The 4th Annual Vermont Blade and Camp (formerly known as The New England Blade and Camp) will occur July 21st-25th. Like last year, 2022 brings you a bigger and better weekend! We have extended the event to five days and four nights of skating, camping, and swimming. The event kicks off Thursday, July 21st at noon at the Brattleboro Skatepark in Southern Vermont.
When posting to social media, please tag all your photos and videos with #VBC2022. Go to the official Facebook Event Page for more information. Cell phone service in Vermont is terrible, so you should download offline maps onto your google maps app on your phone to navigate your way around the state.
Myles Cotter-Sparrow and I look forward to seeing you all in Vermont for a fun weekend of skating and swimming.
Jan Eric Welch
Note: This is a live article and will be updated with new information throughout the month.
Thursday, July 21st – Thursday’s skating CANCELLED due to rain and Thursday’s camping CANCELLED due COVID
Due to the expected heavy rain on Thursday, the stops at Brattleboro and Ludlow are canceled!!! Camping on Thursday night has also been canceled because the father of our camping host, Myles Cotter-Sparrow, has tested positive for COVID. So far, Myles has tested negative with a home test but will retest tomorrow to see if he is positive or not. If he tests negative, then. Friday will proceed as planned with Warren and Bristol parks and camping at Myles’ house. However, there will be NO ACCESS to the house, barn, or restrooms. You will have to leave the property to use the bathroom or dig a hole in the woods!!!! If he tests positive, we will still skate warren and Bristol parks, but camping will move to my house, requiring more driving. Friday and Saturday look like sunny conditions, with a chance of rain sometime on Sunday and Monday. I will be posting updates as they come in. So to sum it up, the event is canceled Thursday day and night but will continue mainly as planned Friday-Monday. I know some people had only planned on Thursday, and I apologize to anyone who will not be able to make it or has to alter their plans! If you are already on your way to Vermont and do not have a place to stay on Thursday, please let me know on Instagram, and I’ll help figure out an alternative camping spot.
Food Recommendations Stockbridge Area
- Cockadoodle Pizza Cafe (Bethel, Vermont) – Pizza, good Beer selection.
- Wild Fern (Stockbridge, Vermont) – Farm to Table
- Tozier’s Restaurant (Bethel, Vermont) – Snackbar style, specializes in seafood
- Creekhouse Diner (Bethel, Vermont) – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Friday, July 22nd
Friday we will wake up and skate at the Warren DIY Skatepark, before driving to the Bristol Skatepark, followed by swimming at Bristol falls. Friday night we will be camping at Myles’ house again.
Warren Skatepark
We will meet at the Warren Skatepark at 11:00 AM. Note: The images of the Warren Skatepark below were shot in 2019. Since then, the park builders have removed much of the old asphalt on the ground and replaced it with concrete. This is a top-notch DIY concrete park!
Warren Skatepark
254 School Rd
Warren, VT 05674
Food Recommendations Warren
- Warren Country Store – great sandwiches (Warren, Vermont)
- East Warren Community Market (Warren, Vermont)
- Hancock Oasis BBQ (Hancock, Vermont)
Bristol Skatepark
We will meet at Bristol Skatepark at 3:00 PM. The park is a 30-minute drive from Warren park. We will skate there for a couple of hours before swimming at Barlett Falls.
Bristol Skatepark
80 Airport Dr.
Bristol, VT 05443
Food Recommendations Near Bristol
- Sandy’s Books and Bakery (Rochester, VT) – farm to table cafe, bakery, coffee
- Bristol Cliff’s Cafe (Bristol, VT)- Bakery, Cafe, Coffee, Breakfast, Lunch
- Snap’s Restaurant (Bristol, VT)- Breakfast, Lunch
Swimming at Bristol Falls
After Warren Skatepark, we will venture to the iconic Bartlett Falls outside of Bristol. There are several extraordinary features of Bartlett Falls, which has also been called Bristol Falls or New Haven River Gorge by some in the past. A 40-foot wide, 120-foot long sparkling pool below the falls is certainly one of the beautiful features. With its inviting yellow-green waters, and depths ranging from ankle-deep to well over-your-head,! The second notable feature is the falls itself. A block-style falls, about 15 feet in height, drops over a broad overhanging ledge, creating a large alcove behind the falling water. The flat slabs of rock to the side of the falls allow the summertime swimmer access to this alcove as long as the river is not flowing too wildly. From behind the falls, a new perspective on waterfalls is formed. All sounds are drowned out and all you can see are the walls surrounding you and the power of the river falling in front of you. There are few waterfalls in New England where exploring behind them is possible, none as appealing and easy to get into as Bartlett Falls. If the current is weak enough, you can jump or swim through the waterfall and be carried slowly downstream through the gorge.
Bartlett Falls
Parking is located along Lincoln Road.
23-655 Lincoln Rd, Bristol, VT 05443
Optional Skatepark: Bethel Skatepark
A small new concrete skate park was built down the road from Myles’ house in Bethel, Vermont. This is an optional park for people to skate.
Bethel Skatepark
115 Pleasant St.
Bethel, VT 05032
Camping in Stockbridge
Friday Camping is at Myles Cotter-Sparrows house on hunger mountain in Stockbridge, Vermont. Make sure you load off-line maps on your map app because cell service doesn’t work here. Here is the dropped pin in google maps for Myle’s house. Myles’ father currently has COVID, so there will be NO ACCESS to the house, bathroom or barn. You can either use bathroom offsite or dig a hole in the woods.
