Adams & Wright Woods Hike - December 23, 2021

 HIKE REPORT

Thursday, 23 December 2021, Adams & Wright Woods Hike

Hike Co-leaders: Marie Keutmann & Richard Vignoni

~5.5 miles, 10:00 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (17):Marie, Richard, Adena Schutzberg, Betty Salzberg, Bill Widnall, Chris & Curt Dudley-Marling, Dmitry Gorenburg, Greg Stathis, Jack Mroczkowski, Janet Miller, Janet Westerhoff, Joel Bauman, Judith McMichael, Susan Sabin, Zach Woods, and first-timer Debby Sabin.

Seventeen hikers and three canines met at Red Rail Farm in Lincoln.  The mention of a bicycle race track in the ride announcement caught the attention of Larry Finison, a bicycle historian, who showed up at the ride start for a brief chat.

The hikers set out through the woods along the many ups and downs of the kettle holes left behind by glacial activity.  At the Velodrome we gave a brief talk about the history of the fairgrounds (see below), before we walked around the perimeter of the track.  We then worked our way over to a route along the Sudbury River and Fairhaven Bay which offered great views of the water, as well as a large stone chimney and stone boathouse.  From there it was back into the woods towards Walden Pond, then back to our cars.

The crisp temps and bright skies made for a great day of hiking, and we set a new WW record for dogs, both in numbers and in decibels.

Additional Information

Information on the racetrack fairgrounds:

The bicycle race track was part of the fairgrounds from the late 1800s. The track is about 500 feet in circumference and has a pronounced bank on one end. In its heyday, the fairground included a dance hall, restaurant, baseball field, a race track, and amusements. On weekends, people flocked by the thousands to “Lake Walden” on the Fitchburg train line to go boating, swimming, and to use the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds were built by the owners of the railroad to encourage ridership. There were several fires over the years, likely due to sparks from the steam locomotives, so in the early 1900s it ceased to exist. Today, the only visible remains are the race track and cleared ground between the trees.

Information on Wright woods where we hiked

Online Exhibition of Walden Pond images

Report by Marie Keutmann and Richard Vignoni.

Sixth annual Walden Pond Hike - December 15, 2021

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 15 December 2021, Sixth annual Walden Pond Hike

Hike Co-leaders:  Judith McMichael & Janet Miller

~5 miles, 10:00 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (20):  Judith, Janet, Barbara Jacobs, Bill Widnall, Curt Dudley-Marling, Greg Stathis, Joanne Samuels, Julie Dodd, Kathy Halmi, Marie Keutmann, Marlene Heroux, Richard Fortier, Richard Vignoni, Robin Frain, Rochelle Holman, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, Zach Woods, and first-timer Chris Dudley-Marling.

The sixth annual Walden Pond Hike was well-attended, with twenty hikers.  We had a comfortably cool day with some sun and little wind.  The beaver pond at Heywood’s Meadow didn’t disappoint.  We observed lots of recent beaver activity and two impressive lodges.  When we came out of the woods for our first glimpse of Walden Pond, it was a glimmer-glass, reflecting the tree-lined bank for 360°.  It was beautiful.   We visited Thoreau’s cabin site, and then proceeded to an area where Thoreau farmed beans and where his cabin was moved after he no longer lived in it.  The cellar hole is still visible.     

 

After a brief stop at the Walden Pond Visitor Center, where many of us got a souvenir tree “cookie:, three people decided to take a short cut to their cars.  The rest of us made our way to the top of Pine Hill and admired the distant view of Mt. Wachusett, which was visible through a gap in the trees.  We made it safely back to the parking lot and Janet delighted everyone with her homemade mince pies and Robin gave out German chocolates.  Fueled by those delicious treats, fifteen of us made our way to Verrill Farm for a loverly, long lunch in the greenhouse.

Report by Janet Miller & Judith McMichael.

