Assabet River Beach Bash - June 20, 2018

RIDE REPORTS


Wednesday, 20 June 2018, Assabet River Beach Bash
Ride Leaders:  Bill Lane & Tom Fortmann

39 or 27 miles, 10:00 & 10:30 am starts from Concord Town Parking Lot, Concord, MA

Riders – 39 mi (23):  Tom, Barry Kaditz, Bill Umphrey, Bill Wachur, Bob Apsler, Brett Serkez, Catherine Schroeder, Celia Donatio, Dave Balaban, Ellen Gugel, Herb Kavet, Jack Donohue, Julie Dodd, Kathy Horvath, Kevin Donnelly, Marc Baskin, Mike Byrne, Neil Martin, Ron Marland, Sandy Gotlib, Tim Wilson, Tom Wolf, and Wing Chow.

Riders – 27 mi (21):  Bill, Ann Northup, Bill Widnall, Butch Pemstein, David Kobes, Emily McPhillips, Harriet Fell, Ilkka Suvanto, Janet Miller, Jeff Smith, Jim Whinfield, Lisa Najavits, Nancy Schlecht, Patrick Ward, Robert Wilson, Robyn Maislin, Rochelle Holman, Sally Chapman, Susan Sabin, and first-timers Arnie Zaff and Joni Syrotick.

Present at lunch:  Steve Kolek.

39 miles - We traversed familiar Strawberry Hill and Newtown Roads, through Concord and Acton to Westford.  We then began climbing through Graniteville to reach the radars and radio telescopes on Millstone and Haystack Hills, with a view like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”  The weather was excellent, the pace brisk, and the only mechanical problem was a dislodged chain which was quickly fixed.

The return through Westford and Chelmsford included a special treat of freshly paved roads.  The only delays were another dislodged chain, requiring removal of the rear wheel (the first rule of a major chain malfunction), and a wait for a very long train. We arrived at Bill’s house shortly after 1:00 pm, more or less on schedule.

Thanks to Kathy who performed admirably as sweep, keeping the pack (mostly) together and reporting status to the leading group.  The sweep thanks all of the arrows, especially those caught on the other side of the train tracks.

Report by Tom Fortmann & Kathy Horvath.


27 miles - At the ride start, Ann Northrup announced that Winslow Green was having surgery that day. Winslow, a longtime PMC rider was co-founder of this Beach Bash, co-leading the ride for eleven years from Plymouth and Concord.  We all wish him well and the speediest of recoveries.

With the weather powers on our side, we set out on familiar roads from Concord, through Acton on Newtown Road, to the back of Nagog Pond. At this point, with our pace at a respectable WW average of 13.1 mph, we had regrouped twice and it became clear that one rider, new to the Wheelers, was slower than the rest of the group.  Ever the gentleman and now nominated for sainthood by the ride leader, Bill Widnall offered to take over riding with her separately, and to bring them both safely to lunch at our 1:15 pm ETA.  They arrived at lunch an hour later than the rest of us, full of stories of their epic journey up the new section of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, complete with pond visits, encounters with snapping turtles, and other wildlife wonders. Meanwhile, the short ride continued to a brief rest stop at Heart Pond and then headed back through quiet roads in Carlisle to Concord. There were no mechanicals.

Many thanks to those who arrowed and especially to Butch Pemstein for sweeping.

Back at our home, twenty-seven attended lunch, overlooking the Assabet River on a glorious afternoon.  We thank everyone for their extraordinary generosity.  We will be able to contribute $304 to the PMC, a record for this ride.  Finally, thank you to my wife, Connie, for her behind the scenes work in laying out the lunch.

Report by Bill Lane.

At Haystack Observatory