.  

Obviously there are Forumites with frost heaves in front of their homes who know much more about them.  My wife got tired of me asking the friendly people in New Hampshire about frost heaves.  
Frost heaves can take various forms that can range from broken pavement that causes stuff in the truck to rattle a bit to speed bump like undulations in the road that go on for miles, miserable!  

Sometimes they are ledges of several inches where the pavement has fractured and lifted, sometimes just big cracks in the road.  Sometimes they degenerate into potholes and big broken edges on the pavement.  

They are caused by poor drainage under the pavement or road surface and freezing of the water that accumulates there.  Frost heaves seem to be seasonal as late winter/early spring freeze/thaw cycles cause the pavement to move, lift, break and heave.  

We experienced fewer on main roads than on rural roads.   We only traveled one gravel road for a couple of miles. It was not rutted and was fairly smooth.  

Many residents said this year was mild around Lincoln so frost heaves weren't bad!   I'd hate to see a bad year!

[Southside]

What is even more fun is when you run down a gravel road and watch the whole thing roll in a wave in front of you as you go - just waiting for the soft spot to show up and swallow you to the frame, FWIW don't even bother with the high lift jack when that happens, all you do is bury that to the point it won't come out.  Ahh - the good old days.