Roberts Farm & Shepard's Farm Mountain Biking 11/5/2026

With the new mountain bike trail which recently opened at Roberts Farm Preserve, Norway is starting to become a bit of a destination for flow trails! The 1.6 mile long Walker Trail, formerly a basic hiking trail, has been rebuilt into a fun mountain bike loop! New reroutes, berms, rock work, bridges, and earthwork now make for a fast and flowy around the loop in either direction. There are very few technical bits, and the trail is a mix of hand-built and machine-built sections. A short detour to the viewpoint on the Libby Trail is also very worthwhile. The trail had been recently leaf-blown when we rode it, making for perfect riding conditions.

Trailforks Ridelog 

Trailhead at Roberts Farm

Walker Trail

Libby Trail viewpoint

After a ride at Roberts Farm, we went down the road to Shepard's Farm Preserve for a second ride. If I weren't riding with Sampson, it would be easy enough to ride between the two trail systems. With the exception of some short singletrack near the trailhead, the trails at Shepard's Farm are machine built flow trails with lots of short ups and downs, which are quite fun. Of course, the highlight of a ride there is the 1/3 mile long boardwalk through Witt Swamp.

Trailforks Ridelog

Witt Swamp

Boardwalk through Witt Swamp

Witt's End Trail

Varnum Pond Paddling 11/3/2026

This afternoon, we took advantage of the unusually warm weather to go for what will likely be our last paddle of the year. Varnum Pond is a beautiful pond in Wilton and Temple with a lightly developed shoreline. We put-in at the boat launch on the east side of the pond and circumnavigated it counterclockwise, stopping for a break at the dam. The pond is very quiet this time of year, and we enjoyed being the only boat on the water.

Mont Écho, Quebec 10/29/2026

During a short trip to Quebec this week, we spent a day hiking Mont Écho in Sutton. The trails on Mont Echo are part of the Les Sentiers de L'Estrie network, and we started our hike from the Chemin de la Falaise Trailhead. At the trailhead, we paid the $9 day use fee and started down the trail. After traversing lowlands for a bit, the trail began to gradually climb the northwest slope of the mountain, passing a narrow and deep gorge along the way. The trail was extremely well constructed with sturdy bridges, switchbacks, and excellent drainage the entire way.

Bridge near the start of the trail

A small gorge next to the trail

Upon reaching a trail junction in the saddle between Mont Écho and Mont Singer, we turned left towards Mount Singer to do a short out-and-back section of trail to Passe du Diable (Devil's Pass) and L'Etang des Mallards (Mallard Pond). Devil's Pass is a rugged gap in the mountains with steep rocky sides, and lots of fallen boulders. Just beyond the Pass, Mallard Pond is a tiny pond with steep slopes and cliffs surrounding it on almost every side. These two spots were very rugged and beautiful, and they were well worth the side trip.

Devil's Pass

Mallard Pond

A large boulder along the trail

After the short detour, we continued up Mont Écho. The trail remained mostly at easy grades with a few short moderate sections. It wound its way up the mountain along a rather circuitous route, and we were treated to glimpses of the tall cliff face above us, to which the trail would eventually lead. We turned right at a trail junction near the summit, and soon reached the top of the mountain. Here there was a clearing with the remains of an old chairlift from the ski area which used to operate on the mountain, along with a view towards Mont Brome. Just beyond the clearing were the remains of a second chairlift, which we passed on our way to the end of the trail at an impressive cliff-top viewpoint. This viewpoint offered excellent views to the south, east, and north. Besides many peaks in Quebec which were visible, a large portion of the northern Green Mountains in Vermont could also be seen.

The summit

Remains of one of the two old ski lifts near the summit

The clifftop viewpoint

View east

View south towards Vermont

We enjoyed the beautiful view as we ate lunch, and then headed back down the way we came up. After returning to the bottom of the mountain, we continued past the trailhead a short distance to beautiful waterfalls and a deep gorge with 3 observation decks. Unsurprisingly, Mont Écho turned out to be another excellent Quebec hike, and I hope to come back to explore more of the mountains in the Sutton region!

The first waterfall along the short section of trail to the west of the trailhead

Cascades in the gorge at the end of the trail

AllTrails Activity

Berry Ledge 10/27/2026

We didn't have very much time today, so we decided to go for an easy hike up Berry Ledge in West Paris. Starting from behind Agnes Gray Elementary School, we followed the yellow-blazed trail up the ledge. As with my last visit in 2024, the trail doesn't seem to see much use or regular maintenance, but is still relatively clear and easy enough to follow. It provides a gradual approach to the summit, winding its way around to avoid the steepest slopes and ledges.

Start of the trail behind Agnes Gray Elementary School

An old bridge on the trail

Looking up at the ledges above the trail

After passing through the more recently logged area near the summit, we reached the viewpoint on top of the ledge. We enjoyed the sun at the viewpoint for a bit, before making our way back down along the same way that we went up. It was a great short hike on a beautiful fall day!

View south from the top

View southwest

Sampson at the viewpoint

AllTrails Activity