Wednesday, January 6, 2016, Whipple Hill & Arlington Great Meadows (AGM) hike & Kick Off 2016 ride
Hike/Ride Leaders: Tom Allen & Clyde Kessel
10:00 am starts from Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant, Lexington, MA
Hikers (17): Tom, Adena Schutzberg, Ann Northup, Barbara Jacobs, Betty Hoffman, Dick Harter, Don Mannes, Helen Greitzer, Janet Miller, Joanne Samuels, Marie Keutmann, Maurice King, Mike Hanauer, Nancy Smith, Sander Nydick, Susan Sabin, and Winslow Green.
Riders (12): Clyde, Barry Nelson, Butch Pemstein, Curt Dudley-Marling, Fred/Clyde Newton, Harriet Fell, Jack Donohue, Karen Featherstone, Pat Brennan, Rich Taylor, Selig Saltzman, and first-timer Fred Bennett.
Present at lunch (3): Bill Widnall, Jerry Green, & Kathy Halmi
Hike report - The day was bright and crisp as seventeen hikers set out to tackle Whipple Hill. We started through the Jerry Cataldo Reservation, along Mill Brook, and then skirted the shore of the Arlington Reservoir, to emerge on Lowell Street for a short walk to the entrance to Whipple Hill.
Unfortunately, the llamas weren't there to greet us. After walking a bit, we encountered some icy going and folks stopped to don traction gear and pose for a photo. We went around Locke Pond and began the serious ascent up the hill. At the top (370 feet above sea level, the highest point in Lexington) Helen left the group to walk to Jerry Green's house to schmooze a bit and hitch a ride back to the restaurant.
Descending, we took different trails to another stretch of Lowell Street for a walk to the entrance to Arlington Great Meadows. The meadows is entirely within the town of Lexington, but is owned by the town of Arlington. In fact, at no point in the walk did we cross the boundary of Lexington. About half way through the Great Meadows the leader began to get questions like, "How much farther?" The answer was always a vague, "Less than a mile."
We joined the bike riders and other guests at Ixtapa, thus creating a sizable crowd.
Thanks to Dick Harter for trail sweeping. He reports that sweeping hikes has challenges distinct from sweeping rides - folks would take unannounced, seemingly random detours into the woods for various purposes. (OK, maybe these were all for the same purpose.)
For those curious, here is the track of the walk with some photos embedded.
Report by Tom Allen.
Ride report - It was perfect weather for a bike ride: bright, full sun to keep us warm, but the night had been cold, so there was no melt water on the roads. This really is the best time of year to be on a bike.
At the ride start, it was rather chilly, so for the first few miles we stayed close together so no one would have to stand in the cold to arrow. Nevertheless, it quickly warmed up and Page Hill spread the group out, so we did eventually start using arrows. Two regular WWs, Jack and Curt, joined us enroute (hardly surprising, since we did ride past Jack’s house). The return route was a voyage of discovery, as it took us through a hilly section of Lexington on roads the leader had never ridden before. There was one good natured complaint that Shade Road was a gratuitous hill, so the leader will remember to use it again on future rides.
One arrow (one of the Clydes) was, unfortunately, stranded when the sweep rode past, unnoticed. The group (sans Jack and Curt, who had left the group at some undetermined point) and the sweep arrived back at the restaurant, when one of the Clydes phoned the other Clyde. Clyde, the arrow, said that he had been waiting at a turn for a long time and asked if he should continue to wait for the sweep. Fortunately, by then it was very warm and both of the Clydes were very comfortable and there was no complaint.
Thanks to Barry for sweeping and to all of the arrows.
Report by Clyde Kessel.
Hikers
Riders
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