S24O

... stands for sub 24 hour overnight trip. Summers are so sweet here in Vermont. I suppose that is why everyone accepts the rather extensive 7 months of cruel winter.
I decided to load up the first SideShow (and i might have come up with a model name for it), or at least for this type of 'bike touring': Drop bar touring!
I strapped a tent to the back rack, a small stuffsack of clothes, and loaded up my Hardwood Softgoods frame bag with some food and a beer (retro-fitted to the Cross bike so i could still carry a water bottle underneath) and headed out into the setting sun of this hot Wednesday evening.
Making my way East on some closed off (because of some washed away bridges from the last rough thunderstorm) dirt roads i made my way over to Plainfield and hopped on the Rail trail from there, and into Groton State Forest. I passed some beautiful 'tunnel like' stretches and gorgeous ponds that gleamed in the intense sunlight. I hit the last 5 miles of the 30 mile trip, and noticed that i was flying along, in the drops (hence 'dropbar touring'). Turns out the grade of the rail bed here was about 3% downhill.

I met with two friends and their baby daughter and dog, at a beautiful campsite by Ricker State Pond, stuck my feet in the water and had a beer on the rocks along the lake shore.
We made a fire, pitched our tents and had some food.
Overnight, i get a little chilly. Shoulda probably brought a sleeping bag, but made it through the night, and heard some really crazy loon calls! Sounded almost prehistoric.
The next morning, i got up early, packed up and loaded up my bike. I took the same way back, however decided to finish the last 8 miles on VT Rt 2 instead of adding in yet another extra hill. I was back home, showered and ready for work in under 1 1/2 hours!
Great trip. Never hesitate to do it. Pack up some things, don't overthink it, and 'just go'!!
It's likely going to be great!