The rough spine of the Green Mountains runs north to south, creating the state's most exciting hiking and skiing terrain and sheltering acres of wilderness among the high peaks. To the west of the mountains the land settles abruptly into rolling fields and small towns. In this quieter landscape lie the two very different cities of Rutland and Middlebury. To the southwest is a long-time summer haven around Lake Bomoseen - there's plenty of open water for boating, and warm-weather visitors have added humor and zest to the community.

Because of the mountain ridge, access to this region is easiest in a north and south direction; east-west travel takes easily twice as long, as the roads strain upward and swoop back down. The highest of Vermont's mountains are around 4,000 feet in elevation. Although the main roads over the mountains are kept well plowed in winter, icy conditions require caution; on summer nights, the mountain passes are also likely to be challenging as thick fog blankets the routes.

We explore this region first from the north, as many travelers will arrive from Burlington, either at the airport there, or by car, having traveled first along Interstate 91 and then diagonally across the state on Interstate 89. Visitors arriving from Canada are also likely to come through Burlington.

So, from the Burlington area we choose to travel south on Route 7, saving the lakeshore town of Shelburne to consider in the Lake Champlain Valley region. Vergennes, its French name proclaiming Vermont's closeness to French Canada, is the first town to thoroughly investigate; Bristol's rocky cliffs are a "must"; then Middlebury and the surrounding horse country, a look at Brandon's historical riches, and on into the lively city of Rutland itself. A detour to the resort area around Lake Bomoseen is either restful or entertaining.

So reach deep for mountain-tackling energy: hunger to see new vistas, enthusiasm for brisk hikes and challenging cycling, and eagerness for the great ski and hiking slopes of Killington and Pico. From these slopes the curious traveler is likely to drive or cycle north on Route 100. Long considered Vermont's most scenic highway, it is only two lanes wide, so that the villages along it are protected from high-speed wear and tear. Slow down with the road and savor the trip from Sherburne Center through Talcville, Rochester, Hancock, and Granville, taking frequent sidetrips into the heights of the Green Mountain National Forest. Are you ready to look for peregrine falcons teaching their young

This stretch of Route 100 is also called the White River Travelway, and the Green Mountain National Forest supports activities and research along it. The ecological relationships are intricate. The route also has ancient travel history; as early as 10,000 BC it was used intermittently or seasonally by Paleo Indians, who were rugged nomadic hunters. By 5000 BC the Archaic Culture had moved in, a small group living in balance with the ecosystem and using the White River Travelway for its fish, game, and wild plant foods. When the Woodland Culture arose around 1500 BC, it brought bows and arrows, gardening, pottery, and settled villages. By 1500 AD Euro-Americans were replacing the native cultures, and the region developed agriculture, mining, timbering, and railroads; log drives changed the river bed. The Forest Service sees restoration of the White River ecosystem as one of its long-term goals.

North of Granville, Route 100 enters the Mad River Valley, a richly endowed mountain resort area supporting the ski slopes of Sugarbush, Sugarbush North, and Mad River Glen. In Warren and Waitsfield you can take flight on skis or in a glider; waterfalls, birds of prey, and white-tailed deer are waiting ahead.

Vergennes is officially the oldest of Vermont's cities, although the distinction rests on the slim differences between "town" and "city" governments in the state. It was founded in 1764, and Ethan Allen himself later named the town after the Count de Vergenne, the French minister of foreign affairs, who was strongly supporting the American Revolution. Established as a city in 1788, its population of only 2,600 makes it the smallest city in the United States. Vergennes quickly became a strategic port; being only seven miles from Lake Champlain it was an easy shelter for building a fleet of gunboats and the 734-ton, 26-gun Saratoga, critical in American defense during the War of 1812. Today the town still has an old feel to it, with all roads spilling downhill toward the port. Otter Creek is the river that's pouring toward the "sixth Great Lake" - it cascades in 40-foot falls at the base of Main Street.

Water power generated the wealth that drove the area's growth. There is now a historic district in town that includes 80 significant buildings constructed between 1825 and 1900, including the Stevens House, the Bixby Memorial Library, and the Ryan commercial block.

Find your bearings by first making the right turn from southbound Route 7 onto Route 22A. At this intersection is the Kennedy Brothers factory and mall; the woodenware manufacturing has moved into new premises, and the sturdy red brick factory is divided into small market stalls of antiques, Vermont foods, and regional crafts. Keep going along Route 22A, and just before you reach the center of town the Victorian homes begin. Look for the 1848 Stevens Mansion with its cupola and steps of local marble. As you keep going down Main Street, you'll find the Bixby Library on the right, a Greek Revival creation worth a look for the unusual interior dome made of stained glass. Route 22A is Main Street here; as it crosses the river it heads the final five miles to Basin Harbor on the shore of Lake Champlain, where the Basin Harbor Club (457-2311) is the region's most noted historic resort. It is perched among wetlands, where migratory birds rest on their travels. Button Bay State Park is nearby. Follow signs to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (475-2022), which includes a nautical archaeology center, working forge, and active boatbuilding on the lakeside. It's open from May to mid-October.

If you can resist the lure of the lake, head back through town to Route 7. Civil War and folk history buffs should slip north three miles on Route 7 to visit Rokeby House, home of the Robinson family, Quakers and abolitionists involved with the Underground Railroad. Rowland Robinson's dialect-filled stories of that era are folk classics, and Rokeby is a memorial to his writing and his family's efforts. The museum (877-3406) is open mid-May to mid-October, Thursdays through Sundays.

Now head directly down Route 7. In five miles, at New Haven Junction, you may want to take another side trip, this time to Bristol, where the Bristol Cliffs Wilderness Area is protected as part of the Green Mountain National Forest. There are cliffs to climb and ponds to explore; in the small town of Bristol itself is a good bakery, as well as several casual eateries. If you take Route 17 through the village, at the far edge of town on the right is a boulder carved with the Lord's Prayer, a good spot to stop and think. Farther up Route 17 is the noted restaurant, Mary's at Baldwin Creek (see Where To Eat, page 206).

Middlebury is eight miles down Route 7 from New Haven Junction. Before you reach town you'll pass the Dog Team Tavern turnoff on the right. You enter Middlebury by two imposing churches, and take the right turn into town to explore. This is the home of Middlebury College, at the far side of town. Shops reflect sophisticated taste, and the historic Marble District is also a shopping area. Park near the green and enjoy strolling the walkways. The green was not always a happy place. Gamaliel Painter, "Father of the Town" for his share of Middlebury's commercial development, placed stocks and a whipping post where the village green is now, adjacent to his mills. If you walk across the top of the common and up Merchant's Row you'll find Painter's own house, where the Addison County Chamber of Commerce has its office today (2 Court Street, Middlebury, VT 05753; 388-7951 or 800-SEE-VERMONT; e-mail accoc@sover.net). Pick up the self-guided walking tour leaflet for a good look at the town through the past century. Vermont's marble industry came to life here, as did the Morgan horse, and the town was the home of John Deere, who invented the plow that made farming the Great Plains possible. Also at 2 Court Street is the Vermont Folklife Center (388-4964, open Monday through Saturday, from late May to October 30); folk arts are exhibited here, along with videotapes, workshops, and lectures.

Near the white Congregational Church with its unusual steeple, note the monument to Emma Willard, founder of the first American college for women here from 1814 to 1819; Middlebury College itself was established in 1800. Another monument, across the green, commemorates Civil War veterans.

Walk downhill along Main Street and get a good look at the falls of Otter Creek as you cross it. Just beyond the bridge a right turn leads down into Frog Hollow, where the Vermont State Crafts Center displays the work of juried Vermont artists and crafters. There is also a stone mill further down the road, now housing a café and shops. If you turn up Park Street you'll find the Sheldon Museum (388-2117), which is open for guided tours late May to October; self-guided tours, a research center and gift shop are available year-round. The museum houses a permanent exhibit of a 19th-century home and its furnishings. When you finish admiring the elegance and style of the home, return to Mill Street and keep going to the pedestrian bridge that crosses to the Marble District, nine white marble buildings dating back to the turn of the century, now filled with small shops.

A second green, called Cannon Green, displays the Civil War cannon given to the town in 1910. After this green, head uphill to the right and explore the elegant campus of Middlebury College, with its tall stone buildings, wide parklike greens, and imposing vistas. The college's Starr Library holds amazing collections of literature, fine art, and rare books, as well as a fine reference library for students and professors; there are often rare book exhibits to enjoy in the atrium of the library. Also worth noting is the college Center for the Arts, with recital hall, dance and studio theaters, and significant art and anthropological exhibits, including permanent collections of 19th- and 20th-century painting and sculpture at the Museum of Art (443-5007; open year-round except during college holidays and Christmas vacation).

Middlebury's interest in the Morgan horse dates back to Colonel Joseph Battell, who began breeding Morgans on his farm in the 1870s. The Colonel's responsibility for Middlebury's success was immense, and he contributed greatly to its college; it is only an accident of geography that the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm is just across the town line into Weybridge. But you get there from Middlebury anyway. From the downtown area, cross Otter Creek and drive past Cannon Green to the right-hand turn toward the college. Immediately bear right again onto Route 23 and go three-fourths of a mile. Signs direct you to the spectacular multi-story horse barn and training hall, with gift shop, video, and paddocks full of beautiful horses. The Morgan Horse Farm (388-2011) is open all year, although guided tours are given only from May through October. Excite the budding horse breeder or trainer in you or your group by asking about the farm's apprenticeship programs.

It's worth noting the extra travel access to Middlebury in summer and fall; Vermont Rail Excursions runs the Sugarbush Vermont Express between Burlington and Middlebury, with stops in Vergennes and Shelburne, and there's free public transit from a dozen places around town (including the Morgan Horse Farm) to the train station. Ask at the Chamber of Commerce for the schedule.

Vermont photos often feature snowy mountainsides and green-clothed gorges. For a taste of a very different landscape and a tender, rich sense of light, explore the small 19th-century villages to the southwest of Middlebury. Leave town on Route 30 south, passing through Cornwall and Whiting. When you reach Sudbury, turn west on Route 73 to Orwell, and head north on Route 22A. This passes through Shoreham before reaching Bridport, where Route 125 east returns you to Middlebury. The open flatlands of the Champlain Valley seem to have more cows than people; these wide fields are lush and rich. Driving time is an hour or a bit longer, depending on how slowly you like to savor the surroundings. There are some truly spectacular sunsets here, but the sultry heat of a summer afternoon also brings out the best colors in this farming haven.

