RIDE REPORT
Wednesday, 12 April 2017, Early Spring Ride from Littleton
Ride Leader: Lindy King
29 or 52 miles, 10:00 am start from Castle in the Trees Playground parking lot, Littleton, MA
Riders - 52 mi (2): Lindy, Fred Vaughn.
Riders - 29 mi (14): Chuck McWilliams, Clyde Kessel, David Fay, Gardner Gray, James Hsia, Jeff Smith, Jim Mayer, Julie Dodd, Ray Komow, Ron Cater, Roy Westerberg, Tod Cochran, Tom Lucas, and Wing Chow.
Riders - other (2): Barbara Martin, Ken Hablow.
This very congenial group of cyclists rode along the roads of Littleton, through Acton, past Nashoba Fruit Farm, and up and down the Nagog Hills. It was quite warm and sunny at the start, despite the threat of rain later in the day. We came upon Barb and Ken while crossing onto Strawberry Hill Road and proceeded along lovely back roads, through Concord and around Carlisle, to an agreed upon group stop at Great Brook Farm, where we hung out for a few minutes. Clyde had remoted from home, so that was the last we saw of him! The ride rolled along through Chelmsford and Westford, and returned to Littleton under forboding skies. Unfortunately, Roy had a flat a few miles from the end, but, with the assistance of Tom Lucas, was able to fix it before David drove his car back to help.
Many thanks to all the human arrows, especially Julie and Ron who get extra kudos for not abandoning their posts while waiting for Roy and Tom to ride through!!! We climbed over 1800’ on the regular ride, and almost 3000’ on the extended ride which was quite an adventure for Fred and Lindy, as the temperature dropped and the pelting rain descended. Both arrived at the end, happy but soggy.
Ride report by Lindy King.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Blue Moon Bagel Ride - April 5, 2017
RIDE REPORT
Wednesday, 5 April 2017, Blue Moon Bagel Ride
Ride Leader: Barry Nelson
40 miles, 10:00 am start from Blue Moon Bagel Cafe parking lot, Medfield, MA
Riders (8): Barry, Barbara Martin, Butch Pemstein, Curt Dudley-Marling, Marc Baskin, Selig Saltzman, Steve Carlson, and Tom Lucas.
With a small group of riders, we dispensed with human arrows. Tom volunteered to be sweep, but was never called upon to fulfill that role.
The group lacked discipline and riders frequently went in front of the leader, especially on the hills. There was no problem staying together until five miles from the end, when one fast rider was speeding down the last hill at almost 40 mph and missed the right turn at he bottom. After waiting sixteen minutes at the missed turn, we abandoned him and never saw him again during the ride. He did find his way back to lunch, however, since he knew the highlight of the ride was the Blue Moon.
After a fantastic lunch, Barbara and Marc rode home, ending up with over 66 miles each on a cold, cloudy day.
Ride report by Barry Nelson.
Wednesday, 5 April 2017, Blue Moon Bagel Ride
Ride Leader: Barry Nelson
40 miles, 10:00 am start from Blue Moon Bagel Cafe parking lot, Medfield, MA
Riders (8): Barry, Barbara Martin, Butch Pemstein, Curt Dudley-Marling, Marc Baskin, Selig Saltzman, Steve Carlson, and Tom Lucas.
With a small group of riders, we dispensed with human arrows. Tom volunteered to be sweep, but was never called upon to fulfill that role.
The group lacked discipline and riders frequently went in front of the leader, especially on the hills. There was no problem staying together until five miles from the end, when one fast rider was speeding down the last hill at almost 40 mph and missed the right turn at he bottom. After waiting sixteen minutes at the missed turn, we abandoned him and never saw him again during the ride. He did find his way back to lunch, however, since he knew the highlight of the ride was the Blue Moon.
After a fantastic lunch, Barbara and Marc rode home, ending up with over 66 miles each on a cold, cloudy day.
Ride report by Barry Nelson.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Ashland and Beyond - March 29, 2017
RIDE REPORT
Wednesday, 29 March 2017, Ashland and Beyond
Ride Leader: Alan Cantor
37 miles, 10:00 am start from Shaw's Plaza parking lot, Ashland, MA
Riders (11): Alan, Dmitry Gorenburg, Frank Hubbard, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Kim Wach, Marc Baskin, Mike Byrne, Richard Vignoni, Rick Carlson, and Russ Keene.
Ten intrepid riders joined me for a wonderful romp through southern Metrowest. The roads were wet and the temperatures cool, but this did not deter these wonderful people.
