Recap: 5th Annual Fall Classic Leaf Blower

Words: Evan Chismark / @g11rant87
Photos: Grant Wieler
Video: Jake Goss

Like the proverbial kid on Christmas morning, I was up long before my alarm. “Best day of the year” I whispered excitedly to my still-snoozing wife. She whispered something back that I told myself was incomprehensible but was more likely a thinly veiled, expletive-laden threat to make her some coffee. This hallowed day, the 2015 Stowe Mountain Bike Club Fall Classic Leaf Blower (that's a mouthful, no?) marked the fifth incarnation of an event that's grown in size and diversity over the past half decade. Group rides for literally all ages and abilities? Check. Clinics led by certified mountain bike instructors? Check. A cast of international characters varying from high posting leg shavers to fat bikers and enduro dudes and dudettes? Check. Epic BBQ replete with local brews, bonfires, and silly bike games? Check. The Leaf Blower is an opportunity for friends both new and old to welcome the changing seasons, ride until our legs are rubber, and never fails to disappoint. As our perennial luck would have it, the weather is always perfect too. So yeah, like I said, best day of the year.

No stranger to organizing massive bike parties, Pat leads the charge...

Dawn broke slightly overcast with temperatures hovering in the mid-30's; not ideal for an end of season group ride bike party and cookout, but hey, we're Vermonters, we'll live. But once again, as our dumb luck would have it, the clouds parted, the temperatures crept up and, and by the time the first of a roughly a dozen group rides hit the trail, it's was already close to 60. Sidebar: as I sit here writing this only a week after the event, it's 25 degrees and snowing. Just sayin'.

Riders registered to join one of many group ride options, from hard chargers (25 miles + miles of singletrack bliss) to beginner clinics.

This year I threw my hat in the ring to be a group ride leader. The Leaf Blower attracts not only the Stowe Community, it also brings in MTB heavies from around New England and beyond. Not to mention that our humble little state of Vermont has been churning out some pretty high-grade MTB talent in the past few years, I'll admit I was a little nervous about leading one of the “hard charger” rides. In the week leading up to the Leaf Blower, I made it a point to save my legs, determined to log some heavy miles on the big day and ensure that my group got their money's worth.

Jay led the "Hard Chargers Without an Ego" group through trails of every variety from Stowe Village through Trapp Family Lodge and back.

After climbing for nearly an hour groups congregate at the Cabin to share some whiskey and laughs...Nothing but downhill from here!

What ensued was hands down one of the best, most terrestrially diverse rides I've ever done. Throughout the day, peaking fall foliage bathed the trails in a surreal golden light that seemed almost man made. Our small “hard charger” crew, giddy throughout the entire tour de Stowe, had a chance to sample a bit of everything from buffed out bermy trails, to old school New England tech. The highlight for many of us was an impromptu meet up of no less than fifty riders at the iconic Trapp's Cabin. This confluence of groups was not planned but afforded riders, spouses, etc. a chance to catch up with their counterparts in other groups. After a few minutes of revelry, some high-calorie snacks, and a few high fives, the groups re-formed and headed on their merry ways.

Water stop at the Trapp Family Lodge.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (aka Town and Country Resort, located a chip shot from the Cady Hill Forest trail head as it were), several hundred of our closest MTB friends were embarking on their own personal Leaf Blower adventures. The middle school kids (wise beyond their years, methinks) set up a sweet shuttle ride from Adams Camp all the way back to town.

This year, the "Middle School Rippers" had their own group and decided to skip the climbs and organize a shuttle directly to the goods. Smart kids.

My wife led the charge on the Rec Path Rampage—cruising paved trails with the chitlins and those not yet ready to dip their toes in the single track waters. Many chose to wait until noon for a clinic led by an IMBA certified instructor before taking to the trails. Ultimately, there were over a dozen group rides that spanned literally every ability level and covered just about every inch of single track Stowe has to offer.

Riders weave through the woods.

It's not over till the fat lady sings...Pat and crew still getting after it as their ride hits hour five.

At final count, our little hard charger group logged close to 30 miles of singletrack in what turned out to be a Thunder Dome-esque war of attrition—ten started, five finished. I'll contend, though, that every one of those ten riders had a blast and was afforded the opportunity to push it as hard as they saw fit for as long as they saw fit. The beauty of this ride is that we were never far from a bailout, so if the legs failed, the barn was always relatively close by (as were beer and a huge BBQ).

Meanwhile...
The rest of the participants had hung up their bike shoes and dug into the feast provided by our gracious host Town and Country Resort.

Anyway, when we finally rolled back into town nearly six hours later (fashionably late for dinner I suppose), a feast of epic proportions awaited us, as did some of Vermont's finest micro brews. I'll admit, I was running on fumes when pulled in and I stuffed about 10,000 calories down my neck over the course of the next few hours. The food was, of course, stellar, but so too were the hand made desserts supplied by so many amazing volunteers. The evening was capped off with a raffle and the requisite bonfires and trail tales.

As the sun went down, people began to migrate towards the warmth of the firepit, where the party continued well into the night.

Ultimately, this event is about community. Sure, the riding is great and the food is amazing, but the Leaf Blower is a chance for all of us to get together and celebrate the people—whether residents or visitors—that make this town so unique. So if that doesn't convince you that the Leaf Blower is the #bestdayoftheyear, I'm not sure what can. Keep an eye on the Stowe Mountain Bike Club's website next fall for details...

The Stowe Mountain Bike Club Leaf Blower Classic wouldn't be possible without the support of the volunteers and community who pull together year after year to make this event possible.
Thank you to all of our volunteers, ride leaders, donors, sponsors and of course, the riders…see you next year!!!