In and Out of Cambridge - April 22, 2015

Wednesday, April 22, 2015, In and Out of Cambridge

Ride Leader: Dick Harter

30 miles,10:00 am start from Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA

Riders (12): Tom Allen, Elissa Brown, Don Buchholtz, Mike Hanauer, Dick Harter, Irv Kurki, Steve Miller, Dave Slade, Gary Smiley, Francie Sparks, Adena Schutzberg and a vigorous rider whose name the leader failed to get.

We gathered on a brilliant Spring morning, but noted that huge piles of dirty snow have not improved the appearance of this handsome park.  Mounting up, we skirted the Alewife T Station and took the Fitchburg Extension Trail into Belmont. We crossed through the Belmont historic district, around Waverly Oaks and up Mill Street.  We climbed up the back side of Belmont Hill and then went on up to the water tower in Arlington.  Zipping down Gray Street in Arlington, we then crossed over into Medford and Winchester, passing the Mystic Lakes and then following the Mystic River to Alewife Brook.  The brook trail brought us back to Alewife, and we spent the rest of the ride in Cambridge.  The stately houses on Brattle Street soon gave way to the bustle of the Cambridge Common and Harvard University.  We took Cambridge Street through Portugese and Italian neighborhoods, passed the massive new Cambridge Police Station and then returned to Old Cambridge via Broadway.  We rode through my neighborhood, with its wonderfully progressive politicians, and ended where we started.  My thanks to Adena for sweeping and to all the riders for safe riding practices.

Dick Harter

Harvard Hill Ride - April 15, 2015

Ride Leaders' Reports April 15

Riders Short: Elissa Brown, Adena Schutzberg, Annemarie Altman, Clyde Kessel, Dom Jorge (leader), Francine Sparks (long?), Gardner Gray, George Strangberg, Jim Hsia, Ken Hablow, Patrick Ward, Rpy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Tom Allen, Winslow Green

Riders Long: Alan Cantor, Bernie Flynn, Bob Wolf, Brian OConnor (leader), Fred Newton, Herb Kavet, Judith McMichael, Kaz Zelny, Karen Saltus (sweep), Kim Wach, Lindy King, Richard Vignoni, Russ Keene 

Long Ride Report:  Not a huge amount to say really except the route was as advertised - Hilly!  The group in the most part stayed together stopping to regroup after each of the seven major climbs.  Lindy King dropped out after Prospect Hill due to work commitments, followed by Richard Vignoni before the ascent of Littleton County Road to head home and Francine (i think) took the option to cut short back to Harvard having completed the hardest of the 7 big climbs.  Thank you Karen for sweeping.  Excellent day out 

Short Ride Report: On a beautiful Spring day 15 riders set out on a 27 mile, somewhat hilly, very nice ride. There were no incidents/accidents & everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Great to have Winslow with us, who broke off for home in Bolton. Ken also split for home toward the end of the ride. Both had ridden to the ride, as did a few others. Clyde did his normal great job of sweeping, thanks Clyde. Brian had put the ride together, adapted, I believe, from a Pat Ward ride. He put me in charge of the weather. How did I do, Brian?

Pot Luck Party for Brett and Andrea - April 8, 2015

Ride Leaders' Reports April 8th Pot Luck Party for Brett and Andrea Leaders: Ann Northup and Richard Vignoni Long time Wednesday Wheeler and ride leader Brett Serkez has moved to Indiana. Brett and Andrea Leopold, his new companion are visiting. This event was motivated by Brett's desire to see his friends and introduce Andrea to our riding group.   With still unseasonable yet comfortable temperatures, Mother Nature granted us a window of good weather to get our  ride in.  18 riders departed from Ann’s house warming up quickly as they biked up the substantial hill at the start of the  ride.  With the entrance blockaded due to snow melt and runoff, we biked in the exit to Hopkinton State Park then  walked our bikes around a metal gate to get into and another to get out of the park.  A short distance before the 24/16  mile split, we regrouped to give riders an opportunity to take a shorter return but all opted for the 24 mile ride.  While  only 24 miles, the distance proved appropriate since most riders had not yet logged many miles and, for some, it was  their first ride of the season.  The perhaps understated hilliness added to the workout.  We did several partial  regroupings along the way to tighten up the spread of the group.  At mile 19 we regrouped at what we thought was a fire  station with several people using the facilities only to find out it was an office building (but it did have a fire engine in the driveway).  The weather at this point had turned colder and it started to sleet.  We biked the remaining 5 miles back to Ann’s house. Seven folks did Ann's 2+ hour scenic, wooded walk to and around Hopkinton State Park. Mid-way we stopped to acknowledge the spot where Brett fell after a crazy stunt on a mountain bike ride a few years back in his invincible youth.  Remarkably, riders and walkers arrived back at Ann's house at the same time for the pot luck party. Prior to the event, Ann had sent out a Google Docs link that allowed participants to sign up for their food contribution ahead of time in a way that everyone could see in advance who would be attending and what they would bring. Even though most people make these decisions at the last minute, Ann still found it helpful and hope participants did too. As always, the food was DELICIOUS. Everyone was VERY generous and thoughtful with their choices of purchased or prepared tasty, healthy, creative treats brought ready to serve. It was an additional bonus to welcome back Winslow Green from his recovery from lymphoma to a gathering of friends and good cheer.

Spring Butterfly Ride - April 1, 2015

Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Spring Butterfly Ride

Ride Leaders:  Clyde Kessel and Butch Pemstein

Start from Clyde’s house in Carlisle

Riders - 26 mi (15):  Clyde, Andrea Clardy, Dave Slade, Dick Harter, Jacque Smith, James Hsia, Jon Clardy, Kaz Zelny, Patrick Ward, Rick Lawrence, Roy Westerberg, Susan Sabin, Tom Allen, Veronica Vedensky, and first-timer Feyza O'Connell.

