Southeast from Jack's Abby beer hall - July 6, 2016

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, July 6, 2016, Southeast from Jack’s Abby Beerhall
Ride Leaders:  Bob Wolf & Clyde Kessel
37 and 47 miles from Jack’s Abby Beerhall parking lot, Framingham MA

Riders - 37 mi (15):  Bob, Andy Brand, Ann Northup, Butch Pemstein, Chris Schuch, Chuck McWilliams, David Wean, Don Buchholtz, Don Mannes, Ellen Gugel, Herb Kavet, Janet Miller, Susan Sabin, Veronica Vedensky, and Wing Chow.
Riders - 47 mi (16):  Clyde, Barbara Martin, Bernie Flynn, Bill Lane, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dom Jorge, Everett Briggs, Frank Hubbard, Julie Dodd, Kim Wach, Marc Baskin, Rick Carlson, Rick Lawrence, Steve Bogue, Steve Carlson, and Tim Jacoby.
Present at lunch:  Helen Greitzer.

Those that hate the cold lucked out, as we had the hottest day of 2016 to date.  That said, it was hot, if breezy and dry, and a few folks that might have done the longer ride opted to go short.  Initially we stayed together fairly tightly, with the weather offset by the shade afforded by the route, despite best efforts of the gypsy moths (actually, their larvae) that dotted the roads.  But eventually, the temps took their toll on some.  Mid-ride we added a detour to Dover center to replenish liquids.  Butch helped one rider avoid some miles, and we regrouped frequently without complaint from most riders.

The beerhall was a welcomed finish, with the big winners being German IPL, Smoke and Dagger, Hibiscus Blood Orange Leisure Time, and the air conditioning.  Lunch was good as well.

Thanks to Butch and Don Buchholtz for sweeping, and to the many arrows we never ran out of.

Ride report by Bob Wolf.

It was a hot day so the folks who opted for the long ride were the ones who are able to do a long ride on a hot day.  That was both the theory and, in this case, practice.  Combine that with the fact that the humidity was not oppressive and the result was a moderately fast ride without folks suffering too much from the heat.  We did take a rest stop every ten miles, including a long one with a water spigot at the halfway point, so maybe that helped as well.  Several of the riders did report a very high water consumption.

On the way, we came across Marc Baskin who joined us by riding the route backwards until we met.  Similarly, we passed David Wean riding the other way but he was looking for the short group, not us.

Somewhere in the Norfolk area we were surrounded (engulfed? inundated? smothered?) by moths.  I wonder if they were gypsy moths, since I heard a report a few days ago that there was a terrible gypsy moth resurgence in some areas this year.  Apparently, the dry weather has killed the fungus which normally keeps the moths in check.

Thanks to Rick Carlson for sweeping, to Frank Hubbard for finding the rest stop with water, and to all the arrows.

Ride report by Clyde Kessel.