Hike along Farrar Pond - December 8, 2021

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 8 December 2021, Hike along Farrar Pond

Hike Leader:  Marie Keutmann, assisted by Zoe

~4 miles, 10:30 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (18 humans, 1 dog):  Marie, Zoe, Barbara Jacobs, Betsy Harper, Butch Pemstein, Dan Nelson, David Wean, Gene Ho, Janet Miller, Joanne Samuels, John Nilsson, Marlene Heroux, Patrick Ward, Richard Fortier, Richard Vignoni, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, and first-timer Zach Woods.

Present at end of lunch:  Helen Greitzer.

In a normal year, pre-COVID, we would have had a ride, a hike, and then a Hanukkah Party afterward at our house, with typically fifty people coming to the party.  This year, we decided to forgo the party, have lunch at Verrill Farm after the hike, and not risk having fifty people in close quarters in the house.

   

The hikers and Zoe (labrador retriever) set out from Marie and Richard's house to hike along Farrar Pond.  We had some very nice views of the pond and took the boardwalk, created by beavers, over the marsh at the far end of the pond.  We looped back through a large open field and back into the woods to return to the start.  There was a lot of socializing on the trail, since it is easier to talk on a hike than on bikes.  Lunch after the hike at Verrill Farm was a delight, since we had the tables in the greenhouse to ourselves and there was plenty of room for fourteen of us.  Helen joined us late at Verrill while there were still a handful of us there.

Report by Marie Keutmann. 

Compass Ride - December 1, 2021

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 21 December 2021, Compass Ride

Ride Leader:  Jack Donohue?   Sweep:  Jack Donohue

31 miles, 10:00 am start from Bedford, MA

Riders (6):  Jack, Beth Rosenzweig, Betsy Harper, Frank Aronson, Jim Pearl, and Rudge McKenney.

On Wednesday morning I had six signups, one bailed, and Frank joined later.  At post time, I had one MIA, which is way better than two last week, and five actual riders vs one last week.  So things were improving, but, looking at the group, I could see trouble ahead.  I knew that most, or all, of them were faster than I, and making them ride at my snail's pace wasn't going to work out too well.

So I came up with plan B.  Beth had volunteered to be an advance arrow, so I would sweep instead.  This was, as they say on Survivor, a "game changer."  So I made sure that everyone had the route on their GPS device so that, come what may, no one would get lost.  This turned out to be a good decision, since right out of the gate, going up the hill on South Road, I was off the back.  Caught back up at the traffic light, but was immediately dropped on the next hill.  Everyone played nicely though, waiting for me as required.

So the nominal leader was relegated to sweep, and everyone took care of themselves.  This actually worked pretty well, arrows appeared where needed, Beth doing most of the work in that regard.

As advertised, we passed roads named for all four points of the compass, North, South, East and West.  We even threw in East Riding Road and South Chelmsford Road for good measure.  Towns in Massachusetts aren't very original in naming their roads, so this wasn't hard.  The other favorite is naming the road for the next town over.  So if you're on "Concord Road" you can be pretty sure you're not in Concord, but will be soon.

For me, the ride was a trip down memory lane, since it went on roads I used to ride commuting first in Westford, then down Rte 110 a bit in Littleton.  We went on Robin Hill Road, famous as the former abode of Pamela and John.  "Hill" in the road name is very appropriate for them.

We also rode the Bruce Freeman rail trail for a bit.  We didn't see a single other person on the path, though we weren't on it for long.

So, a good time was had by all, even though we didn't strictly follow the Wednesday Wheeler protocol.

Report by Jack Donohue.

 

Desperate Wheelers - November 24, 2021

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 24 November 2021, Desperate Wheelers

Ride Leaders: Jack Donohue/Wing Chow

Sweeps: Wing Chow/Jack Donohue
35 miles, 10:00 am start from Bedford, MA

Riders (2): Jack Donohue, Wing Chow.

This was almost "the Ride that Wasn't." My rider list that came out on Tuesday contained one rider besides me. Early Wednesday morning, said rider bailed. Was looking pretty lonely, until I checked the rides calendar, and two more riders had registered, plus a third who was having trouble with the signup. Wahoo! - beginning to look like a crowd. The throng dwindled as one emailed me that he wasn't coming. and two never showed by post time. This raises the philosophical question "What if you gave a ride and nobody came?" Is it still a ride? Fortunately, I didn't have to ponder this for very long as Wing showed up nearly on time.

