Looks like we get a taste of Indian Summer for this Thursday's Ride! This probably is the last chance for us to do a ride North 'o the Notches for the season, and perhaps the last chance for a long ride, so let's take the opportunity to do a ride I have been thinking about for awhile. It is a combination of parts of 3 different rides that we have done this season - all of which are good ones! The ride combines the Randolph Durand Road-Valley Road springtime Lupine Ride with 2 rides that we typically start out of the Twin Mountain - Zealand parking lot - Route 302 area: the Jefferson Valley Ride and the new ride this season that explored new pavement on Airport Road-Hazen Road near the Whitefield Airport and Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge.
Although the fall foliage peak colors have passed, the golds, coppers and bronzes of the November forests should be pretty. The fields and pastures along this ride allow for great views, and should provide us good access to the tailwind on the way back to the car!
We start at the end of the Pinkham B Road in Randolph, ride Durand Road, cross over Route 2 to Valley Road (some packed dirt to ride) cross over Route 115 to Israel's River Road, to Route 115A to another packed dirt road (Whipple Road) to Route 116. We take a left there, riding up towards the Mountain View Grand Hotel and decide whether to eat on the edge of the golfcourse there or not, then continue towards Whitefield, turning left to Airport/Hazen Road. We have a great view from new pavement, then climb up to Route 3. Taking a left gives us a great downhill cruise all the way to Valley Road, where we take a right and do the gradual climb back to Route 2. It is all downhill for the next 7 miles back to the car!
Total Distance: 38 miles. If we decide to eat lunch at the Mountain View Grand Hotel, it will add 2 to the total for 40 miles.
Start time: Ready to Ride at 10:00 am.
Carpool: If you want to carpool, meet at the parking area at Jackson Ski Touring/Wentworth Golf course across from the J-Town Deli at 9:05 am.
Directions to the start: Drive up route 16 over Pinkham Notch. Pass Great Glen, the Imp Trailheads and take a left onto the Pinkham B Road (Dolly Copp, Horton Center). Drive up and over, then park on the left side where the Presidential Rail Trail crosses the road. If you prefer pavement rather than the dirt and potholes of Pinkham B, drive to Gorham, take a left to go through town and take another left at the lights to get onto Route 2 West. Drive about 5 miles and take a left onto Pinkham B Road (at the bottom of the big downhill). Drive 0.5 miles to the rail trail parking area.
Map:
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