Sunday, August 25, 2013

Weather Worries; Ride Cancelled.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

I am not inspired by all the weather forecasts for Thursday, so, unfortunately, I will cancel this week's ride.

However, there is some good news!!  A good source has told me that Route 113 in the Evans Notch area was paved earlier this week. How far the new pavement goes is not known at this time, but inspires a ride soon on smooth black velvet!!  Also, 4 new benches have been installed on the Mountain Division Bike Path in Fryeburg. The benches are a gift of the MVW Bicycling Club. I am going to try to set up a Thursday Ride to coordinate with the official dedication of these benches!  Test them out next time you are on the trail!


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Steve Swensen's Ride to Hiram 9:30 am

Thursday, August 22, 2013


Steve Swensen will host this special event!!  After the ride, he has invited everyone over to his lake house for a swim!

The ride will start out of the parking lot behind the convenience store/gas station at the Brownfield 5 corners where route 160 crosses route 113/5, near Pig Street. The ride will start at 9:30 am. Park in the back of the convenience store. 

The ride goes up Route 160 to the Denmark monument, then has a rewarding cruise down to the Hiram Store, which is a great lunch/snack stop. At this point choose between the shortter ride, 26 miles total, that returns via Notch Road and Route 160. Or, if you want to ride further (34 miles total) ride to Cornish via scenic River Road and then Route 160 back to the parking area. 

After the ride, it is a short drive to Steve and Sally's lake house. The house is on Lovewell Pond, just north of the 5-corners, on the right side of Route 113/5 going north, turn onto Fire Lane 15, Cranberry Lane.

If you want to carpool from the Glen/Jackson area, meet at the parking lot behind Grant's at 8:30 am.

Here is a map for the short ride:


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Map for the longer ride, which includes Cornish:

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Don't Yank the Crank! 9:30 am start in Bethel

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

"Don't Yank the Crank" 
 Bethel to Bryant Pond, Maine.
 Looks like the weather will be great for a ride by the beautiful woods, farms and lakes of Maine!
This ride will take us from Bethel to Bryant Pond, the site of last hand-cranked telephone exchange in the USA. This little town is also famous for a 3-story outhouse. It also has a convenience store, a larger-than-life telephone monument and great lakeside dining.

But Wait... there's more!!!

The ride is nice and quiet, along the Androscoggin River (essentially a continuation of the North Road experience), fields, farms and forest plus shore side riding on North Lake in Locke Mills. No Notches! This will be a welcome relief from the traffic and noise around the Mt. Washington Valley in tourist season.

This ride starts out of the riverside park in Bethel -- the picnic destination on the North Road ride. The first 12 miles follows Intervale Road which parallels the Androscoggin River as it flows north towards Rumford. We turn east towards Bryant Pond, go through the village, try to find that famous outhouse, pay our respects at the Hand Crank Telephone Monument, then go to the lake for our picnic lunch. The return is by North Pond in Locke Mills, then by East Bethel Road (look for some interesting sculptures on the left), then back to the cars via Intervale Road.

The ride will start at 9:30 am at the Bethel town park on the Androscoggin River at the intersection of the bike path and Route 26 (where we always eat lunch on the North Road Ride).

Drive to Bethel via Route 2 and take a right on Bridge Street, at the flashing light (soon before crossing the bridge over the Androscoggin). Drive about 0.5 mile to the park, on the left at the stop sign.

Ride distance is 40 miles.   Ready to ride at 9:30 am!!

If you want carpool, meet at the Jackson Ski Touring/Wentworth Golf Club parking area across the street from the J-Town Deli at 8:15 am. Otherwise, see you in Bethel!




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Here is some info on Bryant Pond:
www.roadsideamerica.com/map/631
www.privateline.com/mt_telephonehistory/iv_the_telephone_evolves/07_part_g/
"Bryant Pond achieved some national fame and media attention beginning in the mid-1970s when its family-owned Bryant Pond Telephone Company became the last hand-crank telephone exchange in operation in the United States. When in 1981 the local company, operating from a two-position magneto switchboard in the living room of owners Barbara and Elden Hathaway, was purchased by the Oxford County Telephone & Telegraph Company, a nearby larger independent company. A movement called "Don't Yank The Crank" was organized by David Perham and Brad Hooper in a valiant but futile effort to keep their beloved crank phones. The effort was not ultimately successful, and the last "crank" calls took place on 11 October 1983, when a modern dial exchange was placed in service."

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Ride cancelled for Thursday August 8th, 2013


I hate to do it, but I am canceling tomorrow 's ride due to a non-cooperative weather forecast. I am away and don't have my usual weather indicators to help me fine tune the timing of rain and/or thunderstorms. Sometimes I try try to get a ride scheduled before or after the rain, but the "karma" is not happening for tomorrow's weather. 

Let's hope for a really nice ride next week!!  We have certainly had good weather and rides over the last few weeks! See you next week!