(Note: I'm not really a zero tolerance about start time kind of guy, but my tolerance tends toward miniscule as the temperature drops. Good rule of thumb: wait x minutes beyond published start time (where x is temperature in degrees Celsius).

So Wing was appointed de facto sweep and the arrowing was flawless, which is to say non-existent. It was pretty cold and windy at the start and the first half of the ride was mainly into the wind. Wing took the lead now and again, hence the shared billing above.

We did not have a Wisteria Lane sighting as advertised. I was beginning to think I had imagined it, but thanks to Google, I found it off of Byam Road just around mile 16. OK, it's "Wisteria Road" not "Wisteria Lane," but close enough.

I wasn't able to manage the standard 13 mph pace, much less the "spirited" one, so I'm in jeopardy of being fired from WW leadership. We didn't stop anywhere and the group photo was a group selfie at the end.

Report by Jack Donohue.

Through the Woods and Over the River - Blue Hills and Neponset - November 17, 2021

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 17 November 2021, Through the Woods and Over the River - Blue Hills and Neponset
Ride Leaders: David Wean and Ron Beland
25 or 27 miles, 10:00 am start from Canton, MA

First, a public (dis)service announcement: For no-drop rides such as Wednesday Wheelers, we often try to accommodate folks who may find themselves a couple minutes late. This morning we waited in 30-ish degree weather for four people who had registered but did not show, at least by 10:15.When registering, the confirmation email says "If you need to cancel, contact the ride leader..." One rider canceled the night before, but none of the other four made any contact, though they had the ride leaders' phone numbers and emails from the announcement. 'Nuff said.

Riders - (9 minus 2 plus 1): David, Ron, Everett Briggs, Frank Aronson, Gerry Sheetoo, Greg Tobin, Julia Zhogina, Stuart Kaufman, Tom Allen, and Wing Chow.

Beginning with a rocky start (one rider showing up at last week's ride start, one with a non-fixable mechanical issue just as we began, and a third who decided after the wait and a half mile that they were just too cold to continue), we had a lovely romp through Canton, Quincy, Dorchester, Mattapan and Milton.

We warmed up with a climb to the overlook on Chickatawbut Road, speeding down the back side into Quincy. We cruised along Wollaston Beach, followed by a brief detour around Moswetuset Hummock (which detour exemplified the dictum that "if you get ahead of the ride leader, you're on your own"). On to Marina Bay for a water view and restroom stop, where we were joined by the rider who'd driven to the wrong ride start. Before riding along runway 14/32 of the former airfield at Squantum Point Park we caught a great view of the remaining gas tank, UMass, and the JFK Library, as well as (again) the Boston skyline. We crossed back on the Neponset Bridge, and viewed the estuary from the paths around Pope John Paul II Park. The Neponset Trail took us back along the "high speed trolley" line (the operators of the '40s era cars still ring the bell when you gesture up and down as they pass!) to Mattapan Square, from which we found our way back to the Blue Hills Reservation. Four of the eight remaining riders chose to climb the recently repaved access road to the top of Great Blue Hill, and lunch at Hillside Pub was enjoyed by the ride leaders and two riders.

 

Report by David Wean.

Blue Moon - November 10 , 2021

RIDE REPORT

Blue Moon - November 10, 2021

Ride Leaders: Linda Nelson & Betsy Harper

33 or 40 miles, 10:00 am starts from Medfield, MA

Riders - 33 mi (8): Linda, Barry Nelson, Francie Sparks, Gary Williams, John Kitchen, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, and first-timer Michael Lepie.

Riders - 40 mi (9): Betsy, Frank Aronson, Gerry Sheetoo, Joel Bauman, John Ho, Lindy King, Rochelle Holman, Ted Finch, and Wing Chow.

Eight riders opted for the 33-mile ride at the usual moderate WW pace. The warm weather was welcome, but it did become a bit windy towards the end of the ride. Many thanks to Gary and John Kitchen for taking more than half of the arrow positions during the ride, and thanks to Barry for being the sweep. The group kept discussing the yummy baked goods that awaited them at the Blue Moon bakery and, sure enough, there were plenty left when we arrived.

