The Lupine Ride in Randolph and Jefferson 10:00 am

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016, 10:00 am

The Lupine:  Can be an amazing display!! They seem to be early this year, so I hope that they are ready for us!!

The Ride:  The route goes by some of the best displays of panoramic scenery and lupine fields in the area. The lupine photo that I have had on this blog and the photo on the MWV Bicycle Club website shows the stunning beauty of this 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 usually fine - take your time and view the lupine! Durand Road is a terrific ride also, lined with summer houses from the 30's and their nice gardens and lupine along the roadside. 
The starts in Randolph on Pinkham B road at the intersection with the rail trail. We ride down Pinkham B to Route 2, cross Route 2 and enter Durand Road, a scenic quite road parallel to Route 2. At the end of Durand Road, we ride Route 2 for about 1.5 mile then turn left onto Valley Road. We ride Valley Road to Jefferson Meadows then up to the convenience store in Jefferson for lunch and snacks, then enjoy an amazingly scenic ride, Presidential views, back to our cars. 
You can ride a road, hybrid, touring, randonneur or mountain bike on this ride, all welcome. With wider tires you could use the Presidential Rail Trail for a part of the ride from the Castle Trailhead to Valley Road for something different. A road bike is OK too, (typically what everyone rides easily unless the road was graded on the day we ride...), pump up your tires and take it easy on the dirt. 

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

Carpool: if you want to carpool, meet at the Jackson Ski Touring/Wentworth Golf Club parking area, across the street from the J-Town Deli at 9:10 am.

Ride length:  To Jefferson store for lunch stop and back, 32 miles

Directions to the start: The start is at the Randolph end of the Pinkham B Road. There is parking right next to where the Presidential Rail Trail crosses Pinkham B. 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, 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 drive Pinkham B's adventurous dirt and "pavement", drive route 16 to Gorham, follow it towards Berlin and take a left on Route 2 at the traffic light. Go up the big hill and down the other side. 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.