Robert Frost was Vermont's poet laureate, and he had a strong bond with the Middlebury area. He lived for a time in Ripton, reached by taking Route 7 to East Middlebury and then heading up Bread Loaf Mountain on Route 125. When you pass the village of Ripton, start watching on the right for the Robert Frost Wayside Area and Trail, where a walking path toward Frost's old cabin is enhanced by his poems on plaques. Farther still up Route 125 is the Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College, where the college's famous summer English school is held, as well as the writer's conference founded by Louis Untermeyer, attended by so many of today's writers of fine literature. The Snow Bowl, Middlebury's ski slope, is also on Route 125 at the top of Middlebury Gap.

From East Middlebury it's a gentle three miles to the turn for Lake Dunmore, a summer haven for boaters and hikers. The best trails are on the far side of the lake; for an interesting drive, take the lake turn past the fish hatchery and stay left at the junction, Passing Kampersville, and bearing right to go all the way down the east shore, noting trailheads and boat accesses. This is Branbury State Park, the western part of the Moosalamoo Recreation Area. The Long Trail, Vermont's end-to-end hiking trail, is less than six miles away. In between are lakes, hiking and ski trails, waterfalls, and the national forest's main mountain biking trails. If you manage to drive past this entryway into the wilderness, you'll arrive at the south end of Lake Dunmore and head back toward Route 7 - just in time, because in another seven miles the town of Brandon opens before you.

Brandon's two greens sit at bends in the road, one on either side of the Neshobe River, and are the centers of its unusual town layout. Over its 200-year history, fires, floods, remodeling, and demolition have taken place, but some 243 significant buildings remain, and almost the entire village has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A walking tour is available as shown in a leaflet provided by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce (PO Box 267, Brandon, VT 05733; 247-6401). Greek Revival homes, places that were once used for carriage shops or by cabinet makers, mansard roofs and Queen Anne porches - the village is a feast of architectural history.

Brandon has in a sense become partners with its neighboring village to the south, Pittsford, a town that has focused on acquiring and dedicating land for public recreation areas and trails. The Green Mountain National Forest borders both towns, and its wilderness and recreation areas seem part of the local sense of place. Hiking and biking give way to Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, and there are always more natural features like geology and wildlife to observe and investigate.

Pittsford's latest addition to both history and natural history is the New England Maple Museum on Route 1 (483-9414). It only closes in January and February, although early spring and late autumn provoke shorter hours; call to be sure. There are murals and artifacts as well as live demonstrations from candy making to wood bucket construction.

A detour off Route 7 onto Route 3 takes only four miles to reach Proctor, where a museum and a castle stand. To reach the museum take a left through the marble bridge (yes, marble!) and bear right to the Vermont Marble Exhibit (459-3311, ext. 435). Here are the roots of the commercial success of this region: Marble was discovered and quarried commercially in 1784, and the Vermont Marble Company formed in 1870. The museum has a gallery of bas-reliefs of American Presidents, a geological display, and there's a movie, as well as a chance to view the marble-shaping process inside the factory. Open months are mid-May to mid-October.

The Wilson Castle (773-3284) is also open seasonally, and is great fun to visit. It's a 32-room stone château on 115 acres, with its façade set with English brick and marble, and the furnishings a lush mix of Far Eastern and European antiquities. Oriental rugs and Chinese scrolls complement museum pieces. In addition to three floors to tour, with Swiss Guards and guides on hand, the grounds are attractive. See the carriage house and the aviary, especially the Indian peacocks.

Downtown Rutland is a "city on the move" under the direction of the Rutland Partnership. Shops and restaurants in turn-of-the-century buildings, arcades, plenty of parking, and a lively sense of art, music, and general enthusiasm for life make the downtown area a lot of fun. You do have to drive through some less exciting sections to get there - a long strip of commercial development to the north of the city, and a ring of predictable malls to the south - but it's well worth the effort. The downtown commercial blocks vary in architectural style from Italianate to Neo-Classical Revival to Art Deco, and there are wide sidewalks and some nice views, especially of the larger and more historic churches in town. There's a May-to-November farmer's market, and even a free shuttle bus.

Entering Rutland from the north is the least confusing way to understand its layout. Route 7 cuts down the center of the city. Route 4 goes across at a right angle to Route 9, and its west branch, headed downtown, is called Business Route 4 (BR4). South of the city is the missing part of westbound Route 4, skirting the downtown entirely.

As you enter from the north on Route 7, the highway becomes North Main Street. The District Ranger office for the Green Mountain National Forest is on your right and very noticeable; across the road is the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce (775-0831) at 256 North Main Street. It's open year-round. Stops at both will get you piles of information. If you miss these two stops and it's summer or fall, ahead of you is a Chamber of Commerce information booth where Route 4 comes from the east to meet Route 7. This is called the Main Street Park; the kiosk will be on your right. There are Sunday evening band concerts here in the summertime.

Strolling without a guide, a don't-miss spot is the Old Burial Grounds on Main Street, near North Street. If you're exploring on your own, a nice place to start is right here. Stroll down Main Street and take the next right turn onto Business Route 4, otherwise known West Street. You are into the downtown district. Don't go past the post office, but turn left onto Merchants Row. This street, along with Center and West streets, has some of the best shops, as well as a nice assortment of eateries.

When you walk up Center Street away from Merchants Row, you pass the courthouse and then the library. The Historical Society Museum (775-2006) is at 101 Center Street, open Mondays and Saturdays. Keep going up Center Street. Up ahead is a left turn onto Main Street that takes you to the door of the Chaffee Art Gallery (775-0356). Open year-round (closed Tuesdays) in this turn-of-the century mansion, the museum changes its exhibits monthly, with special events and arts and crafts programs. A block south of the gallery is a great bookshop, Charles E. Tuttle and Company (28 South Main Street, 773-8930). Used book fanciers call it heaven: 40,000 used and rare books. Tuttle's has also published Oriental art books. The shop opened in 1938, after a century of family bookselling, and hours are Monday through Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 9 to 4.

South of the city on Route 7 are the fairgrounds, where the city hosts a week-long Vermont State Fair during Labor Day week each year. Agricultural exhibits, a giant midway, pari-mutuel harness racing, and nightly entertainment make the week exciting.

Saving Route 4 east (the way to the ski slopes) for later, follow Route 7 just south of town to Route 4 west; the second exit is Castleton, a college town and gateway to a handsome lake resort area.

The little town of Castleton has played great roles in Vermont history: Here, Ethan Allen and Seth Warner planned the audacious capture of Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution, and nearby in Hubbardton Colonel Warner's militia fought a rear-guard action, the only military battle of the Revolution played out on Vermont soil. The town showcases its Greek Revival houses, and is the home of Castleton State College (468-5611). Note the slate roofs; Castleton once had 23 slate quarries.

Less than a mile west on Route 4A is Route 30, which heads north along the shore of Lake Bomoseen. Drive slowly through this time-honored summer haven and through the village of Bomoseen; when you've come five miles from Route 4A there's a left turn to the larger of the two state parks here, Lake Bomoseen State Park (265-4242). It has a lovely swimming beach and wildlife refuge, as well as plenty of summer and winter recreation facilities.

To reach neighboring Half Moon State Park (273-2848) you'll need to drive past the lake and through Hubbardton, then make two left turns to come down toward the west shore of Bomoseen. Half Moon Pond access is from Black Pond Road; the park offers much the same facilities as Bomoseen (and has canoe rentals), but is much more secluded, without a boat launch or picnic area, and may be less crowded on summer days.

The lake's fame in the 1930s came from a summer home on Neshobe Island, owned by essay-writer Alexander Woollcott, who entertained Harpo Marx and Dorothy Canfield Fisher, each capable of scandalizing onlookers in different merry (and often nude) fashion. The lake has another great claim to fame - in 1830, Julio T. Buel was eating lunch in his boat, and accidentally dropped his spoon into the water. When he looked into the clear water and saw a fish lunge at the sinking spoon, the idea of taking fish with a spoon lure was born; even today, the J.T. Buel Company makes fishing lures.

Interested in American Revolutionary War history Are you a battlefield browser Hubbardton's battle site is remarkably well preserved. The State of Vermont's visitor center portrays it well, too. There's a good diorama of the 1777 rear-guard battle by Seth Warner's Green Mountain Boys militia against the British. Then a quiet walk up to the crest of the hill lets you look out over the terrain, easily spotting the strategic points of the action. Although this battle was brief, it helped lead to British General Burgoyne's eventual defeat two months later at the Battle of Saratoga. The site is open from late May to mid-October; reach it from Route 4A by taking Exit 5 and heading seven miles north. If you're on the east shore of Lake Bomoseen, take the right fork at the north end of the lake and follow the curve around for six miles to Hubbardton.

When you've gazed at the battlefield long enough, start north, staying to the left at the fork, and reach Route 30 again in six miles; turn right and go six miles to Sudbury, then left on Route 73 for another four miles to reach Orwell. Here is Mount Independence, another state historic site. The peninsula juts into Lake Champlain and held an extensive Revolutionary War complex, with a floating bridge across the mouth of the lake to link it to Fort Ticonderoga. Designed for 12,000 soldiers in 1776, it was one of the largest forts in North America. Winter manpower fell to 2,500, who suffered greatly in the fierce cold and storms. As a result the complex was captured in July 1777 by the British, while the Continental Army made its escape and prepared for its later successful action at Hubbardton. A visitor center displays many of the site artifacts and explores how important land- and lake-based action were during the Revolutionary War. There's also a privately owned cruise boat, the Carillon, that will take you to Fort Ticonderoga, for a tour of a 1_-hour tour (897-5331). Walking trails in the historic park give another kind of feel for the terrain. Lest you suffer the pains of winter soldiering, the site is open only from late May to mid-October.

Other towns to explore around Lake Bomoseen are Benson, the scene of many early religious revivals and spiritual awakenings; and Fair Haven, a town on the Underground Railroad in the 19th century. Our touring description returns to Rutland on Route 4 and heads east, entering the resort approach to the ski slopes of Pico and Killington and the wilder acreage of the Green Mountain National Forest.

The rise of Route 4 from Rutland toward the ski areas to the east is quick and busy. An amazing assortment of shops, eateries, and lodgings hugs the roadsides. The Norman Rockwell Museum (773-6095, open daily) commemorates the painter's career with a great collection of his magazine covers that feature so many residents of nearby Arlington, Vermont. You can spot the museum by looking for the Taco Bell - the museum comes next, on the right-hand side. You'll barely notice passing the town of Mendon among all the roadside commerce.

Eight miles from Rutland is Pico Peak (775-4346 or 800-225-7426), the smaller of the two ski areas on this route. Described as "Vermont's friendly mountain," it is the little brother in a new partnership with Killington; trails connecting the two ski areas are in progress. A single pass will give winter sports access to both resorts. In summertime Pico's alpine slide and scenic chairlift give visitors a sense of flight and speed.

