I am planning on going to Island Pond this weekend - 2/8 - 2/10 - for the first time. Can anyone suggest a place to stay, if there is any nightlife worth checking out, and which trails to ride for scenery, stops for lunch, gas stops, what to AVOID, etc??

Also, is there a local trail map available that can be gotten up there? Any recommendations and info would be appreciated - thanks!!

http://www.thelakefrontinn.com/

nightlife in teddy town lol
watch out for teddy he is everything everyone states !




or you can stay in barton(pinecrest cabins)...they rock, and they are private and cheap-clean!

i suggest leaving island pond and ride east toward cannan-bloomfield-east haven etc. less traffic and these areas usually hold more snow with less idiots. ....nice riding
or you can always go south on 114 into newark ,barton -glover-wheelock-sheffield,...nice riding as well....and depending on snow conditions even more southwest to danville(24 hour fuel) . imo island pond is pretty lame actually,...its just a hub for sledders, and a hot spot for fishcops due to an over abundance of drunken idiots. there are far better places to stay and ride in my opinion. or head west a tad into n. troy and montgomery areas around jay peak, it has some traffic, but triple the snowfall usually.


get the waterproof map,..many stores usually have em for 6-7 bucks.. they last and show all of the feeder trails and updated logging roads.

get your parts and such before ya go, because northeast fag (ne agriculture-skidoo and cat dealer)) they are mostly useless unless you drive a cat...seems the only stuff they stock up on


enjoy the nek

Hollywood - thanks for the info, this is exactly what I was looking for. I have heard of Teddy and frankly I'm not looking for that kind of attention.

My buddy is pushing for IP, but I was looking south or east on the map and thinking it would be better. I'm looking for some decent snow and long runs, I'd like to put a 100 miles or more on the sled each day.

I don't have a map handy, is Barton to the west - toward Jay Peak? What do you think of the Jay Peak area? And the Pinecrest Cabins look cool - thanks for the suggestion!

no problem, barton is a little south of ip,.....plenty of fuel and such ,and just minutes from ip and newark,danville etc. although jay peak is nice, its not always packed with traffic but it can get busy.
it has a good variety of riding...but some places to stay and eat can be pricey due to the mountain access. honestly anywhere north of lyndonville(lynne-burke motel) is good. west burke is just south of newark and is fun to ride, and gas is kinda sparse that way... so take note(shellys/coles) for food/fuel on rt5. but from west burke you can jam to east burke, refuel and head to east haven mtn(radar base) and jet up to canaanbloomfield-maidstone, ....which is always nice riding as well, and never any traffic. ive been riding the nek for many years and as long as you stay out of the hot spots....youll never see a house or a fishcop.

just study the map for fuel...and maybe even call first to make sure they have 24 hour fuel....sometimes they change it without updating the maps. (worst case) even if you stay in lyndonville(food /fuel is everywhere), and ....the good riding (newark/granby/east-west burke-east haven-barton) is easily accessible from your door within an hour or so. enjoy.

ps, like i said i dont see what the attraction is at ip, there is a hotel, a pizza place, gas and teddy..... thats it! honestly there isnt anything else up in the newport -derby area...far better riding elsewhere.

you could stay in lyndoville and ride from the hotel there also.

Hi:

I have a place in Guildhall (approx 30 miles away). Not sure where to stay but there are plenty of hotels/motels in surrounding towns.

One thing though: DO NOT SPEED, DO NOT ROLL THROUGH STOP SIGNS, etc.

The local cop/sheriff is 'Teddy' - He's legendary - Just ask around. He waits patiently for folks
to roll through stop signs, etc. and will give you a ticket for ANYTHING. He's even stopped a
friend of mine (Who owns property in IP) a ticket for having a campground tag hanging
from his mirror (Obstructing view or some crap). I've never been stopped but pass on the warning as much as I can. I passed it own to a couple I know and even with that warning they got a ticket the next day for a rolling stop.

Anyway, enjoy your stay. Just about any direction you head is pretty decent. If you head NorthWest toward Orleans county there are a bunch of 'farm' trails where you can fly.

Also, if you see a sign telling you to not cross the RR tracks when there is a train there, don't - The fine is huge.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/a..._or_be_stopped/

Thanks for the tips and info, much appreciated! Based on the recent amount of snow, we may end up south a little, like the Groton area this weekend instead. IP is a long haul from CT and cutting the drive an hour or more may be a good idea this time since we now can't leave until Sat morning.

We will be coming up for several days toward the end of this month, so I will use your suggestions and tips then! I'd like to find one of them 'farm' trails!!