Saturday, July 23rd
Saturday we will pack up camp and head north to session Barre Skatepark, then Johnson Skatepark, followed by swimming, before heading to the property of Jan Welch’s family in Lyndonville, Vermont to camp Saturday and Sunday nights.
Barre Recreational Skate Park
Our first park of the day will be the Barre Recreational Skate Park in Barre, Vermont. It is a 45-minute drive from Myles’ house. The meetup will be at 11:00 am.
Barre Recreational Skate Park
46 Websterville Rd
East Barre, VT 05649
Johnson Skatepark
We will meet at the Johnson Skatepark at 3:00 pm, which is a one-hour drive north of the Barre skatepark.
Johnson Skate Park
186 Park Loop
Johnson, VT 05656
Optional: Trail Skating the Stowe Recreation Path
If you want to get in a distance skate on your big wheel setup, Stowe has a beautiful and scenic paved 5.3-mile recreational path that you can check out.
Stowe Recreation Path
Stowe, VT 05672
Swimming at Joe’s Pond
Conveniently located on state highway 15 on the way to Lyndonville from the Johnson Skatepark, Joe’s Pond in West Danville offers a beautiful public beach on a scenic body of water. The parking lot is right at the beach before the 15 meets up with the 2. There are two food options right near the beach as well (see below).
Joe’s Pond Beach
West Danville, VT 05873
Food Recommendations Warren
- Sambel’s – food truck located next to beach
- Three Ponds – restaurant near the bearch
Camping in Lyndonville, Vermont
Saturday and Sunday nights, we will be camping on Jan Eric Welch’s parent’s property in Lyndonville, Vermont. The property has gorgeous views of Burke Mountain. Jan has done significant work on the property since the last event in 2019. There are now several areas to set up camp in the woods for both tents and hammocks. There are currently five baskets on the property for people who like disc golf, so bring your discs if you want to play some rounds.
Jan Welch Home
767 Cotton Road
Lyndonville, VT 05851
Food Recommendations Lyndonville
- Everybuddy’s Casual Dining – breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Miss Lyndonville Diner – breakfast, lunch
- Mosaic Bowls and Burritos
- Full Belly Deli
- The Freighthouse Coffee and Sandwiches
Sunday, July 24th
Lyndonville Skatepark
Sunday we will start the day at the Lyndon Outing Club Skatepark in Lyndonville, Vermont from 10:00 am-noon. We will then make the hour drive up north to the Newport Skatepark.
Lyndon Outing Club Skatepark
1580 Lily Pond Rd
Lyndonville, VT 05851
Newport Skatepark
We will meet at the Newport Skatepark at 1:30 pm and session there until 4:00 pm before heading to Lake Willoughby.
Newport Skatepark
155 Gardner Park Rd.
Newport VT
Swimming at Lake Willoughby
From the Newport Skatepark, we will drive for 30 minutes to the north shore of Lake Willoughby to dip into its healing waters and hang out at the beach. We will meet a North Beach at 5:00 pm. This has been the fan-favorite swimming spot for the past two road trips. Lake Willoughby is a 5-mile long glacial lake over 320 feet (98 m) deep in From the Newport Skatepark, we will drive for 30 minutes to the north shore of Lake Willoughby to dip into its healing waters and hang out at the beach. Lake Willoughby is a 5-mile-long glacial lake over 320 feet (98 m) deep in places and resembles a Norwegian fjord. This stunning natural wonder has been listed as a National Natural Landmark since 1967. The sheer cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor in the background are nesting areas for the rare peregrine falcon.
Willoughby Lake North Beach
Brownington, VT 05860
Dinner at Parker Pie
After swimming at Lake Willoughby we will head to Parker Pie Company in West Glover Vermont meeting there around 6:30 – 7:00 pm. Parker Pie’s is the most famous pizza joint in Vermont and has some amazing beers on tap including the famed Hill Farmstead Brewery.
Parker Pie Company
161 County Rd
West Glover, VT 05875
Other Things to see and do around Lyndonville
University of Northern Vermont Skatepark
There is a small prefab park one mile from my house that is fun to skate.
Light Plant Drive Swimming Hole
There is another little secluded swimming hole at the end of Light Plant Drive.
Burke Mountain Toll Road & Fire Tour
About 7 miles away from Lyndonville is Burke Mountain. It is a premiere ski area in the winter and an amazing place to hike in the summer. For $5 a carload you can drive to the summit and walk up the old fire tower to see amazing 360 views of Quebec, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Monday, July 25th
West Lebanon Skatepark
Rusty Bearings Skatepark
West Lebanon, NH 03784
Monday we will be packing up at camp and making our way an hour south to the West Lebanon Skatepark for the final session of the event. Meetup at 11:00 am.
Food Recommendations Lebanon/White River Junction
- Big Fatties BBQ (White River Junction, Vermont) – great BBQ and Beer like Hill Farmstead
- Upper Valley Food Coop – Groceries and Essentials (White River Junction, Vermont)
- Trail Break Taps + Tacos (White River Junction, Vermont)
ks
Videos from the 3rd Annual Event (2021)
Videos from the 2nd Annual Event (2019)
Videos from the 1st Annual Event (2018)
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