Another three miles on Route 4 and you're at the intersection with Route 100. The town name has been Sherburne Center for several decades, but it is now changing back to Killington, the name of the ski area that puts it on the map. At the shopping complex is a summer information booth for the Killington-Pico Area Association (775-7070). A right turn onto Killington Road leads, in five gradually rising miles, to the Killington Base Lodge, where ski adventures start in winter and where the summer and fall Merrell Hiking Center has taken residence. In snow-free weather, Killington offers mountain-biking adventures on 50 miles of trails with lift access to the summit.

As a ski resort, Killington is Vermont's biggest, with six interconnected mountains, 170 trails, 23 lifts, and over 1,000 skiable acres. Killington Peak is the highest, elevation 4,241 feet at the summit. There's enough resort room to have both the largest novice terrain in the state and also the most expert trails, with 45 black diamond and 10 double diamond trails. Snowboarding facilities are also on hand. See On Snow & Ice, page 195, for more details.

From Sherburne Center, where Route 4 meets Route 100, Vermont's most scenic highway heads north through a series of small towns that offer access deep into the Green Mountain National Forest. The next 44 miles are picturesque and forested with green slopes in summer, flaming ones in early autumn, and dramatic snowy peaks in winter.

Along Route 100, the small enclave of Pittsfield holds a town office, library, and fire department, as well as the Pittsfield National Fish Hatchery (Furnace Road, 483-6618), where the Fish and Wildlife Service raises landlocked salmon and lake trout.

Just north of Pittsfield, where Route 107 intersects, there's a national forest barrier-free site called Peavine, with a wildlife viewing site, canoeing, fishing, and picnic area.

Some 19 miles north from Sherburne Center is the left turn for Route 73, which climbs through a high pass in the Green Mountains. This is the way to Mount Horrid, one of the rock-cliffed ridges where peregrine falcons have made a successful comeback from near extinction in the state. There's a dramatic beaver pond close to Route 73 at Mount Horrid, where moose often browse. The Long Trail crosses northward nearby. Hiking and skiing trails run up over Gillespie Peak, Romance Mountain, and Hogback Mountain; this region is Moosalamoo, a national forest recreation area. Also accessed from Route 73 are the Chittenden Brook Recreation Area and the Brandon Brook Recreation Area. The forest has several interpretive sites along Route 73.

Just north of Route 73, the Green Mountain National Forest has a district office on the right; not only are there brochures, maps, and wise ranger advice here, but exhibits give a feeling for some of the region's wildlife and for the pressing ecological and environmental issues of the wilderness and recreation areas.

As a small town at the base of so much wild glory, Rochester has become a diverse community. Its picturesque village green and good restaurants are joined by art and craft and antique shops and a great bike shop that also supports Nordic ski adventures. A small publisher, Inner Traditions, brings forth alternative healing arts, spiritual history and philosophy books from this peaceful locale.

One mile north of Rochester is a national forest picnic area established by the local Lions Club, which helps with the White River restoration effort. Another mile brings you to the River Bend site, with canoeing and hiking. And at the three-mile point is the Eaton Mill site, a wildlife viewing location.

This is also a "base town" for access into the Green Mountain National Forest, this time over Middlebury Gap on Route 125. The Texas Falls Recreation Area and the Middlebury College Snow Bowl (a small and refreshing ski resort) have access from Route 125. As it crosses the gap the road enters Robert Frost country at the Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College.

Hancock has the feel of a lumbering and mill town grown up; the Old Hancock Hotel is now filled with a bakery and gift shop and also offers overnight accommodations. Country inns begin to line the roadsides of Route 100 from here north.

Half a mile north of town on the right is the Hancock Overlook, a national forest interpretive site.

Two woodworking businesses vie for attention in Granville, and shopping can be great fun. Otherwise, the town is noteworthy mainly because the Granville Gulf begins just beyond it: a six-mile wilderness sliced by Route 100. Watch on the left for Moss Glen Falls, a great photo stop and a good climb. The headwaters of the Mad River are also along here, a mile before you reach Warren, and a roadside rest stop lets you admire them at leisure.

Just before you reach Warren, the Lincoln Gap Road cuts off to the left. This steep and narrow drive heads to a pass at an elevation of 2,424 feet, which runs beneath the peak of Mount Abraham. The Long Trail cuts across the road at the trailhead for Mount Abraham, too; there's a footpath up to the top of the 4,052-foot peak, and for one of higher peaks in the state it's a relatively easy climb because you start from such a height. The Lincoln Gap Road continues downhill toward Bristol. For this tour, instead, come back down to Route 100. Just ahead is the right turn onto an unpaved road into the village of Warren.

When you cross the 1880 covered bridge, take the left turn and stop at the Warren Country Store. This former stagecoach inn now features French bread, fine wines, and deli salads, as well as the daily and Sunday editions of The New York Times. It is the heart of Warren, pumping energy into the art gallery, antique shop, and pottery studio, among other small businesses. East Warren is reached by taking the turn at the bandstand in Warren, heading up the hill and curving to the left. Great views of the mountains are found on this high road as it works its way steadily north, passing along the way the Warren Airport, where you can enjoy a glider ride for two just as reasonably as for one. The road descends into Waitsfield; between them, Warren and Waitsfield are the local support towns for the mammoth ski resort in the mountains above, Sugarbush, which now includes five peaks and a wide variety of recreation options, from hiking and mountain biking and fishing to skiing, Nordic skiing, and off-the-trail winter touring by ski or snowshoe.

The access road to Sugarbush comes from Route 100, between Warren and Waitsfield. Don't take the high back road between the towns, but stay instead on the highway. Clearwater Sports, the area's canoe trekking expert, is on the left. So is Sugarbush. Although there may be 6,000 skiers here at any given time in the winter, there's little crowding on the valley roads - Sugarbush was the first of the eastern ski resorts to explore lodging at the foot of the lifts, and it worked brilliantly. The ski village is up on the mountain, and free shuttle buses transport resort guests down to the nightlife of Waitsfield.

Sugarbush is not just a winter resort: mountain biking and a partnership with a hiking boot company have made its summer events lively and well attended, into the glorious fall foliage season. The mountain lifts barely pause for a break in the "mud season" part of spring before rising again to take hikers and cyclists to the peaks.

The five Nordic ski centers in this region also double as bike trail networks in snow-free seasons. And the Long Trail hits some its most dramatic moments along the high peaks here, making this the heart of the state's adventure terrain.

Who would think a little Vermont town in a picturesque river valley would be famous for its pizza But it's true. Two nationally noted pizza companies are both here - along with a panoply of international cuisine, fine clothing, and galleries. There are also computer consultants, architects, and environmental instructors. A premier bike shop sponsors races, a canoe manufacturer encourages voyaging, and the fishing is supreme. And all this without feeling like a city! This section of Waitsfield is now called Irasville; the more walkable part of town is the picturesque older village half a mile to the north, where there's an 1833 covered bridge over the Mad River (which has an unpredictable flow with wild surges during spring snowmelt). The towering mountains punctuate each day's moods and weather speculations.

Route 17 meets Route 100 in Waitsfield. The road access to "Sugarbush North," the trail network on Mount Ellen and Inverness Peak, is from Route 17, although a quad lift across the intervening wild slopes connects the two regions of the resort also. Route 17 rises to Appalachian Gap, elevation 2,356 feet, part of a local biking challenge competition. It continues toward Bristol and in the far distance Lake Champlain.

Festival lovers should note that Sugarbush hosts the Ben & Jerry's One World One Heart Festival in late June, with two days of music, craft booths, and food (especially ice cream!). Check the date with the Chamber of Commerce (496-3409). There's also a summer bluegrass festival at Mad River Glen (for dates, 496-3551).

North of Waitsfield, Route 100 soon arrives at Waterbury , home of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and of many state offices. Here, the scenic route crosses Interstate 89 and continues to the next major ski resort area at Stowe , then proceeds through increasingly rural landscape toward the Québec border. We investigate this region in The Capitol District, Stowe & North.

Bristol is a side trip from Route 7 that offers two interesting hiking areas. To reach Bristol, take Route 7 south from Vergennes for four miles and turn left onto Route 17, which approaches Bristol in another four miles. To the right, the Bristol Cliffs Wilderness can be glimpsed. This is Vermont's smallest wilderness area, 3,740 acres, and there are no paths in it; the access path and any other old trails quickly end. It's a map and compass exploration, with deer, black bears, beavers, and grouse (locally called partridge) sharing the space. To find the trail in, drive through Bristol (taking note of the casual eateries and great bookstore!) and look for the right turn to West Lincoln, about two miles out of town. There's a wilderness sign in West Lincoln to direct you onto York Hill Road for 1.7 miles to a 10-car parking area. The footpath enters the wilderness, then disappears. You should have at least the map provided by the Green Mountain National Forest (Middlebury Ranger District, Route 7, RD4, Box 1260, Middlebury, VT 05753;  388-4362); better yet is adding a USGS topological map. The cliffs, where Native Americans probably gathered quartzite for arrowheads and other tools, are at the western side of the wilderness area. Tramping through the untamed terrain brings you out at the top of the cliffs, where there is a good view of the Champlain Valley from 1,500 feet. The cliffs are the most visited part of this wilderness, so if you like seclusion, explore instead the two small ponds, Gilmore and North.

The other good Bristol hike is known locally as The Ledges. Take the roads back to town and just before (north of where) the shops begin, take the right turn, which is Mountain Street but may have no sign. Up ahead you can see the next right onto Mountain Terrace, which does have a sign; go to the end of Mountain Terrace and park. The trail begins just past the barrier. There's a good description of landmarks in the Green Mountain Club's Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont; mostly you need to know to turn left when you reach the large water tank serving as the town reservoir, and to expect a steep climb that's well worth while for the serene valley-wide vista at the top. The entire trail is only a mile long, and your descent takes much less time!

From Bristol, rather than go all the way back to Route 7, turn south on Route 116 and go about five miles to an unpaved road on the left marked with a US Forest Service sign - this is the turn for the Abbey Pond Trail. When the road forks (immediately), go right; it's 0.4 mile to the parking area, where you need to be well off the road to let gravel trucks go by. The trail goes straight ahead and right away you reach a series of cascades, or small waterfalls. The hike is about two miles, up but not very steeply, to the secluded woods pond. If you can get there early enough in the morning, bring field glasses for birdwatching. By the way, this trail is often wet underfoot!

Route 116 continues to East Middlebury, where it connects you with Route 125 east, your entry into the Green Mountains and Robert Frost country. Bring along some of his poems to look for connections, or stop at the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail on Route 125 about two miles past the mountain village of Ripton; here, some of Frost's poems are displayed on plaques along a mile-long easy pathway that's been designed to be barrier-free for handicapped access.

