Hi there. While we still have snow on the ground, and spring skiing is going strong, there are signs that a change in seasons is around the corner. The days are getting longer, great flocks of birds are overhead and heading north, buds are beginning to appear on the trees, and our parking lot is turning into a mud bath. Soon the ice on our pond will melt, and the frogs will come back to life, entertaining us with their afternoon banjo chorus, with soprano accompaniment from the peepers in the trees. We've had a wonderful winter, but we're beginning to look forward to swimming in the pond and river, paddling around Blueberry Lake , hiking up these gorgeous hills that surround us, hopping on our bikes, and listening to live music outdoors.
But here's the real reason for this post. If riding a bicycle or enjoying an outdoor concert (or both) appeals to you, you really must consider coming here the weekend of July 29. Our friends from the Mad River Riders have come up with the ingenious idea of combining a stunning and challenging ride along the valley's gravel roads with an epic after-party featuring Zach Nugent's cover of the Grateful Dead's Cornell show (5/8/77) in its entirety (!). Grateful Gravel is a cycling event and a music festival wrapped into one, with food and beer provided by Sugarbush and Lawson's Finest Liquids.
This might be the highlight of the summer, no exaggeration. And we have some rooms available, which is already not the case for many of this summer's weekends. We hope to start training for the gravel ride as soon as the mud dries, but whether or not we do the ride we're definitely going to the show. Join us!
Gratefully yours,
Karen and Mick
