Harvard Golden Run - March 23, 2022

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 23 March 2022, Harvard Golden Run

Ride Leader:  Tom Allen

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

Riders (6):  Tom, Alan Cantor, Annemarie Altman, Betsy Harper, Clyde Kessel, and Gerry Sheetoo.

Five of the seven who registered for this ride were present for a chilly start, but the day was bright and we all warmed up as we tackled the hills.  We rode pretty much as a group and didn't deploy any arrows.

We skipped the optional stop at the Harvard General Store, but did pause for a photo at the top of Prospect Hill. Riders were (left to right in photo) Tom, Annemarie, Alan, Betsy, Gerry, and Clyde.  Two of us stayed for lunch at the Stow Cafe while the rest went their ways to attend to various matters.

Thanks to Clyde for sweeping.

Waltham – On and Off the Western Greenway - March 16, 2022

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 16 March 2022, Waltham – On and Off the Western Greenway

Hike Leaders:  Barbara Jacobs & Ted Nyder

5 miles, 10:00 am start from Waltham, MA

Hikers (14):  Barbara, Ted, Ann Northup, Betsy Harper, Jack Mroczkowski, Judy Perrin, Marie Keutmann, Marlene Heroux, Mike Hanauer, Richard Vignoni, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Zach Woods, and first-timer Sharon Ellis.

We had a lovely five-mile hike on the Western Greenway and carriage roads of Waltham and Belmont.  The hike took us through the old lands of the Metropolitan State Hospital, around Waltham and into Belmont, with a loop around Rock Meadows and into the Audubon Habitat.  It is an amazing area with a lot of history, including the MetFern Cemetery which has 296 graves of forgotten persons, from Metropolitan State Hospital and The Fernald School, buried in the woods of Waltham.  The people of the MetFern Cemetery - a name which is a combination of the two institution’s names - were buried between 1947 and 1979.  Their bodies are segregated by religion in a place that was designed to accept only two faiths.  There is a Catholic side and a Protestant side, yet, according to the website, there is a Muslim man buried here and there are Jews as well.  For more information see the website developed by students at Gann Academy in Waltham:  https://www.metferncemetery.org/

Report by Barbara Jacobs.

Sherborn Norfolk Ride - March 16, 2022

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 16 March 2022, Sherborn Norfolk Ride

Ride Leader:  Alan Cantor

34 miles, 10:00 am start from Sherborn, MA

Riders (2):  Alan, Gerry Sheetoo.

Gerry and I had a wonderful ride on a cool and damp day.

Report by Alan Cantor. 

Lincoln - Off the Beaten Path - March 9, 2022

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 9 March 2022, Lincoln - Off the Beaten Path

Hike Leader:  Marie Keutmann

4.5 miles, 10:00 am start from Lincoln, MA

Hikers (13 human + 1 canine):  Marie & Zoe, Ann Northup, Barbara Jacobs, Clyde Kessel, Dan Nelson, Gerry Sheetoo, Jack Mroczkowski, Janet Miller, Richard Vignoni, Ted Nyder, Zach Woods, and first-timers Judy Perrin and Rick Ward. 

The weather forecast was threatening, but we set off hoping to beat any precipitation.  As advertised, all but a few got to experience trails they had never been on, including one current Lincoln resident (Zach) and one former longtime resident (Janet).  The hike was a large loop, combining open fields, horses, backyards, woods, and the grounds of the deCordova Museum, before heading back into the woods to return to The Pierce House and our cars.  We beat the snow by about an hour, so everyone could safely return home. 

Report by Marie Keutmann.

Roller Coaster Hike - March 2, 2022

 HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 2 March 2022, Roller Coaster Hike

Hike Leader:  Jack Mroczkowski

3.7 miles, 10:00 am start from Concord, MA

Hikers (9):  Jack, Bob and Carol Anderson, Clyde Kessel, David Wean, Marie Keutmann, Richard Vignoni, Rochelle Holman, and Ron Beland.

For most of the attendees, this was a first time visit to the area.  That factor, together with the interesting nature of the terrain, made for a particularly enjoyable experience.  We had pretty much everything that makes a hike interesting:  ponds, trees, meadows, twists and turns, the Concord River with lots of Canada geese, several small hills, and a nice day.  The hike was measured by someone to be 3.7 miles long, but in the well-packed snow it seemed more equivalent to a six mile hike.

There was one strange accident near the end of hike (the victim agreed to be named). The shoe lace loop from one of Marie's boots got caught on the lace hooks of the other boot. The sudden constraint on foot movement resulted in a violent crash to the ground!  This was sufficient to set off her Apple 7 watch alarm messaging "Do you need help?", together with a watch vibration.  Marie quickly declined help (she was not injured), but if she had ignored these messages (perhaps from being unconscious), a 911 alert with our location would have been sent out - and we would have been met by a police car and ambulance at the trailhead parking lot!

Report by Jack Mroczkowski.

Photo courtesy of David Wean.