Just past the Robert Frost trailhead, there's a fork where Route 125 bears right. If you bear left instead, you'll find a trailhead for the Skylight Pond Trail, but this area is seeing too much use according to the Green Mountain Club, which maintains the Long Trail (Vermont's end-to-end hiking trail) and its spurs; do the area a favor and pick another hike. A different way to reach the Long Trail is to stay on Route 125 and pass by the Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College; the Long Trail crosses the road two miles past the campus, where the Middlebury College Snow Bowl ski area takes advantage of the terrain. If you choose to hike the Long Trail northward, you'll tramp over Burnt Hill, Kirby Peak, Boyce Mountain, and then arrive at Skylight Pond and the Skyline Shelter (fee) just beyond. This is a nice 5.6-mile sample of the Long Trail, going through the southern part of the Breadloaf Wilderness, and you'll feel you've had a taste of what the end-to-enders enjoy. For additional challenge, at the 0.4 mile point, where there's a junction, take the right-hand trail another 0.4 mile to Silent Cliff, where good views make up for the challenge of a difficult climb of 400 feet change in elevation.

The next recreation area along Route 125 is Texas Falls, which we view instead from the Hancock approach later in this section.

Seven miles south of Middlebury (or three miles from East Middlebury) on Route 7 is the well-marked left turn for Lake Dunmore. There's a fish hatchery to visit here, and after a mile there's a major "four corners," where the right-hand road goes down the west shore of the lake. The Moosalamoo Recreation Area is on the east shore, so ignore the right turn and go straight ahead past Kampersville (oh all right, stop for an ice cream or some hot fried food first). Get out your copy of the Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont for the most detailed trail descriptions. You can also get maps from the Middlebury Ranger District of the Green Mountain National Forest (RR4, Box 1260, Middlebury, VT 05753; 388-6688; located on Route 7 south of Middlebury, across from Rosie's Restaurant).

The first stop is the Branbury State Park Nature Trail, a pleasant one-third-mile introduction to the natural history of the area. Park at the state park campground and picnic area and pick up information from the naturalists on duty during the camping season. From the camping area, look for the blue-blazed Falls of Lana Trail to get you started into Moosalamoo. It's half a mile to the Falls of Lana picnic area, and a trail junction just past there will connect you with the Rattlesnake Cliffs Trail (which in turn leads to the Oak Ridge, Moosalamoo, and North Branch trails) to your left. If you bear right with the Falls of Lana Trail instead, you meet the Silver Lake Trail in another 0.2 mile. The Falls of Lana are a short distance downstream, where Sucker Brook has carved a deep gorge in the rock. Either continue down to the highway on the Falls of Lana Trail, wrapping up a 1.2-mile scenic walk, or else charge onto Silver Brook Trail and head for the Silver Lake dam, the lake itself, and the rocky slopes of Chandler Ridge. The far side of Silver Lake, the east shore, has a mountain-biking trail along it, part of the network of bike trails in the heart of Moosalamoo.

Forest Road 32 runs north and south through the center of Moosalamoo, from Ripton in the north to Goshen in the south, and is a good access to the ski trails now in the heart of Moosalamoo. There's parking and camping at the center of the recreation area near a trailhead for Mt. Moosalamoo.

By now you're probably curious about the name Moosalamoo: it's an Abenaki word meaning "the moose departs," or maybe "he trails the moose." The band of Abenaki in this region was called the Mississquoi, and was displaced by European settlers in the early 1700s. Brandon and Middlebury Gaps were travel ways though the mountains for the nomadic tribe. Artifacts found locally indicate Moosalamoo was an Abenaki winter encampment site, and their dugout canoes were found in Silver Lake (carbon dating sets them at over 300 years old). Also near the north end of Silver Lake are traces of a grand hotel that once stood there; signs of old tow ropes from early ski trails can be spotted.

There's a 32-acre walking trail network in this small town, created in what was once abandoned pasture. It's accessible year-round and has nice vistas as well as a wide variety of trees, mosses, and plumed marsh grasses. At the north edge of town as you enter from Route 7 there's a left turn onto Plains Road, where the Pittsford Municipal Offices are; pick up a trail map here (483-2931). If you like, enter the trail network behind the offices, or go back to Route 7 and drive south past the church and village green; when you see the Lothrop School and the Pittsford Historical Society Museum on the right, take the next left onto Furnace Road. The main entrance to the trails is on the left, a half-mile from Route 7.

Didn't expect the city to have hiking opportunities Actually, there are two chances to start in Rutland and have a great hike. One is with Highlander Hiking (800-429-8268), which will take you by courtesy van to the nearby mountains; the guided hikes are on weekdays, graded for novice to experienced, and require 24 hours notice. The other connection in town is through the Great Outdoors Travel Adventure Company, located along with a specialized sporting goods store at 219 Woodstock Avenue. Owner Bob Harbish and outfitter Chuck Wagonheim put together bike tours, ski trips, in-line skate camps, performance ski camps, fly-fishing clinics and schools, and archery and ultimate adventure camps. Stop at the store and find out whether they have any activities planned that you'd like to join, or call ahead (800-345-5182; e-mail cortina1@aol.com; visit their Web site at: www.genghis.com/cortinainn/html/hiking-biking-htm).

Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center at 223 Woodstock Avenue (773-3343, e-mail gmrcc@aol.com) has over 8,000 square feet of climbing surface with 26-foot-high textured climbing walls, complete with wild murals. Guides will also take you on outdoor climbing adventures by arrangement. Classes, workshops, and rentals come at attractive prices.

When you visit the American Revolution battlefield at Hubbardton and the archaeological site and visitor center at the old military complex at Mount Independence in Orwell, you can also take advantage of scenic hiking trails at Mount Independence. There's the 2.5-mile Orange Trail that crosses the high point of the mountain and goes out to the shoreline and back; the short Red Trail (0.6 mile) allows hikers to catch views of Mt. Defiance and Fort Ticonderoga; and the White Trail (0.8 mile) to the east side of the area.

For a pleasant ramble, especially with kids, try the nature trails at this state park, open year-round, although certainly less accessible in winter. See touring directions (page 171) also to Half Moon Pond State Park nearby, where another two miles of nature trails add to what you might want to share with excited youngsters. Bring field glasses and teach the kids to approach Half Moon Pond quietly; you may spot some unusual waterfowl.

For less structured wildlife explorations, try the Orwell Pond Wildlife Management Area to the north, and the Blueberry Hill Wildlife Management Area east of the town of Castleton; don't expect paths, and prepare for wet feet, but also for a sense of peace.

Heading up Route 4 from Rutland, the landmarks tend to be shops and restaurants. For instance, after Sweatertown USA on the right comes the Killington-Pico Motor Lodge , and across the road from there is Turnpike Road (aka Elbow Road). Take this road to the lane on the left, which is the trailhead for the blue-blazed Canty Trail. If you like steep and rocky, this one's a delight. It takes 2.4 miles to reach the summit of Blue Ridge Mountain, a good workout. For more views, hike down to the rocky outcrop southwest of the main summit.

The next landmark on Route 4 is Churchill's Restaurant, about seven miles up from Rutland, on the right-hand side. To get to the luxurious Cortina Inn, which has walking trails among its gardens and some trail connections toward the higher hiking terrain, when you spot Churchill's move into the center lane immediately for a right turn. And if you reach the entrance to Pico Ski and Summer Resort on the right, you've overshot the Cortina.

The alpine slide at Pico Ski and Summer Resort (775-4346 or 800-898-PICO) is the resort's big summer and fall attraction, but the ski trails also offer good hiking to the peak at 3,957 feet. The Long Trail also comes close to the summit. Pick it up where it hits Route 4, but be careful to choose the well-marked white blazes, not the side trails. The 10-mile round trip on the Long Trail from Route 4 over Pico Peak to Killington, the state's second highest mountaintop, offers spectacular panoramic views of three mountain ranges: the Greens, the Taconics, and the Adirondacks. You can take a short spur over to the resort (open mid-June to mid-October for hikers) at Killington Peak for hot food and more great views from the tower. The chairlift can give you an easy trip down to the Killington base lodge during these months, too.

For a very organized and well-supported approach to the trails on and around Killington, visit the Killington Hiking Center at the Base Lodge of the resort (422-6776). Open from late June through mid-October, the center provides maps and optional guides to the trail system; a staff naturalist offers interpretive hikes enriched with topography, geology, and plant and animal knowledge. There are also special interest tours, such as birdwatching, wildflowers, photography, and geology; call for dates and details. Boots and backpacks can be rented; this is a great way to try out hiking boot styles. Child care is available on summer weekdays, with reservations required in advance.

A popular day hike from Route 4 in Sherburne Pass is to take the Long Trail north instead, to Deer Leap in the Gifford Woods State Park; however, the Green Mountain Club cautions that this trail is seeing too much use and the ecosystems along it are suffering. You can do something positive for this frail alpine environment by picking a different hike.

At the north end of the village green, on the left if you're heading away from Killington on Route 100, is the Pittsfield Inn. The inn's activity center, Escape Routes (PO Box 685, Pittsfield, VT 05762; 746-8942; e-mail escapert@vermontel.com), provides guided and self-guided hiking tours, with trail maps and navigational challenges. Programs start in March and end in October; inn owner Tom Yennerell describes them as "easy strolls on well-worn paths as well as early and late winter assaults on 4,000-foot peaks" - take your pick!

The ranger station for the Green Mountain National Forest, three miles north of where Route 73 meets Route 100, has a wealth of hiking trail maps and advice on everything from water safety to wildlife photography.

From the ranger station, backtrack three miles south on Route 100 and turn onto Route 73, driving up into the mountains. It is 9.5 miles to the top of Brandon Gap, where there is a parking area on the left. The trail here is actually the Long Trail, and there are two good hikes, one north, one south. Heading north first there's a half-mile climb to the summit of Mount Horrid. It's a difficult, steep route, but the views extend over the Lake Champlain Valley.

Taking the Long Trail south from Route 100 for one mile, an easy walk through the woods, brings you to Sunrise Shelter. From a clearing along the way there's a view of the Great Cliff of Mount Horrid.

When you come back down Route 73 toward Rochester, watch for FR45, a little more than three miles down from Brandon Gap. Turn right (south) on the forest road, reaching a trailhead parking lot in half a mile. This is the Chittenden Brook Trail, which parallels the waterway and intersects the Long Trail at 3.7 miles. It's a challenging stretch; if you go all the way to the Long Trail and back, expect it to take five hours. The wetlands you walk around is a good spot for wildlife viewing; approach quietly and stay still for a while.

Leave Route 100 by taking Route 125 west, up toward Middlebury Gap. After 3.1 miles you'll find a right turn into the Texas Falls Recreation Area. Across the road from the first parking area are the Texas Falls. Look for the rustic footbridge, where a nature trail meanders along the brook and picnic area. To get to the upper section of the nature trail, bear right before crossing the paved road. The trail circles back to the falls, 1.2 miles total.