Report by Linda Nelson.

Nine riders opted for a 40-mile ride at a spirited pace. Betsy was nominally the group leader, but several others moved forward to lead and break the wind. We primarily rode together, which made for some nice group interactions. The day was gorgeous and the route was one of the nicest we've cycled this fall. Foliage colors have faded, but a warm 60 degrees and sunshine were welcoming.

Report by Betsy Harper.

Rides from Concord - November 3. 2021

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 3 November 2021, Rides from Concord

Ride Leaders:  Alan Cantor, Ted Finch & Tom Allen

46 or 31 miles, 9:30 & 10:00 am starts from Concord, MA

Riders - 46 mi (6):  Alan, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, Rochelle Holman, Tami Kellog, and Wing Chow.

Riders - 31 mi (14):  Ted, Tom, Barry Nelson, Beth Rosenzweig, Butch Pemstein, Don Mannes, Hugh Folsom, Jim Pearl, Kaz Zelny, Linda Nelson, Marc Baskin, Peggy Gelin, Selig Saltzman, and Susan Sabin.

A wonderful route with fantastic weather and the best riding partners anyone could ask for!

Report by Alan Cantor.

A group of (13 riders) left the Concord Visitor Center on a 31-mile ride, without its scheduled ride leader!  When the ride leader failed to appear at the ride start, Ted stepped up and offered a plan.  After a few miles, we stopped and saw a natural split in average speeds.  The faster group (five riders) stayed perfectly together without the need for human arrows.  It was a 40 degree, crisp, clear fall day enjoyed by this fun group. 

Report by Ted Finch.

After waiting in the Concord Visitor Center parking lot for about fifteen minutes after the designated start time for the 31-mile shorter ride option, the ride leader was declared MIA.  We decided to follow the route on our own as a number of us had the GPS route loaded.  After some indecision on the direction of the first turn out of the parking lot, we set out towards Lincoln for a designated rendezvous.

At that point, it became evident that we had two different pace preferences, so a faster group, led by Ted, set out ahead.  I led the group of nine that chose the standard WW pace.  The route was simple to follow once those of us with the RideWithGPS App learned to ignore the (seemingly random) voice directions that occasionally told us to take a sharp turn onto the road we were already on and then turn around.  [Tip:  always check your automatically generated cues.]

Weather was brisk and bright and everyone seemed to be adequately dressed, with the possible exception of one rider in shorts (see photo of our group at Sherman's Bridge).  Our group split at lunch, with some of us stopping at Verrill Farm for a sandwich and others heading directly back to Concord center.

Thanks to Kaz for sweeping, and to Jimmy White for an enjoyable route.  Sorry you missed it.

Report by Tom Allen.

Down Brown & Crossing Cisco - October 20, 2021

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 20 October 2021, Down Brown & Crossing Cisco

Ride Leaders:  Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd & Patrick Ward

33 or 29 miles, 10:00 am start from Stow, MA

Riders (35):  Judith, Julie, Patrick, Alan Cantor, Allison Easton, Barbara Martin, Barry Nelson, Betsy Harper, Celia Donatio, Dan Nelson, Dave Balaban, Dmitry Gorenburg, Don Mannes, Gary Williams, Herb Kavet, James Hsia, Jeanne McDermott, Jim Pearl, Joanne Samuels, Joel Bauman, Jonathan Kannair, Julia Zhogina, Kaz Zelny, Linda Nelson, Marc Baskin, Richard Vignoni, Rochelle Holman, Ron Marland, Sandy Gotlib, Susan Sabin, Tami Kellogg, Ted Finch, Tom Allen, Wing Chow, and first-timers Gary Anderson and Maya Mosyak.
Present at ride start:  Helen Greitzer.

Wednesday was a perfect day for the "Down Brown" ride, with beautiful sunshine, mild temps, and plenty of fall colors still on display.  The spirited group lived up to its billing, with at least half of the group going off the front from the start of the ride.  The majority of us regrouped for a short visit to Harvard Observatory on Pinnacle Road and then again at Bolton Orchards.  Most everyone had navigation, so we didn’t use human arrows.  Julie was the sweep and she escorted one rider back to the start after he chose to abandon the ride due to a health concern.  At that point, Barbara Martin took over as sweep.

