Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Shade, Short and Early

Thursday, September 2nd

Sorry for the late posting -- I just returned from some very nice and very flat riding in northwestern Vermont, both road riding and rail trail riding with the Fat Tire Cruisers. It is really nice riding out there -- but it was really hot!!

It is going to be hot and humid again tomorrow so I think a short, shady, early morning ride is the plan. This ride is yet another version of the Beautiful Brownfield Ride - but avoids the steep set of hills over in the Denmark area on the far side of the Saco River. There are ways to lengthen or shorten this ride if you like.

Meet: Maine Visitors Center, Fryeburg. It is on the right, just over the NH border on Route 302.

Time: Ready to ride at 8:30 am

Distance = 32 miles

Route: From the Visitors Center, take Haleytown Road about 5.5 miles to the intersection with Hampshire Rd. Take a left and ride to the intersection with Route 113. Cross over Route 113 and head out Route 160 for about 1.5 mile and bear left onto Lord Hill Road. At the end of the road at the T, take a LEFT. We typically take a Right and encounter a few steep hills, but considering the heat, take the left for a pleasant ride out and around until the road turns to dirt.

(To shorten the ride by 9 miles, just go to Route 113, do not cross -take a right, then another immediate right onto Pig St and follow the route as described below from Pig St.)

Turn back at the dirt road and reverse the route back to route 113. Turn left onto 113 for about 100 yards, then right again on Pig Street (flattest road in town), back to Hampshire (also called Main Street), then bear left onto Merrill Corner Road (NOT Dugway Road. Merrill Corner is after Dugway, just before crossing a bridge). This is a gradual uphill grade should be in the shade. Shorten the ride about 5 miles by staying on Hampshire and riding back to Haleytown -- but you miss the views!).

Turn left onto Old County Road for another gradual climb, then a right onto Sam Brown Hill Road. Enjoy the view and the downhill! Right onto Porter, right onto Hampshire (at the bottom of Asparagus Hill! Smile, you won't be climbing it!), then left back onto Haleytown to the parking lot.

Here is the map:

View Interactive Map on MapMyRide.com

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