A two-mile easy ramble on the Hancock Branch Trail follows an old logging road, passing through various stages of forest succession and showing you a wide variety of plantlife and birds to note. (Did you bring your bird list from the Rochester ranger station with you) To get here, drive into the recreation area and past the picnic spot, parking near the gate.

As you head north from Hancock along Route 100, the mountains to the left of you are part of the Breadloaf Wilderness. This is Vermont's largest designated wilderness area, covering over 21,000 acres, and includes the state's own "Presidential" range, Mounts Wilson, Roosevelt, Cleveland, and Grant. The Long Trail runs the length of this wilderness, more than 17 miles passing over 17 major peaks. The highest point in the wilderness is Bread Loaf Mountain, 3,835 feet, from which the area takes its name.

The best access into Breadloaf Wilderness is traditionally from the Long Trail, either from Lincoln Gap southward or from Middlebury Gap northward. But you can also enter the heart of the wilderness from Granville on FR55, which leads to the Clark Brook Trail; the forest road is closed in winter.

Wilderness areas in national forests are Congressionally designated as defined in the Wilderness Act of 1964: "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The Forest Service encourages hikers to dress in subdued colors and blend into the surroundings, and keep voices low, for their own quiet pleasure and to help others appreciate the wilderness without too much human distraction. Camping and fires (from dead and downed wood only) are permitted, but with as little trace as possible, which means digging a shallow fire pit and then, after dowsing your fire, replacing the sod to erase signs of your stay.

You are on your own in wilderness areas, and need to be a good judge of your own skills and gear before going too far off the beaten trails. That said, though, the Forest Service does encourage bushwhacking; nobody is going to tell you to stay on the path. (But if you overreach and need search and rescue service, you'll be responsible for the cost.)

Watch for the brown and white FR55 sign for the left turn from Route 100, not even a mile north of Granville village. It's two miles along FR55 to the Clark Brook Trailhead. This is a three-mile hike that goes along the stream, crosses two bridges (after the second you're in the wilderness), and ascends to the Long Trail.The Forest Service doesn't offer ratings of wilderness trails, "in keeping with the wilderness ethic of self discovery" - check a topographical map if you're unsure of your ability to make the whole climb (but going back is easy enough). When you reach the Long Trail, do leave time for a northward hike on it for another 0.4 mile to the top of Mount Roosevelt, which offers a deeply satisfying view of the Upper White River Valley.

As Route 100 enters Warren, so does the Lincoln Gap Road: it's on the left side, well marked, the old familiar route to the gap's pass-through at 2,424 feet. The road asks a lot of a car, and in the snowy season it closes at the top; you must use a lower, longer road to reach Bristol or Middlebury. In summertime, as the world turns green and blue and explodes with birdsong, the Gap Road is irresistible. It is also an entryway to the Green Mountain National Forest, especially to Mount Abraham.

So on a summer or glorious autumn day, drive the five miles up to the top of Lincoln Gap and find a place to park. Here, the Long Trail crosses the road, and your options are to go north or south. South takes you into the Breadloaf Wilderness; it's about three miles of tough hiking to Mount Grant from here. But for a vista, just hike 0.6 mile south and find the right-hand turn, a short trail that takes you to a good view south over the Champlain Valley.

A difficult trail with a 1,500-foot climb in elevation is the trip north on the Long Trail from Lincoln Gap to Mount Abraham, peak elevation 4,052 feet. Two miles north on the Long Trail is Battell Shelter, with bunk space for eight people. There's a small spring 100 feet to the east, likely to be safer than most because it's up above the beaver level, but not above the humans, so decide for yourself whether to indulge. Continue another 0.8 mile up the Long Trail (steep) to get to the panoramic summit view. Expect the round trip to take about five hours.

Sugarbush Resort includes six interconnected mountain peaks and 4,500 acres of terrain. The resort has teamed up with a crafter of mountain hiking footwear, Dolomite, and with the National Forest Service to create a trekking center. There are guided ecological treks, as well as more difficult adventures that meet the Long Trail and head for the mountain peaks. Contact Sugarbush at PO Box 350, Access Road, Warren, VT 05674-9500 (583-3333 or 800-53SUGAR). Lift service allows you to ride up and walk down, or vice versa, if you want a change of pace.

A list of more hikes here can be obtained from the Sugarbush Chamber of Commerce, which is on Route 100 just south of the village of Waitsfield (PO Box 173, Waitsfield, VT 05673; 496-3409 or 800-82-VISIT).

Although there's a trail leading to Burnt Rock Mountain from the North Fayston Road, the Green Mountain Club warns that this area is getting overused; do the mountain a favor and pick a different hike.

Hiking in the Green Mountains is part of the inn-to-inn tours that Hiking Holidays of Bristol assembles (453-4816 or 800-537-3850, e-mail info@VBT.com). The vacation packages are preplanned, but are also available in custom or private versions. This is a luxurious way to relax into your escape from routine.

If you are more interested in staying off the beaten track, but don't want to do the planning yourself, Adventure Guides of Vermont (425-6211 or 800-425-TRIP) might be the outdoor service for you. These guides are determined to find out-of-the-way places where you can focus on, say, rock climbing, or birding, or bushwhacking, or wildlife photography. Based in North Ferrisburgh, north of Vergennes, AGVT offers year-round programs and a chance to design your own tour, from a morning bird walk to a week-long excursion. The group of guides also has experience in team-building programs, and offers courses in back-country first aid, survival, and search and rescue.

Country Inns Along the Trail presents a blend of serious hiking (eight to 10 miles a day, sometimes steep) with the intimacy of small country inns from the bygone era of horse-drawn carriages. This specialized touring service focuses on the Long Trail and its most lovely surroundings, and has matched day trips with innkeepers who like personal contact with their guests and create comfortable retreats at the end of the day. The service is based in Brandon (RR3, Box 3115, Brandon, VT 05733,  247-3300, Web site www.inntoinn.com) and the inns extend from Marble Inn of Dorset north to the Siebeness in the foothills of Mt. Mansfield, near Stowe. Meals, trail familiarization, and car shuttle are included. This is a lovely way to have the independence of self-guided hiking along the Long Trail, with the support of experienced hikers and the comforts of charming inns.

The University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm just outside Middlebury (see Touring) may be one reason that horse lovers are drawn to this region; the other is clearly the terrain, rolling and verdant, perfect for horse barns and for riding and carriage pulling.

The Firefly Ranch in Bristol (PO Box 152, Bristol, VT 05443; 453-2223) is a small inn that offers trail riding for its guests on country roads and on trails in the foothills.

Eight miles west of Middlebury on Route 125 is the small town of Bridport, where Mazza Horse Service offers guided trail ride lessons (RD1, Box 200, Hemenway Road, Bridport, VT 05734-9709; 758-9240). Deb and Frank Mazza provide a warm-up in the ring, then guide small groups onto trails through the woods, beside the Lemon Fair River, and on quiet country roads; riders may be beginners to advanced, and seated English or Western.

Chittenden, at the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest, can be reached from either Pittsford or Rutland. Here the The Mountain Top Inn (Chittenden, VT 05737; 800-445-2100), a luxurious resort, offers riding vacation clinics in summer and fall, with a focus on either dressage and evening, or hunter/jumper. The inn also provides riding vacations with hour-long or half-day rides and provides specialized group instruction in English, Western, dressage, jumping, and introductory polo. Bring your own mount if you like!

A few miles up Route 4 east from Rutland, just before the entrance to Pico Ski & Summer Resort, is the Cortina Inn, on the left-hand side. The Cortina (773-3331) offers its guests trail rides, provided by Mountain View Ranch (Letitia and John Sisters, Danby, 293-5837).

South of Rutland, in Castleton, Horse Amour on Eaton Hill Road offers equestrian options (468-2200), and Pond Hill Ranch (468-2449) provides pony rides as well as scenic mountain trail rides, plus a professional rodeo on summer Saturday nights.

Another inn offering trail rides is the Mad River Inn of Waitsfield (496-7900), located on Route 10B north of the center of town. So do the Waitsfield Inn (Route 100, 496-3979), the West Hill House (Warren, 496-7162), and the Millbrook Inn & Restaurant (Route 17, Waitsfield, 496-2405).

Working closely with the Waitsfield and Warren inns is Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm of Waitsfield. The farm breeds and sells these sturdy, graceful horses whose tireless and efficient movement keeps them steady either on summer trails or in winter snow. Qualified European instructors give lessons. Inn-to-inn treks of two or six days are offered here, as well as full- and half-day rides on the four- and five-gaited horses. Reservations are necessary; call or write (496-7141, PO Box 577, Waitsfield, VT 05673).

Sugarbush Resort (Warren, 583-3333 or 800-53SUGAR) includes horseback riding among its snow-free seasonal activities. This resort also uses Icelandic horses, and provides lessons as well as guided trail rides.

In Waitsfield the Meg Hilly-Anderson School of Horsemanship is at Dana Hill Stable (496-6251), where lessons and trail rides can be arranged. Also in Waitsfield, Kenyon's Farm hosts part of the Vermont Summer Festival of equestrian events; get in touch at 496-4878. Nearby in Morestown on Route 100 is Navajo Farm (496-3656), which also offers trail rides and instruction.

The farmscape to the west of the Green Mountains is perfect for road touring, gently rolling and winding along brooks and small rivers. Avoid the heavy traffic on Routes 7 (through Middlebury and Rutland) and 22A (close to the shore of Lake Champlain). The valley portions of Routes 125 and 73 are nice traveling, as are Routes 116 and 30 in the north-south direction. If you're in Middlebury, try swinging onto Route 23, maybe making a side trip to the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm, and continuing toward Vergennes. When you reach Route 17, take the unpaved road north for a rising plateau that gives some nice views before arriving at Vergennes itself. From Vergennes, a nearly parallel road will return you through Weybridge to Middlebury. Trip planning as well as bike service in Middlebury can be found at the Bike and Ski Touring Center (74 Main Street, 388-6666).

Bristol is the home of Vermont Bicycle Touring. John Freidin, who founded this original country inn bicycling vacation business, is the author of 25 Bicycle Tours in Vermont. It pays to profit from his years of touring experience; the book lays out great tours, mostly a day long but some take two days. The tour he suggests starting from Bristol is one that loops through Monkton and Starksboro, passing Vermont Bicycle Touring on the way (Monkton Road, Bristol, 453-4811). Do at least find VBT for yourself and, if you take this bike tour, be sure to stop at Robert Compton's pottery studio (on Route 16; 453-3778) to see the outdoor kilns and working pottery run by Compton and Christine Homer.