Having completed her "medical" assist, Julie tried to use her Garmin and GPS to ride the route in reverse, but the Garmin kept directing her to the ride start or alerting her that she was off course.  Nevertheless, with directional help from a dog walker, she rejoined the route at Sugar Road and rode to the finish with Judith - plus, she added a couple of extra miles to her ride total.

There was a lot of animated socializing in the parking lot at the end of the ride, and a small group of the short and longer-route riders enjoyed lunch together at Emma’s.

Thanks to all riders for their participation and, especially, to Julie and Barbara for sweeping.

Report by Judith McMichael.

Billed as a fun ride in beautiful weather, the 29-mile "Crossing Cisco" route followed the traditional Wednesday Wheeler pace and human arrow system.  It all worked well for our fairly large group.

I encouraged riders to pass me, if they wished, on the climb up Stow Road and the long downhill into Littleton.  Although our group was spread out, I doubt that anyone felt at risk of being dropped, thanks to solid work by the arrows and Gary Williams as sweep.

We had no incidents, except when we regrouped at the entrance to Carlson Orchards.  It turned out that the somewhat irritated driver trying to turn in to the orchard was the owner himself!  Next time we regroup across the street.

Everyone appeared to enjoy the ride.  Several stayed for an outdoor lunch at the bicyclist-friendly Emma’s Café.

Report by Patrick Ward.

Circling Wachusett Foliage Ride - October 13 , 2021

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 13 October 2021, Circling Wachusett Foliage Ride (with remote start option)

Ride Leaders:  Richard Vignoni, Wing Chow & Judith McMichael

39 miles, 10:00 am start from Sterling, MA

    or 63 miles, 8:50 am start from Bolton, MA

Riders - 39 mi (11):  Wing, Richard, Ellen Gugel, Francie Sparks, Frank Hubbard, Harriet Fell, John Ho, Kaz Zelny, Mike Barry, Ray Komow, and Robin Frain.

Riders - 63 mi (12):  Judith, Adam Walpert, Beth Rosenzweig, Bob Apsler, Elizabeth Wicks, Gene Ho, Gerry Sheetoo, Jerry Skurla, Lindy King, Maria Noya, Rochelle Holman, and first-timer Jonathan Kannair.

Eleven remote-start riders, led by Judith McMichael, headed out of the Forbush Mill Road parking lot in Bolton for the eleven-mile journey to join up with the core riders in Sterling.  After a brief orientation talk, a spirited-pace group, led by Wing Chow, started out over the many hills of the core loop.  Five minutes later, a more relaxed-pace group of twelve riders, led by Richard, followed in their tracks.  FYI, three riders were on e-bikes.

Lunch was bring-your-own at the bottom of the ski area.  A few riders went up Mile Hill Road.  Upon their return, we headed back to our cars in Sterling, where Judith gathered the remote start riders and led them back to Bolton.

The route lived up to its billing as being very hilly and beautiful.  The weather was near perfect, making up for the foliage that was not yet near its peak.

Report by Richard Vignoni.

It was a beautiful day and a great-looking route, then it all went awry.  The very first climb broke my group apart.  I decided to lower my pace and wound up between the very-spirited riders and the rest of the group.  Nine miles in, I waited for the riders behind me to catch up.  Informed that there were more stragglers, I had a snack and waited some more.

I then recalled that I was a co-leader and made all haste to catch up to my group.  I managed to reach the very-spirited riders as they climbed to the ski lodge parking lot.  At this point, my group split into two - those who stopped for lunch and a few that wished to continue riding.  So I led this much smaller group back to the start in Sterling.

[Coordinator's note:  All's well that ends well.]

Report by Wing Chow.

