New York - Montreal Trekkers Enter Vermont

We woke up extra early so that we could catch the 8 o'clock ferry that would take us across Lake George to Baldwin. We got our bikes packed up and decided we would enjoy the breakfast buffet that the ferry offered rather than cooking breakfast. This turned out to be a huge disappointment, but it was indeed food. The ride to the other end of Lake George ended up taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes, which allowed some of us to take a nap. We got off the ferry, on to our bikes and headed towards Vermont! The ride was very nice through rolling hills. We stopped at a gas station with 24 different flavors of soft serve ice cream and got some snacks before continuing on with our trek. We rode as fast as possible as there was a rain cloud closing in on us. However, Mother Nature proved to be the victor. The rain caught up to us and we got a nice shower as we rode. Surprisingly the sun was shining on us the whole time it rained, which was rather refreshing. We finally reached the bridge to Vermont and that marked our "almost there" point on our journey that day. We rode through the scenic farmland of Vermont and found a small county market, where we got supplies for dinner and breakfast, then we continued on to Button Bay Park. A few of us went swimming while others relaxed in the shade and began to prepare dinner for the night. We started a fire and enjoyed conversation and the sounds of nature as we prepared ourselves for bed and another day of biking that would bring us further into Vermont and closer to our ultimate destination, Montreal.

New York - Montreal Trek Bikes the Island Line Trail

Our second New York - Montreal Trek had a beautiful day to ride around Burlington and Lake Champlain.  They had breakfast together, then hit the Island Line Trail, which runs around and over Lake Champlain, reaching a series of islands in the middle of the lake.

In the afternoon, they biked to Plattsburgh, NY, for their last night camping out in the US before gearing up to enter Canada.

New York - Montreal Trek Reaches Burlington

Vermont's rolling green hills brought the New York - Montreal Trekkers to Burlington, and so to the original Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, and so to the Vermonster.  That's an ice cream sundae made with 30 scoops of ice cream and a certifiably insane amount of toppings, and served in a gallon bucket.  The kids "demolished it in about 5 minutes," according to the trip leaders.

We call that a job well done.

They took in downtown Burlington, then set up at their campsite for the night and made dinner -- Asian chicken wraps with peanut sauce, which everyone loved.

They have just a couple days left before they bike into Quebec and head for Montreal!

New York - Montreal Trek Cruises Into Vermont

On a cloudy, breezy, but rain-free day, our second New York - Montreal Trek opted to take a ferry across Lake Champlain to get to Vermont, very much enjoying the views along the waterway.  On the way to their campsite, they discovered a farm with a roadside store, where they had a snack of cider, apples, and -- because you can't be completely healthy all the time! -- homemade donuts.

They set up camp at Button Bay State Park and met another group of traveling teens.  The two groups spent the afternoon playing football and volleyball, and then our Trekkers had a tasty dinner of "potsagna," lasagna made, as the name suggests, in a big pot and cooked over a camp stove.

They're now headed to hip, friendly Burlington.

New York - Montreal Trek Visits Burlington, VT

In Burlington, the New York - Montreal group had a chance to do laundry and ride around the (very charming and very cool) city.  Then they biked the Island Line trail, which extends out from the mainland into the middle of Lake Champlain, bringing them to a series of islands in the middle of the lake.

They're camping next at Grand Island State Park, and then heading to Canada!

New York - Montreal Trek Reaches Burlington

The New York - Montreal Trekkers biked along the peaceful shore of Lake Champlain, where they could see the high peaks of the Adirondacks across the lake and the Green Mountains reaching up above them on their side.  They made Burlington with time to take a long swim in the lake, and watched the World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands.

They're going to come back through the corner of NY state before crossing into Canada, and then biking through Quebec to Montreal.

New York - Montreal Trek Enters Vermont

 

Closing out the main part of their time in NY state, the New York - Montreal Trekkers took the Lake George Discovery Cruise in the morning, touring the full length of Lake George on a century-old steamboat while learning about the region's geology, ecology, and Native American history.  They had lunch in Ticonderoga and biked up to Crown Point, where they dodged the day's heat by getting some soft-serve ice cream.

