Witches and Pitches - September 25, 2019

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 25 September 2019, Witches and Pitches
Ride Leaders:  Lindy King & Roy Westerberg

42 or 28 miles, 10:00 am start from Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton MA

Riders – 42 mi (20):  Lindy, Bernie Flynn, Beth Rosenzweig, Bruce Lederer, Butch Pemstein, Dick French, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, Geoff Allard, Gerry Sheetoo, Jerry Skurla, John Aslanian, Kaz Zelny, Ken Hablow, Marc Baskin, Maria Noya, Ray Komow, Rochelle Holman, Rudge McKenney, and Wing Chow.
Riders – 28 mi (8):  Roy, Bob Wilson, Don Mannes, Margaret Coughlin, Pat Brennan, Rich Taylor, Selig Saltzman, and Susan Sabin.

It was a beautiful, mild day, considering it was the first ride of fall.  I had received a phone call alerting me that there was traffic en route to Groton and riders might be late in getting to the start.  So we chatted, waited, had the requisite safety speech, and divided into two groups - for the long and short ride options.

Roy had graciously been volunteered as co-leader and handled the task expertly.  He was also of great assistance at the start of the ride.

It turns out our group on the long ride had many spirited riders.  At the outset, we decided to make a brief stop in Hollis at mile 10.5, for restrooms and adjusting attire, and then another one at around 30 miles at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Brookline, NH.  The scenery en route to Hollis was exquisite and as the hills went up so did the temperature and wind velocity.

We rendezvous’d with the short group and one of our riders turned back due to health concerns - "just being cautious" he alerted us.  So our group continued onward through Amherst, NH, where we switched directions and turned onto Witches Spring Road with a nice tailwind.  Once we made our way onto Ponemah Hill Road - gorgeous horse farms here - there was talk of the hill:  was it 9 or 11 or 13%?  In any event it was a good one!

Soon after, we encountered the only traffic light on the route, in Milford, NH, and then several hills en route to Rte 13 in Brookline, NH.  It was a busy road but we flew down it, all the way to the Dunkin’ Donuts.  Soon after arriving there, we were joined by Gary Williams who had been trying to find us all morning after being stuck in traffic getting to the start - he was glad to finally have companions to ride with!  It was a good stop and several photos of the group were taken by our photographer, Maria.

From there we breezed, via Pepperell, back into Groton with a nice tailwind.  Once back at the start who should appear but Jerry Skurla who had several delays and did the route on his own!  All in all it was a very nice fall day with great company, and another bucolic ride completed.

Thanks to John for sweeping.

 Report by Lindy King.


On a beautiful, sunny, but somewhat brisk, early fall day, seven of us set out a minute or two behind the long-ride group.  Since both rides followed the same route for the first ten miles, we saw the other group occasionally, and we all met up in Hollis center.  Two of our members departed early, but we gained one, leaving six who completed the rest of the route.

Lindy had laid out a beautiful route over mostly rural roads with light traffic, including about a mile on hard-packed dirt.  Early signs of fall foliage color were evident in many places.  We mostly stayed pretty close together, and only needed arrows occasionally.  We proceeded over the route without incident.

After the ride, five of us had a pleasant lunch and conversation at Salt and Light.  Susan observed that this was the first post-ride restaurant she had been to that had cloth napkins!

Thanks to those who arrowed, and to Selig for sweeping the entire route.

Report by Roy Westerberg.

ME Seacoast rides - September 18, 2019

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 18 September 2019, ME Seacoast rides
Ride Leaders:  Ken Hablow & Susan Sabin

60, 57, or 38 miles, 10:30 am start from Odiorne Point Boat Launch, Rye, NH

Riders - 60 mi (1):  Ron Cater.

Riders - 57 mi (13):  Ken, Barbara Martin, Bernie Flynn, Curt Dudley-Marling, Gerry Sheetoo, Jack Donohue, Julie Dodd, Kathy Horvath, Lindy King, Richard Lawrence, Rochelle Holman, Rudge McKenney, and Russ Keene.

Riders - 38 mi (6):  Susan, Bob Wadsworth, Doug Hobkirk, Gary Williams, James Hsia, and Selig Saltzman.

 It was a glorious day as we set out from the Odiorne Point Boat Launch in Rye, NH, on the 60 mile route.  It was comfortably cool, sunny, with a brisk northerly wind which was fully appreciated on the southerly return from Ogunquit.

 After a quick spin through Newcastle, then through Portsmouth and across the bridge into Kittery, we started our ride along the coast to Ogunquit.  With a very compatible group, we did not need arrows or a sweep.  We made our mandatory stop at Nubble Light, then continued along the shore through Cape Neddick to Ogunquit for a short lunch stop.  Since Ron Cater was the only one who wished to climb Mt. Agamenticus, we let him go ahead and the rest of us short-cutted the road to the mountain and continued on a very serene and quiet inland return.

