Thursday, October 1st

Pumpkin Fest Ride

Thursday Oct 1st Ride to Pumpkin Fest!

Celebrate with Steve and Sally Swenson as they send off their Giant Pumpkin to the Fryeburg Fair! Again, Steve and Sally send an invitation to the ThursdayBike Group:

The 5th Annual PUMPKIN FEST, where? our yard, when? THURSDAY, Oct. 1st 10:00 -11:00 am.
"We want to extend an invitation to all Velo Club members and friends to attend THE 5th Annual Pumpkin Fest. Some of you will have received personal invitations, but it is open to all - rain or shine. We will have a band, a men's and women's chorus this year, Lilly, the singing dog and lots more. Feel free to arrange the Thursday ride on the 1st to stop by the house between 10 and 11: am. There will be coffee, tea, pumpkin munchies and VALET parking for bikes on the front lawn."
Steve and Sally Swenson 356-9021 388 Kearsarge Rd., North Conway

The Bike Ride will include a stop at the Swenson's for the event at 10:00. Here is the plan:

For the best downhill-all-the-way-to-the-car at the end of the ride: Start out of the Grant's parking lot at 8:45 am.

If it is too cold for such an early start, begin at the Eastern Slope Inn Public Parking area 9:50 am. Or just meet everyone at Steve and Sally's house at ~10:00.

After the festivities, the ride continues!! We will explore local roads in North Conway, Intervale and Jackson for a nice loop. We will ride toward Cranmore and take Old Bartlett Road to the North end of Kearsage Road, the Hurricane Mt Road down to Route 16. There, we turn onto Route 16A, riding up and down Town Hall Road and/or to Dundee Rd. We will ride Dundee to Jackson, coming down near Black Mt Ski area, then down to Carter Notch Rd, then stop to picnic at Jackson Falls. The downhill ride continues down route 16 back to the Grant's parking lot in beautiful downtown Glen.

So you wonder about Dundee Rd??? Yes, it has a stiff climb -- not long - but it is walkable and well worth the effort. This is a fabulous ride, and some walking on some dirt is part of the deal. Enjoy the start of foliage season in the woods up there. The ride down from the top of Dundee all the way back to the car is really scenic and you will smile all the way. It is a local classic!!!!

The total distance is 28 miles. If you want to shorten it, just avoid Dundee and do Town Hall Road up and back, then ride to the end of 16A back to route 16 and back over Stanley's Hill to the Dunkin Donuts.
I think we can get this in before the weather closes in on us!