MTB Trip Report - Millstone Trails/Rockfire (6/23/12)

The best part about Millstone (in Barre, Vermont) is the variety. We rode there all day, and didn't hit a single trail that we did last year. And we were there during a really cool event called Rockfire. It was a festival with artists, musicians, drinking and fire. So, like I said, really cool. Here's some highlights:

We started the climb up from the touring center, and we found some cool carvings on the way up:

We decided to take Roller Coaster, a trail we didn't get to last year. The way there had some cool features:

The trail was really fun, too. It was a One Way downhill with lots of drops, banks, and fun stuff to play on. Here's Ace negotiating the teeter-totter (poor photography due to wrong lens choice):

We rode it all the way down and then played around in the Harrington Ridge/Harrington Heights area:

Then, we made our way back to the start, but not before fooling around near one of the quarries that Millstone is famous for:

After a quick break at the touring center, we rode a little doubletrack to get back to the other area of the map:

We rode for another hour and a half, and then it was time for the evening festivities:

Followed by Fire. First, they lit a wooden sculpture:

Then they lit a bunch of bonfires on the hillside where we started out our ride in the morning:

Then there was a walking tour up to that hill, where a lot of the sculptures we saw earlier in the day were lit up:

Very cool. Finally, we returned to the field for a release of those sky lantern thingies that float away in the air:

All in all, it was a fantastic summer day.

Some might be curious about Ace being in these pics, especially after semi-recent events. Well, she's still my favorite mountain biking partner, my favorite person to hang out with, and my favorite friend. Sometimes people stay in your life for a reason. I don't know what's going to happen in the future between us, but I know I'll be happier if she's around to go on these sorts of adventures with me.

I have a few more adventures to report on, but next weekend is the Single Speed Championship up in Stowe and I gotta get out and train!