Dirtbag Machine Works

Inspired by the XVT in Vermont, the XCTtrail (Cross Connecticut Trail) has been something of a grand hallucination dancing about my head for at least a solid three years now.  The general idea is that of a predominately south-to-north touring route, maximizing time and distance spent off pavement.  Giving credit where it is due, my first go at this was to simply follow my friend John's dual sport motorcycle route (this guy: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/10732116 ).  John's route is largely a mix of flowy dirt roads and asphalt.  Overall, it rides fairly well on a cyclocross/gravel bike, but the occasional exposure to traffic and general lack of technical challenge left room for improvement (From the cyclists perspective.  I'm sure it's just fine at the helm of a motorcycle).  The Elm City to Waramaug Loop was the next evolution, with much of the road sections swapped for the Larkin State Park Trail.   After a couple of rather memorable excursions with the one and only

The truth is that the whole blog thing has long since jumped the shark, but since I'm fanatically social-media phobic, and too frugal for an actual website, this is what we're doing.  The purpose of this remote little electronic outpost is to share my dedicated cheapskate perspective on all things outdoorsy and adventureish.  I'll try to keep the narcissistic navel gazing to a minimum, but there may be some words and photos comprising a trip report every now and then.