With this small a peloton and judging the riding abilities to be pretty much even, we rode without a sweep and did not arrow. This proved to work, as we needed only a couple of regroups. There was one mechanical issue when Rick’s crank arm almost came off his bike. This caused a delayed arrival of Russ and Rick at the only long stop we took. No big deal here, as Russ had the tools to make the on-road repair.
A grand time was had by all. Four riders stayed in the area to enjoy local cuisine for lunch.
Ride report by Alan Cantor.
Wednesday, 29 March 2017, Ashland and Beyond
Ride Leader: Alan Cantor
37 miles, 10:00 am start from Shaw's Plaza parking lot, Ashland, MA
Riders (11): Alan, Dmitry Gorenburg, Frank Hubbard, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Kim Wach, Marc Baskin, Mike Byrne, Richard Vignoni, Rick Carlson, and Russ Keene.
Ten intrepid riders joined me for a wonderful romp through southern Metrowest. The roads were wet and the temperatures cool, but this did not deter these wonderful people.
With this small a peloton and judging the riding abilities to be pretty much even, we rode without a sweep and did not arrow. This proved to work, as we needed only a couple of regroups. There was one mechanical issue when Rick’s crank arm almost came off his bike. This caused a delayed arrival of Russ and Rick at the only long stop we took. No big deal here, as Russ had the tools to make the on-road repair.
A grand time was had by all. Four riders stayed in the area to enjoy local cuisine for lunch.
Ride report by Alan Cantor.
Great Brook Ski/Showshoe - March 15, 2017
SKI/SNOWSHOE REPORT
Wednesday 15 March 2017, XC Skiing & Snowshoeing at Great Brook Farm
XC Ski Leader: Janet Miller
6.1 miles, 10:15 am start from Great Brook Farm Ski Touring Center, Carlisle, MA
Snowshoe Leaders: Clyde Kessel and Mike Hanauer
2.8 miles, 10:15 am start from Great Brook Farm Ski Touring Center, Carlisle, MA
XC Skiers (7): Janet, Alan Fierce, Chuck McWilliams, Marie Keutmann, Robyn Maislin, Russ Keene, and Susan Sabin.
Snowshoers (5): Clyde, Mike, Adele Ferreira, Jack Mroczkowski, and Patrick Ward.
Seven WWs set out on the groomed cross country ski trails on the east side of Lowell Street at about the same time as the snowshoers. The temperature was in the low 20s and the snow was somewhat crusty, so the trail grooming was somewhat rough in places, making for more challenging skiing. Russ was skate-skiing and found that he could do that on the ungroomed areas of the fields, as he just stayed on top of the snow, which had a thin layer of powder over the crust. We mostly skied the perimeter loop in a clockwise direction. The Woodchuck Trail proved most difficult and several skiers fell there (some more than once). Unfortunately, the frame of Chuck’s glasses broke when he fell, which meant that he was left with only one lens. Without good depth perception, he opted to take a shortcut back to the Ski Center, where the rest of us met up with him after we returned. Thanks to Russ for recording the route on RideWithGPS https://ridewithgps.com/trips/13409659?privacy_code=LS6zUnFwI2WmsNi5, which showed that we skied 6.1 miles and ascended/descended 332 ft.
XC Ski report by Janet Miller.
Five WWs set out on snowshoes about 15 minutes late, largely due to a traffic jam in Carlisle - two snow plows had collided and blocked Lowell Street for a short while. The portion of the park that lies west of Lowell Street allows all forms of recreation without charge, so that is where we headed. For the first part of the hike, we followed the snowshoe tracks someone else had left. After that, it was the tracks of an early morning skier, as well as those of a deer which had clearly taken advantage of the skier’s tracks. Most of us found that our snowshoes would sink into the snow - Adele, however, seemed to be a talented floater.
In the sun, it was quite warm, but in the woods, especially if you caught the wind, it was a bit chilly. Finally, we came to virgin snow and were on our own navigation. There were no blazes to be seen, so navigating was, occasionally, tricky. There were a couple of times when we were bushwhacking off the trail, although it didn’t really make much difference. Along the way we spotted a pileated woodpecker and a hawk which was harder to identify, since we could only see its white underside.
Here is our route: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/13413686
Snowshoe report by Clyde Kessel and Mike Hanauer.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Medfield State Hospital Ride - March 8, 2017
RIDE REPORT
Wednesday, 8 March 2017, Late Winter Ride to Medfield State Hospital
Ride Leader: Susan Sabin
25 miles, 10:00 am start from leader's home, Wellesley, MA
Riders (8): Susan, Butch Pemstein, Gary Smiley, Gene Ho, Richard Mandel, Selig Saltzman, Tom Allen, and first-timer Ken Halpern.