Freidin's book also offers a good tour that runs from Brandon, north of Rutland, across the rolling farmlands to Orwell where Mount Independence is, and then on the Shorewell Ferry from Larrabees Point over to New York State to visit Fort Ticonderoga. Another option for the battlefield buff is to visit both Orwell (Mount Independence) and the Hubbardton battlefield on the same day, including a stop at secluded Half Moon Pond State Park for lunch and a swim.

Another great biking tour is the 12-mile loop around Lake Dunmore, just south of Middlebury off Route 7. Take Route 53 east from Route 7 and, if you've arrived by car, park at Kampersville (do stop at the desk and get the okay). Circle the lake clockwise, starting with Route 53 and passing trailheads for hiking trails, reaching the southern end and continuing south to Fernville to include Fern Lake in your loop. Then head north on West Shore Road, Rodgers Road (briefly), and then West Shore Road again, to return to Route 53. The total loop is 12 miles on paved and gravel roads. Bring a swimsuit! If you're on a mountain bike and want an extra challenge, connect with the Moosalamoo trails (described later in this section) and head to Silver Lake and the Green Mountain National Forest.

Remember Country Inns Along the Trail, the group of fine small inns positioned to make life easy for hikers on the Long Trail They also offer self-guided bicycling vacations, mostly starting and ending at the Churchill House in Brandon. Tours come in two basic varieties: along the gentle short hills of the Champlain Valley, or through the challenging passes of the Green Mountains. Get in touch and discuss your preferences (RR3, Box 3115, Brandon, VT 05733; 247-3300). Either way, you'll be spending nights in cozy inns where the innkeepers fuss to feed you well and make you comfortable before the next morning's ride. Luggage shuttle is also available; so is rental equipment.

Mountain bikers will exult in the trail system that the Green Mountain National Forest has laid out in the Moosalamoo region. Start from the west shore of Lake Dunmore at the parking area for the Silver Lake Trail on Route 53. Look at a Moosalamoo map before you start; your goal is to get to the far side of the lake and meet up with Forest Road 27. Head southeast on FR27 until it crosses the main north-south forest road of Moosalamoo, FR32. Drop south on FR32 to the right turn onto FR243, and connect with the Minnie Baker Trail. You can either bike down the Minnie Baker to Route 53 and back up the east shore of the lake to where you started, or choose the Leicester Hollow Trail, another designated mountain bike route, to get back to Silver Lake. The plus of the Leicester Hollow Trail is the chance to look for old cellar holes and other evidence of the 19th-century community that once thrived here.

Admittedly, this trail network is just a start on bike access to the Green Mountain National Forest, wherein there are few other bike routes. Only the forest roads and town highways are open to mountain biking now, but the GMNF is working on their next master plan, and by 2005 there will be greatly expanded access for mountain bikers to most of the recreation areas now set up for hikers and skiers.

If you like touring company or just prefer someone else to do the planning, check in with the Great Outdoors Adventure Bike Tours at the shop in Rutland (216 Woodstock Avenue, 775-9989 or 800-345-5182). This rapidly growing company is full of outdoor enthusiasts who love to show off Vermont. They plan tours of two to five days for mountain bikers, and put together road bike tours of 30 to 70 miles. The touring company has a partnership with the Cortina Inn up on Route 4 east of Rutland, just before the entrance to Pico Ski & Summer Resort, with shuttle van support from trail and road trips to the inn. Ask about the one-day tours and customized plans too.

Rutland has four more bike shops: Green Mountain Schwinn Cyclery (133 Strongs Avenue, 775-0869); Marble City Bicycles (1 Scale Avenue, 747-1471); Mountain Tread-n-Shred (150_ Woodstock Avenue, 747-7080); and Sports Peddler (158 North Main Street, 775-0101).

Killington caught mountain bike fever some time ago and now has a complete mountain bike center with standard and high-performance rentals, as well as a repair and accessory shop. Guided trail rides, instruction sessions, lift access so you can take the easy way up and savor the excitement of coming down, without being worn out ahead of time - the mountain resort has gone all out. The lift is open weekends in the early season and then daily from mid-June to mid-October; call to check exact dates (422-6232 or 800-621-MTNS).

When you head north from Killington along Route 100, maybe the state's most scenic highway, the traffic can be heavy, especially during foliage season (late September). Get to Pittsfield at the north side of the village green, where the Pittsfield Inn has established its Escape Routes (746-8943), and you can relax. Escape Routes offers guided and self-guided tours from May to mid-October, sending mountain bikers on gentle grass-covered abandoned roads past long-gone settlements deep in the forest, or along steep single tracks plummeting down mountainsides, according to the rider's preference.

If you're still pedaling Route 100 in Rochester (and the river view from the bike is so good that it's hard to resist, despite the cars), make sure to stop at the Rochester Café, an area tradition complete with soda fountain. Rochester also has Green Mountain Bikes (767-4464), where you can get repairs, rent a mountain bike that's been specially geared, or tune in to outback guide service. The shop describes itself as "specializing in mountain bikes and dramatic repairs."

Of course, Route 100 north is eventually going to take you out of the lonely and lovely wild river valley villages and into populated territory again. Let's suppose you're pedaling north on Route 100 and you're coming into Warren, the first of the two support towns for the massive Sugarbush Resort. You can stay on Route 100 and have pleasant pedaling, with some traffic ahead in the half-mile of shops in Irasville (the southern village of Waitsfield), or you can take the back road north and really work those calves and thighs. To take this hilly side trip, in Warren, take the right turn toward East Warren, go through the covered bridge, and arrive at the Warren General Store, where French bread, fine wines, and delicatessen goodies will make a great lunch to eat on the spot or carry a little further. Then take the turn by the bandstand and head uphill, a challenging but do-able back road first toward East Warren and then on to Waitsfield. It's eight miles total, and some of it is really steep, but the sense of being entirely surrounded by the mountains is outstanding. Besides, you have the chance to detour to the Warren Airport and take a glider ride or just relax as you eat that lunch you toted up.

Another plus of this back road is the Blueberry Lake Cross Country Center in East Warren (496-6687), a mountain bike trail center in the snow-free seasons. Call ahead to be sure the snow is really gone and the mud has receded far enough.

You'll have to stay with Route 100 if you're headed for Sugarbush - but maybe at this point you'll be in the car, with the bike behind you. The main access to Sugarbush is a left (westward) turn from Route 100, and you're looking for the Sugarbush Mountain Bike Center (800-53SUGAR). There's a full-service bike shop, and the resort offers you "gentle cruisers, knarly descents, or a back road that provides spectacular mountain views." So take it! There are lift-serviced trails that let you start up high without being exhausted and cruise downward at your own pace over the un-snowy ski trails. Look for the Terrain Garden, the dual slalom course, and the "moto park," too.

The back road from Warren reaches Waitsfield and Route 100 a little north of Route 73, so if you want to visit the Mad River Bike Shop (Routes 100 & 17, Waitsfield, 496-9500) and you've taken the back way you'll have to go down the main highway south a mile or so. But it's worth the trip: this shop is dedicated to making the Mad River Valley the most exciting biking in the East, complete with a century ride with sag wagon; a road race or two mountain bike camps for teens; and the Mad King Challenge, a grueling set of mountain passes to ride. The shop also offers guided and custom tours as well as rentals. Mountain bikers might want to check out the advanced clinics and all-terrain park at Madbush Falls Country Motel (PO Box 457, Waitsfield, VT 05673, 496-5557).

Many of the rivers in this region are too small or too shallow for good paddling. The best choices are:

• The Lemon Fair River from Shoreham Center near Lake Champlain, to where it meets the Otter Creek 18 miles later, but watch the small dams in the first section. Consult the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) River Guide and then walk the questionable parts, since the river was last surveyed for the guide in 1983.
• Otter Creek from Proctor to the Threemile Bridge near the mouth of the Middlebury River, 32 miles later. This is passable at all water levels and the scenery is lovely, mostly farmlands.
• The White River from Granville to Stockbridge, a 14.5-mile stretch of quickwater with a few short rapids. Make sure to walk the area a half-mile after the VT73 bridge if you're not paddling with a companion who already knows this area.
• For dramatic spring whitewater, the Mad River from Warren to Waitsfield, about 7.5 miles of April adventure with ledges and chutes. Stop at Clearwater Sports (Route 100 between Warren and Waitsfield in Irasville, 496-2708) to get information and cautions, and do walk the run before you paddle. Cold-water canoeing is risky enough; get familiar with the water before you're in the middle of it. While you're in town, visit the Mad River Canoe Company showroom about a tenth of a mile south (496-3127), behind the Grand Union.

The lakes large enough for good sailing here are Dunmore and Bomoseen. On the west shore of Bomoseen in Hydeville is Duda's Water Sports (265-3432) renting fishing boats, water skiing equipment, and paddleboats. There are also boat rentals at the state parks at Bomoseen and Half Moon Pond for campers.

The White River is now home to Atlantic salmon parrs (young salmon), in the exciting return of this fish to Vermont's rivers. Please be sure to release any you have caught; the Green Mountain National Forest ranger offices have a leaflet on telling the brown trout and salmon apart.

Stream fishing is especially good on the east side of the Green Mountain National Forest, in the area served by the Rochester ranger district. Pick up the district listing of streams at the ranger office on Route 100, three miles north of where Route 73 comes down from Brandon Gap. Expect to be fly-fishing for rainbow and brook trout.

The terrain west of Middlebury and Rutland is scattered with small ponds and lakes. Almost all can be accessed for paddling and fishing. If you're looking for rainbow trout, though, narrow in on Lake Dunmore, Chittenden Reservoir, Glen Lake, Half Moon Pond (in Half Moon Pond State Park), Kent Pond, Silver Lake (in Moosalamoo), Star Lake, and Sunset Lake (near Hortonia). The most common lake fish are yellow perch, bass, chain pickerel, and bullhead.

Word from the Rutland area is that these are great days for bass fishing, maybe the best yet. Largemouth bass, found mostly in weed-choked quiet waters, feed on minnows, frogs, and crayfish; you can use these for bait, or use nightcrawlers or surface lures and plugs. Try for early morning or just before dark. Smallmouth bass, on the other hand, prefer gravelly or rocky shorelines and respond best to minnows and nightcrawlers. Lake Bomoseen, accessed from the West Shore Road in Castleton, has arguably the best bass fishing of Vermont's inland lakes (notice that leaves out Champlain). For largemouth bass try the north end; smallmouths are along the shorelines of the main part of the lake and, when the water gets really warm in mid-summer, look for them along the weed lines in water about 20 feet deep. Shoreline angling is also possible from Bomoseen

Lake Hortonia in Hubbardton breeds largemouth bass as big as eight pounds, and you'll also run into northern pike in the weeds there. Northern pike also grow huge (would you believe 30 pounds) at Glen Lake in West Castleton, where largemouth bass and rainbows compete. Remember to get this year's license and limits information at a local general store or town clerk's office (or from Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, 800-VERMONT).

