Circling Wachusett Foliage Ride - October 10, 2018

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 10 October 2018: Richard Vignoni’s “Circling Wachusett Foliage Ride”
Ride Leaders:  Bob Apsler & Butch Pemstein
39 or 42 miles, 10:00 am start from West Sterling Athletic Field, Sterling, MA

Core Riders – 39 mi (10):  Butch, Arnie Zaff, Arthur Teepe, Chuck McWilliams, Ellen Gugel, Francie Sparks, Jim Whinfield, Richie Bisk, Selig Saltzman, and first-timer Rick Stimpfle.
Option 2 Riders – 42 mi - definite(8):  Bob, Beth Rosenzweig, Bill Lane, Everett Briggs, Gene Ho, Judith McMichael, Rochelle Holman, and Tom Fortmann.
Option 2 Riders – 42 mi - uncertain, but probable(9):  Bernie Flynn, Dave Balaban, Elizabeth Wicks, Frank Hubbard, Kathy Horvath, Maria Noya, Ray Komow, Ron Cater, and Wing Chow.

We rode on a spectacular “summer” day combined with fall colors and a beautiful sky.  Views of foliage, lakes, reservoirs, fields, and hills awed us from start to finish.  The ride began with a long climb that quickly led to splintering of the group (thus, ‘definite’ and ‘uncertain, but probable’ designations, above).  That climb prefaced one of the more challenging WW rides - one in which low gears proved useful on many sections.  A herd of small goats, which were blocking the road, delighted some of us and provided backdrop for photographers.

Lunch was moved to the front of the ski lodge, due to another group’s rental of the back area.  The climb, from the ski area to the summit of Mount Wachusett, gave us a good workout, provided marvelous views, and concluded with an exhilarating descent which required more caution than usual, due to wet sections.

Mishaps:  two women reported bee stings through their Lycra shorts; Bill Lane graciously scheduled his flat to occur at the Visitor Center, where we had scheduled a pit stop. Many thanks to Beth for arrowing 93% of the turns, and to Jim for sweeping the core ride.

Report by Bob Apsler.


The few miles returning from lunch to our cars, were made up of a long, looong uphill on Mirick Street, followed by a splendid downhill on Rte 62.  No mishaps or occurrences worthy of mention, except that your leader did in fact make one, but only one, error:  he turned left at a corner when the rest of the group knew that he ought to have turned right.

There may have been another rider, whose name I did not write down and cannot recall.  I am, however, quite sure that he enjoyed the ride!  Thanks to Jim for sweeping the core ride

Report by Butch Pemstein.