Weston by Northweston - October 6, 2021

 RIDE REPORT

 

Wednesday, 6 October 2021, Weston by Northweston

Ride Leaders:  Wes DeNering & Betsy Harper

35 mi, 10:00 am start from Weston, MA

Riders (19):  Wes, Betsy, Alan Cantor, Barry Nelson, Beth Rosenzweig, Butch Pemstein, Dave Balaban, Dmitry Gorenburg, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, Harriet Fell, Jim Pearl, John Allen, Julia Zhogina, Linda Nelson, Neil Martin, Rochelle Holman, Ted Finch, and Wing Chow.

I went through a bunch of really bad ride name choices before settling on a bit of a take on Hitchcock’s North by Northwest for the name of the ride (perhaps still bad, but what can you do).  Now, as I sit here trying to come up with a good writeup for the ride, and even though I’ve consumed some bourbon (voluntarily), I’m realizing that connecting that movie to this ride is almost impossible.  Even if golf balls were raining down on you on Meadowbrook Road (they were not), it does not compare to being buzzed by a cropdusting plane, so I’ll give up, and play it straight. 

 

We had quite the varied group at the start as far as relative speed, so I was quite happy that my friend, Betsy, had volunteered to lead a faster group.  Of the nineteen riders, ten opted for this quicker pace.  Her report was that these riders rode as a group and wound up averaging about 15.5 mph.  They opted not to stop at the designated lunch venue near the end of the ride.

The rest of us rode at a leisurely pace, enjoying the surprisingly quiet, nicely wooded roads and bike trails of Weston, Wayland, and Sudbury, as well as the lovely 68F temperature.  At about 22 miles, we stopped at Lincoln-Sudbury High School for a short break, and then continued on to "Ponyhenge" for a group photo.  We then rode on to the near-the-end Waltham lunch stop choices of AK’s of Waltham or the South Street Café.  We all chose AK’s, as they had plenty of outdoor seating, which was very attractive given the temperature of 74F and bright sunshine.  I was very happy with my meatball sub, and others said they very much liked the food they chose.  We then finished with two miles back to the parking lot. 

Thanks to Butch for sweeping.

Report by Wes DeNering.

"To the End of the World and Back" or "To Hull in a Handbasket" - September 29, 2021

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 29 September 2021, "To the End of the World and Back" or "To Hull in a Handbasket"

Ride Leaders:  David Wean (assisted by Ron Beland) & Bob Apsler

27 & 39 mi, 10:00 am start from Hingham, MA

Riders - 27 mi (7):  David, Ron, Ann Northup, Marie Keutmann, Stuart Kaufman, Susan Sabin, and first-timer Dan Nelson.

Riders - 39 mi (5):  Bob, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, John Ho, and Wing Chow.

After the first few miles on the road, we began our tour de parks, starting with Osprey Overlook Park, before climbing through Great ("more than just pretty good") Esker Park and meandering through Bare Cove Park, the three parks framing the Back River estuary which divides Weymouth and Hingham.  Continuing by road through downtown Hingham, we made our way to World's End (admission fee, but fortunately we had enough Trustees of Reservations membership cards between us) where some of us enjoyed water views while riding the Olmsted-designed dirt and gravel carriage paths, while others chose to spare their tires and stroll instead.  From there we cruised Jerusalem Road and Atlantic Avenue in Cohasset, passing "some ok houses," and enjoying lunch from the Fresh Feast in downtown Cohasset.  A new return route into Wompatuck (our fifth park of the day) used the Whitney Spur Rail Trail.  Low average speed, but high average enjoyment.

 

Finally, Bob says that I messed up with the temperature at the start of the ride - too cold (!!).  I'll try to do better next time.

Report by David Wean.

Six miles into the ride, David suggested that the long riders could head off on their own.  And the five of us did so on a spectacularly beautiful day.  The outbound ride to the tip of Hull was uneventful except for the lunch stop at Fort Revere park, where we lounged in the sun while enjoying panoramic views.  Two riders headed back early, leaving three of us returning from the tip of Hull to share the amazing views of Boston, Hingham, and World’s End on a clear day, with a perfect mixture of puffy white clouds scattered about the blue sky.  Jerusalem Road and Atlantic Avenue provided the final scenic treats of magnificent homes, beautiful landscapes, beaches, and an inland “lake” connected to the ocean.

Report by Bob Apsler.