If you're yearning to learn to fly-fish (or ready for some polish and someone else's tricks of the trade), there are a number of guides and outfitters available. Justin Rogers, at Three Forks Flyfisher in East Middlebury (388-6575), gives instruction and guiding in the Green Mountain National Forest for beginners or intermediates, with choices like group or private instruction, and day trips. The Vermont Traveler's Guidebook (from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce; pick it up at any state rest area, or contact the chamber by e-mail at VT.Chamber@InternetMCI.com) lists some in Bomoseen, Rutland, Vergennes, and Waitsfield. Also, there's an Orvis - endorsed outfitter in Killington: Vermont Bound Outfitters (HCR34, Box 28, Killington, VT 05751, 773-0736 or 800-639-3167), with guided tours, a full Orvis shop, and fly-fishing school.

Looking to get into the water for a good swim Lakes Dunmore and Bomoseen each have nice beaches. State parks with swimming are Half Moon Pond (near Bomoseen), Branbury (Brandon), D.A.R. (Vergennes), and there's a pond at Mt. Philo State Park (North Ferrisburgh). Another swimming option is in Rutland, at the south end of town: a seven-acre pond called Eddy Pond, at the end of Curtis Avenue, which meets Route 7 south of the state fairgrounds. The White River will do for a quick splash as you wade in the shallows, and the Mad River has good swimming holes, easy to find on your own or ask at the sports shops.

There are two major downhill ski resorts in this region: Killington, which is now connected with little brother slope Pico, and Sugarbush. An unusual arrangement is found at Mad River Glen, a smaller slope entirely owned by cooperative (mostly skiing) investors and maintained as much wilder, with all natural snow and a single lift. Middlebury College also operates a smaller slope, the Snow Bowl, where racers train and there's plenty of space to move (and short lift lines).

Killington (800-533-8843, Routes 4 and 100 at Sherburne Center) is the largest ski resort in the east, with six interconnected mountains, over 1,000 skiable acres, and 170 trails with 23 lifts. The highest peak is Killington, a vertical drop of 3,150 feet. There's even the Skyeship, a heated lift with built-in sound system! The terrain allows for lots of novice room and many expert trails: 45 black diamond and 10 double diamond. The mogul slope is especially steep, and the Juggernaut Trail is 10 miles long, a national record. There's a lot of slopeside lodging, and free shuttle service to the Killington Road. Snowmaking coverage is 69, because the natural snow season is so good, from early October in many years until early June (snow conditions: 422-3261). Snowboard access is resort-wide.

Pico Peak Ski & Summer Resort (Route 4, two miles west of Killington; 775-4345 for snow conditions, 775-4346 for lodging) joined Killington in late 1996 as an American Skiing Company Resort, with immediate plans for trails connecting the two resorts. It's small when compared to Killington: a vertical drop of 1,967 feet, 40 trails, nine lifts, and great snowmaking coverage of 95.

Sugarbush (Warren, 800-53SUGAR or 583-3333), with access from Route 100 in the Mad River Valley, has 4,500 acres spread over six peaks. About 432 acres is skiable terrain, and between the main complex (Lincoln, Castlerock, Gadd, and North Lynx Peaks) and what's been called Sugarbush North (Mt. Glen Ellen and Inverness) there's a wild remote basin around Slide Brook, open to guided tours only, on skis, snowboards, and snowshoes. The main resort slopes put together 112 trails, including 35 black diamonds; there are 18 lifts. Mt. Ellen has the highest summit, 4,135 feet, with a vertical drop of 2,600 feet. More pluses: a tree skiing region for intermediates (Eden), a terrain park with halfpipe for dedicated snowboarders (access to all the rest of the trails too), and a family adventureland with snow sculptures. The kids' section gives complimentary beepers to parents! Sugarbush developed one of the earliest American slopeside lodging resorts, and the choices are wide, from condos to inns to bed and breakfasts, each with its own character and charm. A free shuttle links the lodging with the pleasures of the town. A February tradition at the resort is an ultimate board and band event, with tabletops of all sizes, halfpipes, transfers, big-air jumps, and quarterpipe by day, and a rock competition by night.

There's always snow in the Mad River Valley in January and February (and earlier, and later), and the wild exultation of hitting the slopes has expanded into a spectacular winter carnival. It's usually held the first week of February; check this year's dates at 496-3409 or 800-82-VISIT, Web site www.hows.com/thevalley/carnival). Expect sled dog races, a sleigh rally, the famous international progressive dinner, snowboard competitions, snowshoe races, snowmobile events, and of course skiing like mad on all the peaks of nearby Sugarbush. The grand finale includes snow sculptures, live music, a bonfire, and food. A romantic end to the week can be a parade of lights at nightfall as skiers carry torches and weave down the slopes. Keep your eyes open for international celebrities and sports figures having a midwinter great time.

The Middlebury College Snow Bowl (388-4356) is on Route 125, reached either from the Middlebury side or from Hancock on Route 100. It's a small outfit: skiing and snowboarding on 14 trails, with six covered by snowmaking, and three lifts. But that includes more than 12 miles of skiable surface, challenging expert trails, and a snowboard park. Pluses are short lift lines, lower fees and food prices, a full-service rental shop, and a strong professional ski school with a racing program geared to keep the college hotly competitive.

If your passion is the sport rather than the resort, and you lean toward natural snow cover, telemark skiing, or ski racing, Mad River Glen should be on your list (Route 17, Waitsfield, 496-3551 or 800-850-6742; snow reports from out of state, 496-2001, and from Vermont phones, 800-696-2001). It's the only US ski area owned by a cooperative of loyal skiers, dedicated to preserving the forest and mountain ecosystems of Stark Mountain and staying independent. Of the Glen's 42 trails, 18 are black diamond. Four lifts service the peaks and connect with parking areas. The expert terrain here is legendary ("where the real skiers go"), and you can ride the nation's last surviving single chairlift. There's just one base lodge, rustic and friendly; this is a place for families to enjoy, for friends to bond, and for new friendships to be made. The Glen is not shaped for snowboarding; instead, your visit is a pure ski experience.

Nordic skiing just plain belongs in these mountains: it's the best way to get out into the woods and fields once the snow arrives, see the vistas remade, savor the weather and the wildlife. There are numerous Nordic ski centers, many around country inns, and the national forest trails are a winter-long ungroomed but lovely cross-country ski network. You can ski cross-country in local parks like Pittsford's Recreation Area; take advantage of Green Mountain National Forest trail networks and forest roads; and stay at inns where groomed trails lead from the doorway. Moosalamoo even grooms miles of the trails; the Chittenden Brook Recreation Area, off Route 73 near Rochester, is entirely open to winter skiing and snowshoeing and can be a good wildlife investigation site even in winter, when tracks are so much easier to spot. Near Middlebury, try going up Route 125 to the Wilkinson Trail System, reached from FR32 south of Route 125 - a trail map is available from the Middlebury Ranger District (RD4, Box 1260, Middlebury, VT 05752; 388-4362).

Remember the inn-to-inn programs coordinated with the Long Trail for hiking and biking In winter the focus is on the Catamount Trail instead, Vermont's end-to-end mountain Nordic ski trail that meanders from (paid) touring centers to parks and forests and back roads. The trail is conveniently mapped in 26 daytrip sections; order your copy of the Catamount Trail Guidebook from the Catamount Trail Association (PO Box 1235, Burlington, VT 05402; 864-5794). In central Vermont, the Country Inns Along the Trail (RD3, Box 3115, Brandon, VT 05733; 247-3300) have organized an inn-to-inn self-guided ski program, which they customize and support with a luggage shuttle.

Inns offering their own or adjoining cross-country ski touring centers are Blueberry Hill (Goshen, 50 km groomed trails and connecting into Moosalamoo, 800-448-0707); Churchill House Inn, on Route 73 in Brandon (247-3078, Web site at www.pbpub.com/inntoinn), has 20 km of groomed trails and connects with Moosalamoo; and The Mountain Top Inn in Chittenden, (483-3211 or 800-445-2100; snow conditions, 483-6089) at Chittenden Reservoir, a full cross-country ski resort with over 100 km of groomed trails, which connect to the Green Mountain National Forest.

From Middlebury, a trip up Route 125 shows that the Bread Loaf Campus of Middlebury College hosts Rikert's Ski Touring Center (388-2759), with 42 km of groomed trails for both classical and skating techniques and a friendly ski shop with rentals.

If you're in Killington and ready to ski Nordic instead of alpine, try the Mountain Meadows Cross Country Ski Resort on Thundering Brook Road (one-eighth of a mile east of the Killington Road, 775-1010 and 800-370-4567), where 60 km of trails are supported by a base lodge, ski shop, and snowmaking system.

Up Route 100 in Pittsfield, at the Pittsfield Inn, Escape Routes (746-8943, e-mail escapert@vermontel.com) sets up self-guided and guided tours by either Nordic skis or snowshoes, customized for ability and stamina; ski rentals are available.

In Rochester, be sure to stop at the Green Mountain National Forest district ranger office (767-4261) on Route 100 just south of town. Request the cross-country ski maps for the Hancock Branch Trail, Texas Falls Recreation Area, Pine Brook Trail, Brandon Gap Trail, and Austin Brook Trail, and take a look at potential forest road skiing near Granville and Hancock as well.

When you reach the Warren-Waitsfield area, there are three cross-country centers, plus the Sugarbush Nordic Center at the resort (583-2605), with 25 km of groomed trails, 10 km groomed for skating, and access to back-country guided touring. There are: Blueberry Lake Cross Country Ski Center (East Warren, 25 km, 496-6687), Ole's Cross-Country Center (Warren, 42km, 496-3430), and the Inn at the Round Barn Farm (East Warren Road, Waitsfield, 30 km, 496-2276). There's also the Skatium, for ice skaters, in the Irasville part of Waitsfield: look for Mad River Canoe, and the Skatium is on the loop road that goes back toward the Grand Union.

Ride in a sleigh when you stay at the Pittsfield Inn (Pittsfield, 746-8943), at the Mountain Top Inn (Chittenden, 483-2311 or 800-445-2100), the Cortina Inn (Killington, 773-3333), or the Lareau Farm Country Inn (Waitsfield, 496-4949). Mountain Top and Cortina Inn also have skating. There are two skating ponds in Killington, at the Fall Brook Fitness Center on Sunrise Mountain (422-7896) and at Summit Pond (422-4476). The Cortina Inn also rents snowmobiles.