Present at lunch: Don Mannes.
The rain had just stopped when we assembled, and the sun finally shone on the way back, but the temps were mild all the way. Medfield State Hospital campus is a fascinating ghost town - and we were lucky to be able to get inside the chapel, which was being worked on as we spoke outside it.
By chance the leader had encountered the head of the grounds crew when she scouted the ride, so she was armed with much more information than expected. In addition, Selig had some memories of the place, as his father had worked as a doctor there and lived on campus with his young family. Selig was between five and six years old at the time.
In addition to touring the campus, we also stopped at the cemetery grounds which many of you have seen in the past.
We had one flat, full attendance at lunch, and a delightful day.
Report by Susan Sabin.
Photo of interior of chapel courtesy of Tom Allen. NOTE - all lower windows are boarded up with plywood. Upper ones had recently had the plywood covers replaced with plexi, so that the building can be more easily inspected as decisions are made about its future.
Ride start photo courtesy of Don Mannes.
Wednesday, 8 March 2017, Late Winter Ride to Medfield State Hospital
Ride Leader: Susan Sabin
25 miles, 10:00 am start from leader's home, Wellesley, MA
Riders (8): Susan, Butch Pemstein, Gary Smiley, Gene Ho, Richard Mandel, Selig Saltzman, Tom Allen, and first-timer Ken Halpern.
Present at lunch: Don Mannes.
The rain had just stopped when we assembled, and the sun finally shone on the way back, but the temps were mild all the way. Medfield State Hospital campus is a fascinating ghost town - and we were lucky to be able to get inside the chapel, which was being worked on as we spoke outside it.
By chance the leader had encountered the head of the grounds crew when she scouted the ride, so she was armed with much more information than expected. In addition, Selig had some memories of the place, as his father had worked as a doctor there and lived on campus with his young family. Selig was between five and six years old at the time.
In addition to touring the campus, we also stopped at the cemetery grounds which many of you have seen in the past.
We had one flat, full attendance at lunch, and a delightful day.
Report by Susan Sabin.
Photo of interior of chapel courtesy of Tom Allen. NOTE - all lower windows are boarded up with plywood. Upper ones had recently had the plywood covers replaced with plexi, so that the building can be more easily inspected as decisions are made about its future.
Ride start photo courtesy of Don Mannes.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Rattlesnake Ramble - March 2, 2017
HIKE REPORT
Thursday, 2 March 2017, Rattlesnake Ramble
Hike Leader: Winslow Green
~4.7 miles, 10:00 am start from Rte 117, Bolton, MA
Hikers (5): Winslow, Betsy Taylor, Gordon Taylor, Rini Kester, and Sander Nydick.
A small but jovial group of five hikers left the Rte 117 trailhead to explore this beautiful parcel of conservation land in East Bolton. We visited old and familiar landmarks, such as the Lime Kiln, the quarries, and the old Whitcomb House on Old Sugar Road. Built around 1700, it is the oldest house in Bolton. We explored some new trails, as well, and visited Split Rock. Near the end, we encountered a flock of red-wing blackbirds, a reminder that biking season is only a few weeks away.
Lunch was at Slaters.
Report by Winslow Green.
Thursday, 2 March 2017, Rattlesnake Ramble
Hike Leader: Winslow Green
~4.7 miles, 10:00 am start from Rte 117, Bolton, MA
Hikers (5): Winslow, Betsy Taylor, Gordon Taylor, Rini Kester, and Sander Nydick.
A small but jovial group of five hikers left the Rte 117 trailhead to explore this beautiful parcel of conservation land in East Bolton. We visited old and familiar landmarks, such as the Lime Kiln, the quarries, and the old Whitcomb House on Old Sugar Road. Built around 1700, it is the oldest house in Bolton. We explored some new trails, as well, and visited Split Rock. Near the end, we encountered a flock of red-wing blackbirds, a reminder that biking season is only a few weeks away.
Lunch was at Slaters.
Report by Winslow Green.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Lincoln Hike/Ride from Verrill Farm - February 22, 2017
HIKE & RIDE REPORTS
Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Lincoln winter hike
Hike Leader: Marie Keutmann
~5 miles, 10:00 am start from St. Anne's in-the-Fields, Lincoln, MA
Hikers (13 humans, 2 canines): Marie & Zoe (Labrador Retriever, Barbara Jacobs, Chuck McWilliams, Don Mannes, Elissa Brown, Janet Miller, Jim Cant & Logan (Rhodesian Ridgeback), Judi Burten, Mike Hanauer, Roy Westerberg, Sander Nydick, Susan Sabin, and Ted Nyder.
