Circling Wachusett Foliage Ride - October 12, 2016

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 12 October 2016, Circling Wachusett Foliage Ride

Ride Leader:  Bob Apsler
Core Ride:  39 miles from West Sterling Athletic Field, Sterling,MA

Remote Start:  62 miles from Forbush Mill Road Soccer Field, Bolton, MA.
Optional climbs – see below (65 miles with all options).

Riders - 39 mi (11):  Dom Jorge, Doug Hobkirk, Ellen Gugel, Francie Sparks, Julie Dodd, Kaz Zelny, Pat Schindeler, Richard Lawrence, Rudge McKenney, Tom Lucas, and Winslow Green.
Riders - 62 mi (5):  Bob, Barbara Martin, Curt Dudley-Marling, Everett Briggs, and Gene Ho.

A perfect, glorious day of riding!  Sun + minimal wind + fall leaves near peak color + temperatures starting at 50 degrees for the remote starters and rising into the mid-60s + lovely routes laid out by Richard Vignoni = an ideal WW outing.

Challenging climbs warmed the self-selected riders, but failed to spread out the group more than a modest amount.  Many riders commented on the lovely route and riding conditions.

All but one rider enjoyed the exhilarating descent to the Wachusett ski area for lunch.  Her chain wrap required more than the usual tug and ended her riding.  Rumor had it that her husband planned on joining her for lunch, though he might have switched from motorcycle to auto in order to pick up the bicycle.

We ate the lunches we brought, sitting in the sun at tables behind the ski lodge.  Core riders waited for the climbers’ return, but justifiably grew impatient after a respectable delay and took advantage of the ride leader’s suggestion that they make their own way back to the start.

Thanks to Kaz for sweeping the core ride.

Report by Bob Apsler.

The remote start offered more of the same superb riding conditions and some other possibilities.

CLIMB TO THE VISITORS CENTER & BACK:  +2 miles (n=8) - Bob, Everett Briggs, Francie Sparks, Gene Ho, Julie Dodd, Pat Schindeler, Rick Lawrence, Tom Lucas.  Climbers who took advantage of this option benefited from a brief rest provided by the lunch stop.  Nevertheless, most of us needed our lowest gear for the entire mile at a reputed 9% grade.

CLIMB FROM VISITORS CENTER TO SUMMIT & BACK:  +2 miles (n=4) - Bob, Everett Briggs, Gene Ho, Rick Lawrence.  At lunch, Everett insisted that riding near Mt. Wachusett during the fall spectacle of color necessitates taking in the view from the summit.  Four riders succumbed to his exhortations and made the demanding trek to the summit.  The clear air and beautiful day easily justified the effort.

CLIMB BACK UP TO THE VISITORS CENTER:  +1 mile (n=3) - Bob, Everett Briggs, Gene Ho.  The summit riders had flown back down to the ski lodge to learn if any core riders remained.  Finding none, Everett persuaded two others that climbing back up to the Visitors Center would reward us with a descent superior to that followed by the core riders.  So back up we went.  And, in fact, we enjoyed yet another exhilarating descent at substantially high velocity.

Reports by Bob Apsler.