If you are new to Vermont class-4 roads, please read this before proceeding.
Liberty Hill Road in Pittsfield is a short class 4 at 1.24 miles long and is a favorite on my mid-state dual-sport loop. The road is also a section of the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route (NEBDR).
Riding from the south, you’ll leave the pavement of VT-100 and turn onto a nice gravel road. As you head uphill, the surface stays gravel well past the intersection with Forsha Rd.
As you pass the last house, the road turns to dirt and has some rutted sections. After about 3/4 of a mile, the road heads downhill and becomes rockier. If you pick your line carefully you should have no problem navigating this section.
When traveling south, you’ll leave the tarmac of VT-100 and travel up a gravel road. The class-4 section begins by climbing the rocky section, making it somewhat more difficult traveling from north to south.
My preference is to ride the road from south to north, as it is somewhat easier to ride and you will be rewarded with a spectacular view to the southeast when you emerge from the woods.
Forsha Road is slightly longer (1.81 miles) and the technical difficulty is about the same as Liberty Hill.
When riding from the south, you’ll split from Liberty Hill Road and head up a gravel road. The road narrows and you’ll enter the woods as the road turns to dirt.
To ride Forsha Road south to north, start on Liberty Hill road and climb for about a 1/2 mile before Forsha Road forks off to your right.
Forsha Road was a section of the Ridge Run ride of the DirtDaze Adventure bike rally in 2019.
There are some really nice views on Forsha Road near the site of the A. Davis home, built in 1850.
Pittsfield was one of 13 towns isolated during Tropical Storm Irene. The town was cut off when VT-100 was ripped apart just north and just south of the town, making it impossible to enter or leave via a car. I was trapped in the town during Irene and found it a pleasant place to be marooned for a couple of days.
After a few days, it became apparent that VT-100 would not be open any time soon. Since I was prepared with my backpacking gear, I drove to the end of Michigan Road and hiked north to meet my wife on VT-73, leaving my trusty Corrolla behind. It was just over a month before I could return and retrieve my car.
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