June Wildflowers in Randolph and Jefferson

Thursday, June 17th

8:00 am update:

RIDE CANCELLED! How about tomorrow??
The weather just won't clear early enough for this ride today.

Anyone want to do it tomorrow on a beautiful sunny day???
Meet at the Jackson parking lot, across from the J-Town Deli at 9:00 am on Friday June 18th.

New Ride!

If you have not been up in the Randolph-Jefferson area lately, you have not seen the amazing displays of lupine, daises, wild iris, and an assortment of yellow, red and white blossoms. I just have to put a ride up there for this Thursday, as it is well worth the visit.

The weather looks good for this ride. The rain is over early and the clouds will clear out completely as the day goes along. It is worth some clouds in the morning for the scenery on this ride!

I decided to test out a new route, to stir up some adventure and to try to ride by some of the best displays of panoramic scenery and lupine fields in the area. The ride includes the entire length of Valley Road, a hidden treasure, running in the valley, parallel to Route 2 but without the traffic. Valley Road lacks pavement for about 2 miles. but the riding on it is just fine (better, in fact, than a lot of pavement we have around here...). Durand Road is a terrific ride also, lined with summer houses from the 30's and their nice gardens.

The start is on the other side of The Mountain, towards the Randolph end of the Pinkham B Road. There is parking right next to where the Presidential Rail Trail crosses Pinkham B. Pinkham B was recently graded, so the dirt portions are good driving (or riding, if you want to add a hill and a few extra miles to your day). The pavement portions are as usual, pick-a-path. Access Pinkham B road from the Dolly Copp Campground entrance off of Route 16.

As you drive down the hill on Pinkham B and come out of the woods, where there are 2 houses on the left, the rail trail crosses the road at a public works department building. There is parking on the left side near the rail trail. If you don't want to do Pinkham B, drive route 16 to Gorham, follow it towards Berlin and take a left on Route 2 at the traffic light. Go up the hill and down the other side (being glad you did not have to climb it on a bike...). Just after the hill flattens, Pinkham B Road will be on your left. Take the left and drive about 0.5 mile to the parking area near the rail trail on the right.

The ride will go down Pinkham B to Route 2, crosses Route 2 and enters Durand Road, a scenic quite road parallel to Route 2. If you have hiked the Randolph Mountain Clubs trail systems, you have likely used the many trialheads on this road. At the end of Durand Road, we ride Route 2 on a wide shoulder for a short distance then have to deal with 0.25 mile of road construction. The good news here is that there is a flagman directing traffic on a 1 lane road, so we can go through as a group and have to road to ourselves. It is packed, quite smooth dirt.

Immediately after the construction, Valley Road is on the left. We ride Valley Road our to Jefferson Meadows. We can then decide whether to do some extra miles and ride up to Jefferson where we typically go for lunch at the convenience store/gas station (longer ride option), or we can lunch near the Israel River Campground and stop at their snack shop.

Start time: 10:00 am ready to ride at the parking lot on the west end of Pinkham B Road

Carpool: Meet at the Jackson Ski Touring/Wentworth Golf Club parking area across the street from the J-Town Deli at 9:15am.

Ride length: 26 miles

Longer option to Jefferson store: 32 miles

Map:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/nh/jefferson/829127656358752350


The Durand Road area is rich in history, particularly for hikers.

For an interesting view of Randolph, the link below has a chapter from The History of Coös County, New Hampshire by George Drew Merrill; Syracuse, N.Y.: W.A. Fergusson & Co., published in 1888
http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/coos-history/History_Randolph_NH.txt

For an interesting history of hiking in the White Mountains, which highlights the Randolph area and its inhabitants, check this link:

http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/aboutthermc/historyoftheclub.html