I am writing this post ahead of time 😯 as I will be checking out tomorrow and driving back down to Connecticut. Nice feature with WordPress is I can write the post now, publish it, but set the publishing time to be some time in the future and it will update my blog at the right time while I am out. So on with the blogging…

The Lodge

It was a great trip these past few days here at the Black Bear Inn in Bolton Valley, Vermont. I had been here once before three years ago in October. Unlike the last time I was here, we had snow on the ground and the weather got a bit harsh outside. I drove through some of that a couple of days ago. I have video of the ride up the access road back to the Inn. I haven’t decided yet how I am going to do video here (YouTube or some other video service). That day you could not see the peaks for anything.

As you know I started backpacking this year and really enjoyed it. I have read plenty and in that reading found and talked to some individuals that have done some alpine backpacking. I could not imagine myself doing that, well.. at least not solo. Part of it is fearing I may get disoriented and lose the trial. The other, of course, is the cold and I got a taste of that when I took the Jeep out for a spin a couple of days ago running some errands. In the valley other than the snow falling I didn’t think it was too bad. At altitude the mountain shows how bitter it can be.

Mascot

What I love about the Inn is how it contrasts to the weather outside. Where it is harsh and unforgiving out there, inside it is warm and inviting. The staff is friendly as well as the guests that I spend time with when sitting in the lobby area which I make a point to do. You feel very much at home here. Some of that may be due to this being a small operation here. For me, for the second time in three years, this is a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of life back in Hartford. Breakfast is not something I often do when back home and I make certain I am up for every meal. They offer two choices for what you can have. The dinner menu is at the bar so you know what is available that evening and changes everyday. You can let them know at breakfast if you will be making it for dinner. I of course am considering making plans to come back sooner and not let it go for too long again.

The day after the Jeep Rally I had a fishing trip that was scheduled. That was a busy weekend for me. This would make my third time this year that I have gone. Before this year I had never gone fishing on a chartered fishing boat. I had fished with my dad plenty of times when I was growing up here, but we had fished off the jetties along the coast of Connecticut. It’s just six of us that always charter with this company, Osprey Fishing Charters. We always get our limit of fish every time we go and after we spend the rest of the time catching porgies until it is time to go back to shore. We start out around four thirty in the morning and come back in around ten a.m. This pictures are at the top of this post. Enjoy 🙂

If you don’t know it by now I’m a big fan of the Jeep. More specifically the Cherokee. My first interest with the vehicle came from my sister who once owned one. Ever since i have had it in the back of my mind to own one.

Since I am the owner of one I of course look through the web for products and peruse the forums looking for what others have done with their vehicles. In the area of Somers, CT they have a Jeep rally they do once a year. I have been looking to attend an event and hopefully partake in some of the festivities. This past September I was fortunate and got to go to one. It took me well over a month and several washes before I was able to get the mud all out from under my vehicle. I have attached the pictures I took at the rally to this post. Enjoy.