It’s officially mud season in Vermont – an incredibly fitting name for this dreary phenomenon. With bare trees and sloppy, frigid mud covering every surface imaginable, one bike ride stands as a beaming ray of joy, inviting riders to revel in this unlikely cycling paradise. That ride is the Muddy Onion hosted by Onion River Sports in Montpelier, VT.
![Over 200 riders lined up to grind 34 miles of gravel roads around Vermont's capitol of Montpelier.]()
- Over 200 riders lined up to grind 34 miles of gravel roads around Montpelier, VT. Photo credit: Bill Merrylees
Terry Graphic Designer, Erika Boyce, joined in the action for the third year in a row saying, “this is my favorite ride to kick my butt into shape”. This year, her goal was to ride all of the hills (this course happens to be one giant gravel hill with over 4500′ of elevation gain) and she succeeded!
![Erika is all smiles at the first rest stop after enjoying some pickles and chocolate dipped bacon.]()
- Erika (right) is all smiles at the first rest stop after enjoying some pickles and chocolate dipped bacon.
One often imagines the picturesque hillsides of Vermont covered in golden leaves and happy dairy cows, but even when those hillsides are brown and covered in mud, this is a pretty great place to grab your bike and embrace the joy of gravel.
![A typical April day in Vermont-- 40 degrees, no leaves and plenty of cows!]()
- A typical April day in Vermont– 40 degrees, no leaves and plenty of cows! Photo credit: Bill Merrylees
If you’d like to join us in getting muddy next year, visit www.onionriver.com/muddy-onion/ for more details!
Tailwinds,
Whitney McKiddy
Great article!