Riders - 37 mi (10):  Butch, Bob Wolf, Brian O'Connor, Dom Jorge, Everett Briggs, Francie Sparks, Ken Hablow, Jack Donohue, Judith McMichael, and Selig Saltzman.

There were only ten of us doing the 38 miler, most of whom had the route on their GPS’s.  So, as leader, I could justify falling back, especially on the uphills, and I could count on our not getting lost, although some of us did occasionally overshoot a turn. The Sweep, who has eyes in the back of his head, was also able to ride in the middle of the pack – we switched roles from time to time.  Nice rural route, nice suburban route, some unexpected hills, and some well paved downhills. No accidents, no mechanicals, just a good April Fool’s Day ride.  Thanks to all the temporary ride leaders, the arrows, and to Rear View X-ray Vision Jack D. for sweeping in a truly idiosyncratic manner.   BDP

Thank you to Butch for being a co-leader, to Jack and Dick for sweeping and to all the loyal arrows.

Clyde

More pictures on Wheeler Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/WednesDayWheelers/posts/340622019459715

https://www.facebook.com/WednesDayWheelers/posts/339016102953640

Season Opener Bedford-Concord-Carlisle March 25, 2015

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, March 25, 2015, First Ride of the Season - Bedford-Concord-Carlisle

Ride Leader:  Jack Donohue
27 miles, 10:00 am start from Depot Park, Bedford, MA.

Riders (16):  Jack, Bernie Flynn, Bob Wolf, Butch Pemstein, Clyde Kessel, Dave Slade, Dom Jorge, Francine Sparks, Irving Kurki, Ken Hablow, Pat Ward, Richard Vignoni, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, and Tom Allen. 

We hit a veritable heat wave with temperatures ending up in the high 40s late in the ride.  A number of Wheelers were on their bikes for the first time in a while.  Fourteen of us set out from Bedford, and were joined by the Lincoln contingent (Bob and Ken) on Monument Street in Concord.

Our first regroup was at the Visitor's Center off Monument Street.  It's usually a good place for a rest room break, but, alas, we were a bit too early.  We then wound our way through the back roads of Concord and into Carlisle, where we had a nice downhill on Bingham which has some fresh pavement, and on to Carlisle center.  Another traditional rest stop, the portajohn at Fern's was unavailable, and the library was closed, so we had to improvise (enough said).  Back into Bedford, I gave the group the option to shorten the ride, but everyone opted for the additional miles, a loop around Davis Road.  Back at the start, we headed out for lunch at Bruegger's, some of us electing to ride there since it was only a half mile away.

Thanks to Butch who did yeoman's work as sweep, even sweeping the small group that rode over to Bruegger's.

Lost and Found:  Someone lost an eyeglass mirror in front of Bruegger's.  Butch has it - contact him (bdpesq@rcn.com) to get it back.

Ride report by Jack Donohue.
Attendance by Tom Allen.

Pictures on Facebook

Snowshoeing along the Charles River Link Trail - March 18, 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, Snowshoeing along the Charles River Link Trail

Snowshoe Leaders:  Susan Sabin & Don Mannes
~5 miles, 10:00 am start from Donnelly Drive, Dover, MA.

Snowshoers (7):  Susan, Don, Janet Miller, Margie Lee, Marie Keutmann, Rich Taylor, and Tony Lee.

The day started sunny and blustery, but, once we got into the woods, the sun warmed us and the trail, through field and woods with eventual views of the Charles, kept us interested.  Once we entered the campus of the Medfield State Hospital, Tony quipped, “Wow, this alone was worth the price of admission.”  It is a surprising and impressive place with a century's worth of hidden stories.

Everyone opted for the shorter route on the way back to our cars.   Almost at once, the leaders tested the group’s cohesiveness and cooperation by bushwacking through the woods . . . seemingly lost (who, us?).  Everyone passed this test with flying colors and, in spite of the added excitement, we got back to the start in very short order.  Lunch at Go Fresh in Medfield center was surprisingly good.  

One fly in the ointment, which we didn’t know of until after the walk:  Carol and Bob Anderson were involved in a three car accident on the highway on route to the walk start.  Carol reports that no one was hurt. 

Report by Susan Sabin.

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge Snowshoe Outing - Wednesday, March 11, 2015

SNOWSHOE REPORT
 
Wednesday, March 11, 2015, Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge snowshoe outing

Snowshoe Leader:  Sander Nydick
~6.5 miles, 10:00 am meet up at Stow Shopping Center, Stow, MA.

Snowshoers/xc skiers (7):  Sander, Kim Wach, Marie Keutmann, Rick Lawrence, Roy Westerberg, Russ Keene, and Steve Cohen.

Present at start (1):  Tom Allen.

Present at lunch (2):  Helen Greitzer and Janet Miller. 

On a warm day in March (temps in low 50s) with, perhaps, as much as six feet of soft snow left over from this snowy winter, six hardy individuals with snowshoes and one with cross country skis traversed about six and a half miles in the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.  I was correct about suggesting snowshoes in my last update.  One potential hiker without snowshoes wisely abandoned the hike after a few minutes.  Because of the deep snow and the leader's slowness, a hike that should have taken two hours took about three and a half hours.  The Refuge is very scenic and everybody seemed to enjoy it.  The hike encompassed a loop that started at the White Pond Road parking lot in Stow and included passing the Visitor's Center in Sudbury.  We passed several structures that once housed munitions during World War II - part of the Refuge during that era was part of the Natick Army Base.

After we returned to our cars, most of the WWs went home.  Russ and I met Helen and Janet at the Boston Bean Coffee House in Maynard for lunch and conversation.

Report by Sander Nydick