Martha's Vineyard Tour - September 6, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 6 September 2023, Martha's Vineyard Tour

Ride leader:  Tom Allen

45 miles, 10:30 am start from Oak Bluffs, MA

Riders (7):  Tom, Bob Cheney, Dale Ferguson, Frank Aronson, Lisa Cheney, Renee Rees, and Romaine Randall.

I met five WWs, coming on two different ferries, in Oak Bluffs.  One rider was not registered and the sixth was missing from the group.

We started out around East Chop and headed over the drawbridge toward Vineyard Haven, where we found our missing rider (Frank).  Since he had missed the 9:30 am ferry to Oak Bluffs, he took the 9:50 boat to Vineyard Haven.  It was a lucky meetup. [See note below.]

From Vineyard Haven we headed up-island toward Menemsha, but we veered off before reaching the fishing village because the little bike ferry had ceased weekday operation for the season.  Then heading back to the east we enjoyed the ups and downs of Middle Road and proceeded through West Tisbury village center.

We then picked up the state forest bike path, with multiple dips as we crossed the glacial "bottoms" which are channels carved by meltwater runoff from the glaciers of 20,000 years ago.  (Martha's Vineyard did not become an island until several thousand years later, as glaciers further north melted and the sea level rose more than 300 feet.)

We continued east towards Edgartown and were treated to the spectacle of a series of single engine airplanes flying over our heads and landing on the grass runway at the Katama Airfield.  We lunched, at the Seafood Shanty in Edgartown, on lobster rolls and fish sandwiches.  Checking the time, we decided that we could perhaps be back in Oak Bluffs in time for 3:45 pm ferry departures, so we hustled and succeeded in getting everyone on their respective boats back to the mainland.

Everyone thought that the ride was much fun, and the heat was manageable owing to shaded road and bike ways.

Note:  If you are going to do a ride, especially one with unfamiliar elements, please read (and keep handy) the announcement email.  Frank would have understood how the ferry ticketing worked and saved himself a bit of woe.  Also, the ride leader's phone number is part of the announcement.  (He fruitlessly emailed me with his ferry problem, but ride leaders can't check emails while leading.)

Finally, please register for rides you attend.  I contacted the registrants with the updated route.  The non-registered rider didn't get that notice (in this case, no harm done).

Report by Tom Allen.