Back on their bikes, the Trekkers rode the Champlain Bridge across Lake Champlain, entering Vermont, and headed to their campsite at Button Bay, where they camped out under a lean-to so they could stay (mostly) dry during a thunderstorm.  Next, they'll visit friendly Burlington, VT!

Bike from New York City to Montreal with Teen Treks

Spend an amazing 16 days this summer traveling through the U.S. and Canada with Teen Treks!  Join a great group of high schoolers on our popular New York City – Montreal bike trek for some of the best cycling and most fun stops on the continent.

Head out from NYC early in the morning, following the Hudson River.

Enjoy the gorgeous countryside of upstate New York and go through smaller towns and Albany, the state capitol.

Stop off for the beach and water fun at Lake George.

Dig into Ben & Jerry’s famous (and enormous) Vermonster, a 20-scoop sundae served in, yes, pretty much a giant bucket. 

Come back up through NY state to head into Quebec, Canada. 

Spend 3 days exploring Montreal, hearing Quebec French, eating poutine (Canada’s favorite junk food – fries with fresh cheese and gravy), and seeing some of the world’s most beautiful architecture.

Like all Teen Treks, this trip gives the group flexibility on the daily details of the route.  If everyone wants to bike hard to get to the lake faster so you have more time on the beach, or if everyone wants to take it easy at a park, stop to appreciate a view, or make an extra ice cream stop, you can do that.

 

This trek ends with a bus ride back to NYC, where you’ll spend a day in Manhattan before heading home.

The New York – Montreal trek features moderate biking (30-50 miles per day) and camping as well as stays in hostels and hotels.  Teenagers entering grades 9-12 can enjoy this short trip, which is packed with things to see and do.  We’re running several New York – Montreal treks this summer:

• June 23 - July 8 (trip code JN-23)
• June 30 - July 15 (trip code JN-30)
• July 7 - July 22  (trip code J-7)
• July 28 - August 12 (trip code J-28)
• August 4 - August 19 (trip code A-4)

Visit TeenTreks.com to apply to bike New York City – Montreal with us, or sign up for one of our other super trips: Across America, Pacific Northwest, European Phantom, California Coast, New England Shore, Amsterdam-Paris, Maine Coast -- and more!

New York-Montreal's Adventures in Vermont and New York by Michael

Our New York-Montreal Trek is keeping busy on the road.  Here's what they've been up to:

Written by Michael
Tuesday began with an early ferry ride up Lake George to just south of Ticonderoga where we had an uneventful bike ride to our camp ground. There we hung out swimming in Lake Champlain and playing volleyball until dinner time,when we made a fire and had shish kabobs for dinner. Wednesday was a very slow day with many breakdowns and popped tires. One gravel road we went down caused two different tires to pop an uncountable number of times. Later, after the tubes had been patched and replaced and after we had lunch, we were desperate for water, so we pulled into The Old Lantern Inn and Barn where we met the owner, Lisa. She allowed us to fill our water bottles and then graciously offered us use of their pool. This, in combination with earlier delays put us way behind schedule to reach the minor league baseball game we had planed on attending. Realizing this, Lisa called a contact at the local transportation company who sent a school bus to pick us up at the inn and drop us off at the Lake Monsters game, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Vermont has treated us very nicely! It is full of great views and people!

Go Vermont Lake Monsters!

And from Kristen: 

The group woke up in Burlington and had breakfast on the beach. Then the group split up for the morning to swim and take care of bike mechanics. Later we boarded a ferry and crossed Lake Champlain. We are not sure if the routes are now less hilly or we have become experienced enough not to be phased by hills. We arrived in Platsburg and went to the city's beach to rent stand up paddle boards and kayaks. The group had a blast! Afterwards, we had dinner on the beach and played sand volleyball. Tomorrow we finally head into Canada! It's just two more long biking days until we arrive in Montreal!

Today the Trekkers will be crossing into Quebec.  Au revoir America!