It has been ages, it seems, since I last took the time, and had the ability to make a meaningful addition to my beloved trailrunning blog. The answer, I am afraid, is rather simple; I suffered a back injury shortly after my last post two and a half years ago which worsened with time, leading to several compression fractures in my spine and partial paralysis in my right leg. Ouch! Nonetheless, I have been undertaking extensive physical therapy and other non-surgical measures, and have gotten to the point where I can walk short distances unsupported! However, my strength has not recovered to the point where I can run, let alone walk unsupported on trails. About a year ago, I found a partial solution to my current situation – get a walker, sturdy enough to support me on a certain degree of inconsistent footing, and resume my love of trails (more manicured and shorter distances, or course). Thus, I present to you my four wheeled Ferrari!

I have been building up my strength to the point where I can cover close to two miles at a time, and this seemed like a great time to revisit one of my favorite shorter walks in the area, the Robert Frost Trail in Ripton. Back in 2020, I noticed some work being done on the trail, and learned that the objective of this was to render the trail handicapped accessible. I thought this was a wonderful idea, but had no premonition that these trail improvements would be relevant to me in the not-too-distant future. In addition to the improvements on the original trail, a new trail was created connecting the Robert Frost picnic area to the original trail. I was curious what I would see on this new short section of trail, so I began my roll at the picnic area. Finally, before beginning this new chapter in my trail life, I donned a T-shirt, received as a gift from my family, which perfectly sums up my current situation.

Setting off from the parking lot, and walking through the clearing, I came to a sign, indicating that this was the former site of the Calvin Pier Tavern, which provided to travelers during the 19th century. While there are no walls remaining from this tavern, there is an obvious cellar hole by the sign, and a much larger cellar hole in the background. I looked around to see if there were any apple trees nearby, another sign of past human presence, but didn’t notice any.

This historic marker is the third former tavern in Ripton that I have learned of since I began authoring this blog. Most local readers are familiar with the Chipman Inn, situated more or less across the street from the Ripton General Store. For most of recent memory, it has been a quiet country inn, although some past owners tried to serve food and drink to the public for a few seasons, a few years ago. According to a Ripton historian Charles Billings (letter to the editor in the Addison Independent, 9/23/21) Daniel Chipman, the original owner of the building now called The Chipman Inn, was also a prominent figure in the construction of the current Rt 125, along the river leading into contemporary Ripton. His interest in this road construction was apparently not entirely altruistic, as he also hoped to buy up all the land where this road guided travelers. Prior to this construction, the main route up the mountain was the Old Town Road, which currently exists, although its western segment is currently closed to vehicular traffic. The other Ripton tavern, no longer in existance was the rough and rowdy roadhouse called “The Wagon Wheel” which existed for a few years in the 1950s at the end of (surprise surprise) Wagon Wheel road. I have linked the name of this tavern to another one of my blog posts where I recounted the little bit I know about its history. As far as I know now, however, the only place where one can get a beer served on this side of Middlebury Gap is the Middlebury College Snowbowl, which strictly speaking, in in Hancock not Ripton!

Continuing, and crossing over Rt 125, I connected with the original short loop adjacent to the Robert Frost Trail parking lot. The handicap accessibility here was the most thorough, with almost all of this section, including the bridge over the South Branch of the Middlebury River constructed as a raised wooden walkway. I suspect that this makes this segment of the trail accessible to those whose accessibility issues are more challenging than mine.

After crossing the bridge, the trail gets a little bit more challenging, but is for the most part well graded and covered with finely crushed stone, with a few short climb and descents, which proved manageable, although one small descent in the “back meadow” loop was complicated by a washout that I managed to maneuver through. In addition to the stream, meadows, and forest, the numerous Robert Frost poem posted along the path are what sets this trail apart. All of them are placed such that one could envision Frost being inspired by that specific location for the poem. Who knows, maybe he was walking there years ago?

My Frost poem which always “spoke” to me most strongly is the following, which always inspired my trailrunning explorations in the past is posted below.

While finding the road less traveled is no longer feasible, taking the time to enjoy, and maybe notice new things, is often possible. For example, I have always loved the meadows filled with goldenrod that are so common in the late summer. Taking a breather, sitting down in the seat of my Ferrari, I got to see these common, but lovely wildflowers from a slightly different angle than I have noticed when running past. Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod is not an allergen for most people, often confused with its much more sneeze-inducing late summer cousin, ragweed.

After completing the larger, outer meadow loop, I retraced my steps back to my vehicle, having completed my first trail excursion in far too long! The full distance, according to my long ignored Garmin watch was 1.4 miles – I’ll take it! Does anybody know of other places in Addison County where I might find a suitable place to explore on my walker, with the caveat that I can usually go a mile or two at a time. Some of the less travel Forest Service roads come to mind, and I know of some good places in Chittenden County, but I am always open to new suggestions.