Hyde Park to Canadian Border- Day 5

It was cool this morning as I set out from Hyde Park riding north to the Canadian border. The hellish dog days of August were here-hazy, hot, and humid, but the sun had not yet burned off the morning humidity, which was dense enough to be a visible mist, and it was like riding inside a giant evaporative cooler. It was easy to feel in the coolness the nearness to Canada. Did the snow on the Canadian side come right down to the border itself? I fancied that, and while my mind tried to dismiss the possibility, my body insisted it was true and I was eager to get there and see.

The roads were dirt, but broad and smooth and speeds were what they would have been on tar. Here they wound through a kind of country suburbia-not open farmland, but not close packed developments either. Hyde Park is suburbia to Stowe and marks not only the transition to more rural but also the transition from mountainous to hilly. The landscape of northern Vermont favors large farms. The valleys are much broader than in the rest of the state and the hills are smaller. The result is relatively flat land-good for pastures or crops. Plenty of sun, with nothing to block it and judging by the green everywhere, plenty of rain as well. The views here stretch on towards the limit of one's eyesight. This is rare in the lower two thirds of the state. Now having been there, it is easy for me to see why the Northeast of Vermont is regarded as a separate region, known as the 'northeast kingdom'.

After a section of the narrowest trail of the day, which was overgrown with grass and weeds to the point where I was wondering if I was still on it or just riding through a field that badly needed mowing, it emerged onto a new home construction site.
Since there was a convenient porta-potty right on the trailside, why not? How thoughtful! Here the trail turned into a dirt road and a stone throw away, surprise, the town common.


This is one of the great joys of trail riding. One minute you are on a woods trail, the next you pop out into the everyday world. Like being teleported between separate worlds. Having appeared out of nowhere, you have avoided all traffic and congestion, enjoyed the scenery every foot of the way, and been able to travel at your own pace, without another vehicle in sight.

Not just any town common, but the extraordinary common of Craftsbury Common.Crafts people and farmers were gathered there for the Farmers market held every saturday during the summer. See more about this quaint village at http://www.townofcraftsbury.com/

On the other side of the common, there is a really nice view.The route descended the hill into the large valley below and went from farm to farm for quite a distance.

One farm in particular had a terrific collection of old farm machinery quietly rusting away. What a goldmine for an antique tractor and stationary engine collector/restorer such as I hope to be someday.

In South Newport, the planned route was blocked by a gate even though it showed as a public way on the map. Again I had to improvise, and the area was confusing to say the least. The map showed alternate routes, but but for the first three, when I got there, no road or even visible trail. Eventually, thank God, I met a ATV rider who was familiar with the area and had his own map. It took us 5 or 10 minutes to figure out a good way for me to get back on route. After thanking him, and wishing him a good day, I was off and in a few minutes back on track.






A couple of covered bridges later (one had a family swimming under it, but I was too shy to ask them if it was OK to take their picture)

I met my wife in North Troy where we drove together to the Canadian border.





It was great to reach this point even if it was out of order. There would be several months and several days more riding before the pure water ride was complete.

Update from D.R. Mission

Mission to Haitians in the Dominican Republic
Annual Report 2009

Five adults and two teenagers traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with our Haitian brothers and sisters in San Pedro de Macoris.

Food and clothing distribution at the Bateys (the “villages” at the sugar cane plantations)

We distributed 4,250 pounds of rice; 809 pounds of beans; 1,280 pounds of corn meal; 1,040 1-pint bottles of cooking oil; 100’s of pieces of candy; about 1,000 peanut butter sandwiches and cups of cool-aid to children; about 200 or 300 articles of clothing, and about 150 pairs of sandals. This is about a 50% increase over last year. The rice, beans, corn meal, and oil went to about 1,180 different families – almost twice as many as last year. Last year we were not able to distribute all of the food that we had brought to some of the Bateys because the crowd got out of control. This year (thanks to your prayers and God’s intervention) that did not happen. In most cases we were able to leave about 30 extra sacks of food with the local church leaders for people who were unable to come.

In most of the Bateys, the pastor of the church in San Pedro de Macoris asked who were Christians and who were not. In every case people seemed pretty clear on which camp they were in. In two Bateys we were able to pray with children who expressed an interest in becoming Christians. All received food regardless of their faith.