 Report by Ken Hablow.

 Photo by Barbara Martin.

This is a story that begins at the end . . . . .

After our very beautiful ride, for which nature and Ken may take full credit, Ken and I compared notes by email.  It seems that he and his group finished before me and my very small contingent - so I feel the need to explain!

After arriving at Nubble light, Gary (who had a time commitment) left us to return to Rye on his own.  Bob and Doug, who had started wth Ken's group, joined Selig, James and me and our little group headed out for the return to NH.

Back in Kittery, we decided to eat at Warren's, just before the bridge to Portsmouth.  The food was great, but the service amazingly slow.  We left the restaurant sometime before the dinner crowd descended and then proceeded to get lost.  It took a few consultations for us to agree to backtrack to the point at which we knew we would be on track.  At that point (having added an extra mile to our total), we finally re-started and finished the four or five miles back to the boat launch in Rye.

It was a gorgeous day and ride and, for me at least, the late return took nothing away from the enjoyment.

Report by Susan Sabin.

Deer Island - September 11, 2019

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 11 September 2019, Deer Island
Ride Leader:  Tom Allen


37 miles, 10:00 am start from Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA

Riders (12): Tom, Frank Aronson, Geoff Allard, James Hsia, John Raftery, Margaret Coughlin, Rich Mandel, Rochelle Holman, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, and first-timers, Adam Walpert and Bernie Mango.  (The majority of the above remoted to the start; prize goes to Rochelle, who rode 20+ miles from Westford.)

It started as a moderate and pleasant day that turned breezy and warm - a pretty close to ideal biking day for this time of year.  We set out through Cambridge and Somerville streets and found the Somerville Community Path, the first of approximately ten off-street paths that stitched our urban ride together.  We then rode on both sides of the Mystic River, on more bike paths, and took a new bike and pedestrian passage under Rte 16 to Everett.  Passing Night Shift brewery, we then found ourselves on the Northern Strand Bikeway which took us to Revere.

The ride through Revere was a bit drab, but traffic was not especially hostile.  We then reached Revere Beach with its ocean vista (see photo).  Proceeding south along the beach and on into Winthrop, we were treated to more water views and a noticeable headwind.  We paused at the Judge David Mazzone Memorial to his rulings that mandated the Boston Harbor clean-up project.

To continue on the multi-use path around Deer Island, we were obliged to take a minor detour, but were quickly back on track.  Heading back through Winthrop we came to East Boston and took the East Boston Greenway and Connector, past Constitution Beach, and took an easy one-way street across East Boston to the bridge to Chelsea.  We took a small detour into a rustic neighborhood (cobblestone street) and then to the Admirals Hill neighborhood and Mary O'Malley State Park, with views of the Boston skyline and a very close-up view of the Tobin Bridge.

We then traversed the produce market area of Chelsea on a newly paved section of Beacham Street (formerly know as craters-of-the-moon) to the new Encore Casino.  That project has included bike lanes on Broadway extending across the Alford Street bridge to (and through) Sullivan Square.  Until that was completed - just this summer - this portion of the ride would not have been feasible.

Five of us had lunch at Mike's in Davis Square.  Margaret volunteered to lead others back to the start at Danehy Park following the GPS route.

Thanks to Rich for sweeping most of the ride, and to Rochelle for filling in after Rich split for home.  We stayed mostly together, minimizing the need for arrows.  Rochelle and a few others were diligent about providing arrows where needed.

Report by Tom Allen.

Cape Ann Artists ride - September 4, 2019

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 4 September 2019, Cape Ann Artists ride
Ride Leader:  Selig Saltzman

32 miles, 10:00 am start from Fisherman’s Monument, Gloucester, MA

Riders (8):  Selig, Barbara Jacobs, Gary Williams, Geoff Allard, Jack Mroczkowski, Judi Burten, Pat Brennan, and Ted Nyder.

After waiting a few minutes past 10, but with no late arrivals, a small but elite group proceeded.  The temperature continued to fluctuate, but threatened adverse weather did not materialize.  We passed the imposing City Hall, the sea serpent statue at the art museum, and the Fitz Henry Lane statue and house.  On Rocky Neck we stopped at a house, the subject of Hopper's " The Mansard Roof. "  We proceeded to the end of Eastern Point and then to Brace Rock, the subject of a Lane painting.

After regrouping in Rockport center, we continued around Cape Ann, seeing stone animals, a metal giraffe, and a view of the NH coast.  Our next dead end was in Annisquam, with views of Wingaersheek, Crane, and Plum Island beaches.

Because the group was small and stayed together, arrows were seldom necessary.  Due to the relatively late finish, only the ride leader went to lunch.  One rider, Geoff, remoted from West Roxbury by bike and train.

Report by Selig Saltzman.