Either you love it or you hate it - that's the bottom line. If you think a wild ride through the snow with a gasoline-powered engine under you is your kind of adventure, get in touch with Killington Snowmobile Tours on Route 4 at the foot of the Killington Access Road (422-2121). KST gets you cruising through the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Forest on new machines at speeds up to 50 mph, taking you deep into the wilderness for spectacular scenery. Owner/guide Howard Smith encourages riders of all skill levels to try out the tours.

Looking for a different view of the Mad River Valley - or of yourself Sugarbush Soaring (496-2290 or 800-881-SOAR) at the Warren Airport, offers scenic glider tours and sailplane instructional programs in one of the East's prime spots for riding thermal and ridge waves.

Flight instruction, ground school, scenic tours, and aircraft rentals are all available at Middlebury Flight School at 25 Airport Road in Middlebury (388-0733, Web site www.middlebury.net/midflight). The crew also offers an unusual option for aircraft owners: come in for a vacation, and get your annual aircraft inspection and needed repairs done at the same time. By road, find the airport from Route 7, three miles south of Middlebury. Turn east (left) onto Cady Road and go 1.2 miles to the intersection with Route 116 and the airport entrance. Byron and Shirley Danforth, who operate the flight school, will enthusiastically show you classic Vermont villages and rolling farmland from a fresh perspective.

Just a few miles from Lake Champlain, and reached by Route 22A from Vergennes, is the small town of Bridport, where Blue Slate Farm offers a unique "hands-on" dairy farming visit. Harold and Shirley Girard milk 110 cows and take care of 140 more head of young stock, two miniature donkeys, four horses, four ducks, and three pigs. When you sign up for their farm experience (758-2577 or 758-2267), you may participate in such daily activities as milking the cows, feeding and caring for the calves (and maybe help deliver one!), and preparing land for planting and harvesting. The Girards, whose farm has been family-run for four generations, will also discuss with you the complexities of dairy nutrition, genetics, and herd health, and will get into dairy issues like American agricultural policy, milk pricing, and Vermont's rural economy. Wear practical clothes and have fun!

In Killington, Vermont Ecology Tours, located at the Glazebrook Center on the Killington Road (PO Box 210, Killington, VT 05751, 800-368-6161; e-mail ecotrvt@vermontel.com), offers wildlife viewing and discovery trips like breakfasting with the birds - say, red-tailed hawks, warblers, woodpeckers. Guided rambles in the Green Mountain National Forest may include picking berries, looking for endangered peregrine falcons, or searching for moose and beavers. There are evening programs too. Trips include mini-coach transport, binoculars (adult and child size), rain gear, field guides, and more.

At Killington Peak, the High Country Touring Center offers alpine "skicology" tours with a naturalist (422-6776).

If you are looking for a team-building or stress-management-in-the-outdoors experience for a group, North American Wellness Adventures (496-4850) in Waitsfield plans adventure sports and wellness education programs.

There are plenty of bed-and-breakfast homes along Routes 7, 22A, 116, and the east-west Route 125 and 73 in the area around Middlebury and to the north and west. At Lake Champlain on the edge of Vergennes the Basin Harbor Club (475-2311 or 800-622-4000, $$$-$$$$) offers lakeside cottages and country inn rooms to go with its 700 acres of resort activities. In the town of Vergennes, the Emersons' Bed & Breakfast (82 Main Street, 877-3293, $$) is in the midst of the historic district; there is also a motel, the Skyview (877-3410, $$), on Route 7 just north of Vergennes in Ferrisburgh. Bristol's Firefly Ranch (453-2223, $$-$$$) offers trail rides, fly-fishing in the New Haven River, and hiking on the Long Trail. Mary's at Baldwin Creek (four miles north of town on Route 116, 453-2432, $$-$$$) is a small bed and breakfast in a historic farmhouse, with exquisite and unusual dining.

The area's most traditional lodging is the Middlebury Inn (14 Courthouse Square, 388-4961 or 800-842-4666, 75 rooms, $$-$$$$). Enjoy afternoon tea in the restored and lovely parlor, and other meals at the inn's restaurant. Frank, Jane, and Ty Emanuel even offer a newsletter so that guests (past and future) can keep up with changes or get to know corners of the inn better, like the Federal-style Porter Mansion that serves as a quiet retreat and annex to the inn. Locate the room with the hidden dumbwaiter, find the original kitchen cooking fireplace and oven hearth, or get the details about recent restoration. The Middlebury Inn also provides an itinerary for antique shopping in the region, as well as special packages for romance or mystery. Check the Web site, www.middleburyinn.com.

Suggested bed and breakfasts include the Swift House Inn and Café (Route 7 and Stewart Lane, 388-9925, $$-$$$$); Linens & Lace Bed & Breakfast (29 Seminary Street, 388-0832, $$-$$$), which has afternoon tea and welcomes children; and Middlebury Bed & Breakfast (388-4851, $$-$$$). Outside town is the Brookside Meadows Country Bed & Breakfast (388-6429, call for directions, $$-$$$). The Sugar House Motel (388-2770 or 800-SUGARHOUSE, $$) is just north of town on Route 7.

This friendly town halfway between Middlebury and Rutland is perfect for access to the Long Trail, and Linda and Richard Daybell see many hikers at their Churchill House Inn. But with biking, fishing, cross-country skiing (from the doorstep), and horseback riding also nearby, it draws guests with numerous interests. The inn dates back to 1872 and offers both breakfast and a four-course candlelight dinner. Children are welcome. The address is 3128 Forest Dale Road, which is Route 73 here ( 247-3078, Web site www.churchillhouseinn.com, $$).

Much of the luxurious lodging for the Rutland area is on Route 4 en route to and in Killington. So are many of the bed and breakfast homes and small inns. But in town the Inn at Rutland (773-0575 or 800-808-0575, 70 Main Street, $$-$$$$) is a distinctive restored Victorian mansion with 10 guest rooms and rocking chairs on the porch. The Phelps House (19 North Street, 775-4620 or 800-775-4620, $$) is an unusual bed and breakfast, a Frank Lloyd Wright house next to the city playground (four tennis courts); innkeeper Betty Phelps makes dolls and has a stunning collection. Motels close to downtown are the Royal Motel (773-9176, $$) and Jen's Motel (773-9480, pets welcome, $). There are also modern comfortable lodgings with Howard Johnson (775-4303 or 800-446-4656, $$), Comfort Inn (228-5150, $$), Hogge Penny Inn (773-3200 and 800-828-3334, $$), and Holiday Inn (775-1911 or 800-462-4810, $$-$$$).

While you investigate Revolutionary War history in this area, you can enjoy a stately mansion that underwent a grand transformation from its 1789 farmhouse roots. The inn is Historic Brookside Farms, now listed on the National Register of Historical Places. In 1843, architect James Lamb turned it into a Neo-Classical Greek Revival beauty with shimmering white Ionic columns. Inside there's a grand salon, a library, gallery dining room, den with games and, of course an assortment of gracious rooms and suites for guests. Reserve well ahead for this four-season retreat with its 300-acre estate and working farmland, which includes animals, maple syrup production, homegrown vegetables and herbs, and fresh farm eggs. The inn is on Route 22A (948-2727, $$-$$$).

Killington's resort has very reasonable slopeside lodging at Killington Resort Villages (422-3101 or 800-343-0762, on the Killington Road, $$). On the same road is the Inn of the Six Mountains (422-4302 or 800-228-4676, $$-$$$$), a four-season resort with hiking spa and indoor and outdoor pools. There are also two local companies, Killington Accommodations (800-535-8938 or 422-2220) and Wise Vacation Rentals (773-4202 or 800-642-1147), which provide listings of homes and condominiums for vacation rentals. Pico has its own resort hotel, with slopeside condominium lodging (775-1927 or 800-225-7426).

For more elegant lodging, there's the Cortina Inn (773-3333 or 800-451-6108, $$$-$$$$) on Route 4, with its landscaped acreage, fresh flowers in the rooms, and afternoon tea. The Cortina's recreation programs are coordinated with Great Outdoors Adventure Tours. The Vermont Inn (775-0708 or 800-541-7795, e-mail VTINN@aol.com, Web site www.vermontinn.com, $-$$), an 1840 country inn on six acres, offers a swimming pool and tennis courts as well as sauna.

Hikers and cross-country skiers have long appreciated the Inn at Long Trail, on Route 4 (775-7181 or 800-325-2540, Web site www.innatlongtrail.com, $$-$$$$). It is small, and sympathetic to travelers who arrive on foot or other non-automobile conveyance. The inn has its own pub and is strategically located next to the Long and Appalachian Trails.

The 1835 Pittsfield Inn (746-8943, e-mail ESCAPERT@Vermontel. com, $$) at the north end of the village green offers an unusual treat: horse-drawn tours narrated by local historians. Rooms are comfortable and homey, and the inn's adventure program, Escape Routes, connects guests with guided and self-guided outdoor action.

Fleur de Lis Lodge (746-8949, open winters only, includes weekend stay of two nights plus breakfast, $$), Stonewood Inn (746-8881, $), and Swiss Farm Lodge (746-8341 or 800-245-5126, $) are all on Route 100, and an easy few miles from Killington as well as from the back-country opportunities of the Green Mountain National Forest.

Try an 1890 mountain-top retreat with panoramic views: the Harvey's Mountain View Inn, which offers pet lodging on the premises (767-4273, $-$$). Or enjoy a family dairy farm where you can visit the barn and watch milking at Liberty Hill Farm (767-3926, $$). Both arrange sleigh rides.

Lodging comes in three forms here: country inns, of which some are very elegant and others more like ski lodges (but all expect skiers in the winter and hikers and bikers in summer), bed-and-breakfast homes, and condominiums.

Some of the popular bed-and-breakfast homes are Hamilton House, an English country house (583-1066 or 800-760-1066, $$$-$$$$); the Inn at the Round Barn Farm, which has its own trails (800-326-7038, $$$-$$$$); Lareau Farm Country Inn, an 1832 restored Greek Revival farmhouse offering sleigh rides (496-4949 or 800-833-0766, $$-$$$); Mad River Inn, riverside, with trails (496-7900 or 800-832-8278, $$-$$$); Sugartree (583-3211 or 800-666-8907, $$), the Waitsfield Inn, an 1825 inn filled with antiques (800-758-3801, $$-$$$); the Weathertop Lodge, which has a fitness center (496-8826 or 800-800-3625, $-$$); and West Hill House, with original art and a guest pantry (496-7162 or 800-898-1427, $$). Also note the Hyde Away Inn, with a restaurant and tavern on the premises (496-2322 or 800-777-HYDE, $$-$$$); the Colonial-style Honeysuckle Inn (496-3268 or 800-526-2753, $); and the Millbrook Inn, with a romantic restaurant (496-2405 or 800-477-2809, $-$$).

There's a motel, the Madbush Farms Country Motel (496-5557, $$), and a motor inn, the Wait Farm<