Our good friends Patti and Milo, whom we first met years ago out on the ski hill, are also RVer’s with a sense of adventure and a penchant for hiking and biking. Over dinner one night at the end of the ski season, we mentioned that we were thinking of exploring places closer to home in our RV this summer, and that, ironically, we’d never spent a night in our RV in Vermont except in our own driveway. That conversation evolved into a plan for a meet up for the four of us at Elmore State Park, just a bit north of where we all live in the Mad River Valley.
We’d been to the town of Elmore (pop. 886) several times. Situated on a beautiful lake, the Elmore Store was the turnaround spot on one of our favorite bikes rides in summers past. What we didn’t know is that there is a cute little State Park walking distance from the town center with a great campground, convenient to everything we’d need for an excellent adventure.
Our adjacent camp sites were separated by a generous space that quickly became a private courtyard with perfect seating and sunshine for happy hours as well as activity- and meal-planning sessions. Patti and Milo had toured the area in the past and came up with great suggestions for a hike and a bike ride, and the weather during our stay was right for both. Perfect! Let’s play!
On a beautiful, coolish day with friendly, puffy white clouds we hiked from camp to the summit of Elmore Mountain (elev 2,608 ft). Naturally, the fire tower near the summit was an irresistible addition to the ascent, with views across northern Vermont and into New Hampshire. We lingered at several rock outcroppings, offering views of the surrounding mountains and valleys from along the ridge to the summit.
The friendly, puffy clouds came out to play again the next day as we ventured from camp for a short, exploratory bike ride, then loaded ourselves and our bikes into Milo’s pickup truck to a trailhead on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in neighboring Morrisville. The lightly traveled path with gentle grades and firm gravel surface was a delight. We biked at times along the Lamoille River, passing small towns, farms, forests and at least one brew pub with bike trail access. Although Milo and Patti have been active on their bikes, this was Doug’s and my first bike ride in three years! It was also my inaugural bike ride following my series of shoulder surgeries. It all went without a hitch, and riding even felt like “the old days.” Yes, it was an awesome ride!
As we loaded our bikes after the ride, we saw some folks setting up a PA system in the park in Morrisville. This of course invited questions about a potential musical performance and the imminence thereof. Sure enough, we learned there’d be a free bluegrass concert in Oxbow Park early that evening. Moving our happy hour site and making slight alterations to our dinner plans allowed us to enjoy the music and merge with the local crowd.
Milo and Patti have legendary gardens at their home. What we didn’t know what how creative they could be with home grown meals at camp. The veggie quiche and salad, garbanzo dish, and Asian veggie noodles were campsite treats and wonderful contributions to collaborative dinners.
For those of you who’ve checked out this website’s ‘About‘ page, and even for those who haven’t, there’s a relevant quote: As travelers we follow the wind, seeking fun adventures and experiences, great hiking, old and new friends, and of course opportunities to hear and play music. Milo and Patti get this, and we’re very glad.
For anyone who’s interested, more Elmore pix.