Present at lunch (2): Edie Baxter and Jacque Smith.
On an unseasonably warm, sunny day we set off in the snow, across the marsh and open fields behind St. Anne’s. Before we went into the woods, we put on our traction devices to help our footing on the snow. We headed to Fairhaven Bay on the Sudbury River and enjoyed the view of the frozen water, then headed up the Andromeda Trail to the backside of Walden Pond. On our way back to our cars, we walked past a field with horses behind a wooden rail fence. A stray wire from the fence had fallen on the ground and turned out to still be electrified, shocking both dogs when they stepped on it.
Report by Marie Keutmann.
Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Winter Ride from Verrill Farm
Ride Leader: Ken Hablow
33 miles, 10:00 am start from Verrill Farm, Concord, MA
Riders (23): Ken, Andy Brand, Arne Buck, Barbara Martin, Butch Pemstein, Curt Dudley-Marling, David Fay, Francie Sparks, Frank Hubbard, Fred Newton, Gene Ho, Howie Davidson, John Allen, Lindy King, Margie Lee, Mike Byrne, Richard Vignoni, Rick Carlson, Rick Lawrence, Tom Allen, Tony Lee, Wing Chow, and first-timer Fred Vaughn.
It was a beautiful day with temperatures soaring to the low 50s, very little wind, and mostly dry roads. Twenty-three riders set out on a leisurely ramble through West Acton and into Stow, along the Delany Water Project. We maintained a nice pace of about 13.3 mph for most of the ride. Several riders took off the front at a faster pace, and a few dropped back, which made the main group size tolerable. We had one flat close enough to the end so most of the riders headed back instead of waiting. Rick Carlson and Mike Byrne were nice enough to wait for us as arrows as the flat was tended to.
Most of the group stopped at Verrill Farm for lunch after the ride. Thanks to Tom Allen for sweeping.
Report by Ken Hablow.
HIKE & RIDE REPORTS
Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Lincoln winter hike
Hike Leader: Marie Keutmann
~5 miles, 10:00 am start from St. Anne's in-the-Fields, Lincoln, MA
Hikers (13 humans, 2 canines): Marie & Zoe (Labrador Retriever, Barbara Jacobs, Chuck McWilliams, Don Mannes, Elissa Brown, Janet Miller, Jim Cant & Logan (Rhodesian Ridgeback), Judi Burten, Mike Hanauer, Roy Westerberg, Sander Nydick, Susan Sabin, and Ted Nyder.
Present at lunch (2): Edie Baxter and Jacque Smith.
On an unseasonably warm, sunny day we set off in the snow, across the marsh and open fields behind St. Anne’s. Before we went into the woods, we put on our traction devices to help our footing on the snow. We headed to Fairhaven Bay on the Sudbury River and enjoyed the view of the frozen water, then headed up the Andromeda Trail to the backside of Walden Pond. On our way back to our cars, we walked past a field with horses behind a wooden rail fence. A stray wire from the fence had fallen on the ground and turned out to still be electrified, shocking both dogs when they stepped on it.
Report by Marie Keutmann.
Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Winter Ride from Verrill Farm
Ride Leader: Ken Hablow
33 miles, 10:00 am start from Verrill Farm, Concord, MA
Riders (23): Ken, Andy Brand, Arne Buck, Barbara Martin, Butch Pemstein, Curt Dudley-Marling, David Fay, Francie Sparks, Frank Hubbard, Fred Newton, Gene Ho, Howie Davidson, John Allen, Lindy King, Margie Lee, Mike Byrne, Richard Vignoni, Rick Carlson, Rick Lawrence, Tom Allen, Tony Lee, Wing Chow, and first-timer Fred Vaughn.
It was a beautiful day with temperatures soaring to the low 50s, very little wind, and mostly dry roads. Twenty-three riders set out on a leisurely ramble through West Acton and into Stow, along the Delany Water Project. We maintained a nice pace of about 13.3 mph for most of the ride. Several riders took off the front at a faster pace, and a few dropped back, which made the main group size tolerable. We had one flat close enough to the end so most of the riders headed back instead of waiting. Rick Carlson and Mike Byrne were nice enough to wait for us as arrows as the flat was tended to.
Most of the group stopped at Verrill Farm for lunch after the ride. Thanks to Tom Allen for sweeping.
Report by Ken Hablow.
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