Relationships with our brothers and sisters in San Pedro de Macoris

Our relationships with Pastor Berlus Sainril and his family and with those who worked along side of us (about 15 or 20 people, young and old) continue to develop. There were tears on both sides as we departed. Yolanda, the pastor’s wife, sent us an email after a few days, telling us how much she missed us already. We spent a lot of time with people there, working, playing and worshipping together. This year it seems to be especially important to them to know that we cared about them enough to come and help them even though we live so far away. Knowing that so many people from so far away were contributing and praying for them was very special to them.

We were able to make visits to three different church families in their homes. One was a young family with 5 children that is hoping to some day get a house of their own. They currently live in a rented home that barely would qualify as a shack to most of us. The father works as a security guard and makes a few dollars a day. We also visited an elderly couple who have no income and were suffering from malnutrition. We were able to fill some prescriptions for the wife and to give them extra food and a small amount of cash. Our third visit was with a woman and her children who were better off, and clearly able at least to feed themselves. The woman was very fervent and spoke with us about the spiritual battles that she faces daily. Our visits help us to connect with them in a more personal way and to pray with them. We hope to continue to visit new people each year.

There is a two-hour worship service almost every evening at the church, and we were blessed to participate most of the evenings that we were there. Their worship is inspiring, moving, and joyful, even though we understood very little. Near the end of our visit one of the young people noticed that we didn’t usually sing while we worked and asked why we didn’t sing more and if we ever danced in church. They seemed sad for us that we did not. On the last evening of our visit they started a “conga line” and got us to join them. We were also able to distribute food to the members of the San Pedro de Macoris church. Even though most are not as destitute as the people in the Bateys, many of them often go hungry. We also had a suitcase full of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant that we gave away to some very happy people.

Business opportunities in San Pedro de Macoris

Last year we purchased sewing machines and loaned start-up money to three women who now do business with a clothing manufacturer to sew t-shirts. They sub-contract the silk-screening and embroidering. They have been repaying the loans, and with the additional money we were able to loan, there is now enough money to loan to two or three more women to start their own businesses. These women will take the bus in to Santo Domingo, buy miscellaneous articles, and bring them back home to sell in their neighborhoods. Since people have no transportation, this is a valuable service to the neighborhood as well as a source of income for the women.

Last year we provided power tools to a carpenter who had been renting tools. Because of lack of capital and lack of a place to work he remains unable to do much work. He has now found someone who has a shop but needed tools, so he is sharing his tools with his friend. We loaned him some start-up money to buy wood and materials to get his business going.

In the future we will be looking for more different kinds of business opportunities for more people, including the possibility of establishing a small water purification plant. The government has recently enacted new, stricter regulations about water quality and within the next six months many of the current water purification units will have to go out of business. This will create a greater need for clean water as well as a tremendous opportunity for the church to build a small purification plant and provide clean water for many people. As water is purified, people will be able to transport tanks of clean water to their own neighborhoods and distribute it there for a small profit. The pastor has been in contact with an engineer. The estimated cost is about $18,000. We would like to see if we can start raising money for this purpose.

Education in San Pedro de Macoris

We delivered about 300 notebooks and seemingly countless numbers of pencils and other school supplies for the school. Notebooks especially are very expensive there. We also helped provide materials, small prizes, peanut butter sandwiches, and ice cream for a children’s program in the school (complete with clowns). The young people on our trip were able to participate in this program.

We met briefly with the principal of the school. She was exited to receive the materials we had brought. When we asked how else we could help, she explained that they have two major needs. One is for subsidies for textbooks. They use government mandated textbooks (really more like workbooks), that the children have to purchase. Since only a few are able to purchase their textbooks, teachers have to try to manage a class in which only a few of the students can actually follow along and do the assigned work. She asked us to consider providing subsidies to reduce the cost of the text books (average about $15). She also explained that the school is in need of computers. The government forced them to stop offering eighth grade because they lack a computer lab. In order to starting teaching 8th grade again, they need to have 20 computers. We were able to donate one laptop computer, which they can make good use of, but they need more. We are currently trying to obtain good quality, used computers that we can ship to them. Anyone who has a used computer in good, working order (80 gig hard drive and 1 gig memory minimum) or a new computer can contribute it by speaking with one of the team members listed below.

One opportunity we were not able to do anything about was scholarships for university education. Several of the high school graduates want to go on to the local university, but they cannot afford the tuition of about $500 per semester. Some day we would like to establish a scholarship program for these young people. The church in San Pedro de Macoris has already helped out a few of their students. So far all of the students that have graduated from college have remained in the community to serve. For example, the current principal of the school is the first from the church to have graduated from college.

Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and donations. All of your efforts were appreciated in ways you may not be able to imagine. For pictures of the trip, click on
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=nwk6qow.5xkb6mro&x=1&y=-sljtk8&localeid=en_US

We would like to start networking with others in the Boston area who are already involved in ministries to Haitians in the Dominican Republic. If anyone is interested in being involved in any aspect of this ministry, please talk with any member of the team.

Middlesex to Hyde Park - Day 4

Hidden between steep wooded hills on either side, the pond at the top of Middlesex Notch is a pretty spot. High above it, someone had built a castle-like mountain retreat with a gorgeous panoramic view. But from where I was standing at the southeast end of the lake, I could only see that it was the end of the road. There was no room for a road or even a path around the lake, so steeply did the hills come down to the shore, yet not long ago there was. It was clearly shown on the maps that I used to plan the route. Apparently the Middlesex town highway department had failed to reach an agreement with the local beaver colony limiting the height of the dams they could construct.


My wife Margaret, was accompaning me for this weekend and had dropped me and the bike off only 10 minutes earlier, at a commuter park and ride lot just off exit 10 on Interstate 89. But roads crossing the Worcester mountain range are few and far between. The closest choice was not very appealing. Turn around and go back the five miles to the start of the day's ride, and follow paved roads five or six miles to the next exit on rt 89. Usually I hate to turn back and retrace my steps and to make it worse, I would be riding paved roads along the same route that Margaret had just taken minutes earlier after dropping me and the bike off. It would have been much better to go on with her in the truck for one more exit.



Eventually picking up the route on the other side of the Worcester mountain range, I followed dirt roads along the west flank of the mountains into Stowe.

The route went through the center of Stowe-the most upscale town in Vermont. This mecca for all the finest, trendiest, and most expensive rivals any in all of New England. Me with my mud-splattered Walmart jeans and antique Honda dirt bike-so called because it looks as if it that's what it's made of - clunking and rattling along main street among the shiny and sleek Mercedes, Lexuses and BMWs parading from bistro to boutique. Maybe Stowe's most famous residents, the von Trapp family, were in town that afternoon. I'll know for sure if in a year or so the sequel to "The Sound of Music", ie "The Sound of Music-Extreme Version" comes out with Maria and the kids frolicking in mountain meadows doing double flips and flying supermans ala Travis Pastrana on their dirt bikes-wireless helmet mics allowing them to sing all the while. This would extend the appeal of the Trapp family to a whole new generation and insure a steady stream of visitors to the family's Lodge for decades to come. All thanks to me. I've always been something of a trendsetter, especially in fashion (just ask my kids). Like Al Gore, who invented the internet, I (and a few friends) invented mountain biking while riding our fat-tire coaster-brake American Flyers down the foot trails of the Moose Hill Audubon Sanctuary, years before anyone else had ever thought of it. And now, guests at the Trapp Family Lodge rent them on the grounds, so there you have just one example of my almost unbelieveable impact on the Trapps.




My wife and I visited the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe on our way home. We saw the lodge and even took a picture or two, as much to prove that we were there as anything. The Lodge itself is nice, but not terribly impressive. The grounds, however, and especially the view, are oustanding and worth a visit. We had a wonderful time walking through the gardens


and admiring the views even though the air was hot and hazy. On a clear day, you could see forever.

I had liked the Sound of Music film, but after our visit I was moved to read the book, which is really much better than the film, less musical, of course, but I highly recommend it. It's true and real, not the shallow sacherine Hollywood fluff of the movie. And I read that the Trapps bought the property for the view-good call on their part. Apparently they had a smidgeon of good taste even before my influence.



On the other side of Stowe, I rode into a scenic hidden valley that few people will ever see as the road degenerated into a mere trail which was almost obliterated by grass and weeds, but which, as so often happens, opened up after awhile into a nice dirt road. However, no car would have ever made it through.

















A few more miles and then the 'Fitch Hill Inn' sign kindly welcomed us for the next couple of nights. This classy bed and breakfast is run by a thoughtful couple who continously amazed us with their attention to every detail. We had a very nice stay.

Water Crisis Facts

Here in New England we take pure, clean drinking water for granted-it's readily available whenever we want it. However, many people throughout the world have only limited access to clean, healthy water.

* More than 1.1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water. That is roughly one-sixth of the world's population.

* Every day 6,000 children die from water related disease due to lack of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. This is one child dying every 15 seconds.

* At any one time, it is estimated that half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from waterborne diseases.

These facts were collected by Water Mission International, www.watermissions.org. Check out their website for more