Wednesday, August 31, 2016

North Road to Bethel 10:00 am

Thursday, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Hooray! September!

It looks like a possibility of showers early in the morning on Thursday. I wanted to post a Vermont Side of the CT River Ride but I don't want to go that far with iffy morning weather. Next week!

If we start a bit later in the morning, we can avoid these showers and get a good ride in. Look out your window and look at the radar in the morning before you head out. If it looks like more rain than predicted, or rain later than predicted, I will post a cancellation on this blog and might set up a shorter, more local ride in the afternoon.

Meet at the North Road starting point, in the parking area at the intersection of North Road and Hogan Road. Get there by driving north on Route 16 to Gorham, take a right onto Route 2, go about 3 miles looking for the big beautiful stone house on the left.  After the stone house, take a left onto North Road. Cross the Androscoggin River at the dam and head up a short distance. Where the road bears hard right, you go left into the parking area on the dirt Hogan Road.

Ready to Ride at 10:00 am.

Bring a lunch or snacks to enjoy at the riverside park in Bethel.

Toral distance: About 39 miles



Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Presidential Views via Mt Clinton Road and Base Road 9:00 am

Thursday, August 25th, 2016


Looks like the weather will be clear and sunny for Thursday!  Good for a ride with a view.

This ride is relatively short in mileage but big on scenery and attractions, and is a good work out, too. It includes panoramic Presidential views, the Cog Railroad (if you decide to climb up to the station), Upper and Lower Ammonoosuc Falls. We eat lunch/snacks on the rocks next to the Lower Ammonoosuc Falls or, for something different, at the top of the chairlift at Bretton Woods (free ride!).

Start at the Eisenhower Wayside Park which is on the right side of Route 302 a couple of miles after passing through Crawford Notch. It has a tall flagpole and it is a sledding hill in the winter. We ride back up the notch to the train station for a view of Elephant Rock, and then back to Mt Clinton Road. We could climb up to the Cog Railroad or just enjoy the downhill cruise, stopping to look at Upper Ammonusuc Falls. We then ride out to the Twin Mt 4 corners, turn back and stop to enjoy lunch at the Lower Ammonoosuc Falls. As an alternative lunch stop  we can stop at Bretton Woods Ski Area for a free ride up to the top of lift to eat our lunch on the deck of the restaurant. Bring lunch and a bike lock!

Start:  9:00 am at the Eisenhower Wayside Park

Total distance: approximately 25 miles; depending on options.

Carpool, if you like:  Attitash parking lot, far end, 8:15 am.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, St Johnsbury, VT, 10:00 am



Thursday, August 18, 2016

The eastern section of the  Lamoille Valley Rail Trail opened officially at the end of last September. It is about 17 miles of trail from St. Johnsbury to Danville, ending alongside Joe's Pond. It is part of a project that is patching together pieces of the rail route to establish the longest continuous rail trail in New England, stretching about 100 miles across Vermont from S.t Johnsbury to St. Albans. Another 15 mile section opened this spring in the center of Vermont, I have not checked this new section out yet --stay tuned.

The surface is hard packed smooth stone dust. There are tunnels and bridges, lots of forest and good views of the Vermont hillsides. There is a good general store in Danville for hot soup, coffee and lunch.  When we did the trail last fall there were many bikers, pedestrians, dog walkers, and two horses out enjoying the trail. The weather forecast, as of this morning, looks good for this out-of-the-valley-experience. Escape from the local traffic!!

The surface is fine for all bikes. A mountain bike is overkill. Teeny tiny skinny tires might do OK IF you watch for the rougher spots. The only occasional surface issues I saw were at some of the road crossings, the interface between the trail and the road was not always perfectly aligned and sometimes soft. The trail climbs gradually all the way to Danville. It is a hardly noticeable climb. The downhill trip back, however, is a hoot! It is certainly the easiest, flattest way to travel east-west across any part of Vermont!! Thank you to the railroad designers and engineers!

Check out the website: www.lvrt.org

Time:  Ready to ride at the Lamoille Valley Rail Trailhead at 10:00 am.

Carpool? If you like, meet at Attitash parking lot, far end away from the lifts, at 8:30 am to carpool, otherwise, meet at the trailhead in St Johnsbury.
Round trip we will have a 34 mile car-free adventure!!

Bring snacks and lunch or stop at the General Store in Danville.We can eat on the shore of Joe's Pond.

Directions:

Take Route 302 over Crawford Notch towards Bethlehem and get onto Route 93 north into Vermont. At the Route 91 interchange, go north on 91 for a very short distance, hardly off the entrance ramp. Take the first exit, Route 5, then take a right at the end of the ramp and go a short distance, noticing the sign for the bike path on the right. It is called Railroad Street or Main Street depending on map. Take the right and then immediate right again down a short steep slope into the trailhead parking lot. The map app says it is a 1 hour 15 minutes drive.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Brownfield Loop, short and sweet for a hot day, 9:00 am start

Thursday, August 11, 2016

I was planning to post a ride in Vermont but the forecast for the heat and humidity has changed my mind. A short local ride in the morning is a better option, we can get the ride done before the heat cooks us.


How about the Brownfield Loop -- it has options for long or short versions that you can choose from, depending on the weather and sweat factor.

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

Time: Ready to ride at 9:00 

Haleytown Road to Hampshire Road to Pig Street and back by Sam Brown Hill. Great view from the top!

The loop is 22 miles, cut it a few miles shorter if you like, bypassing Sam Brown Hill. Do a lap on the bike path when we return and add 8 miles to the day.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Bretton Woods and Whitefield via Wing Road 9:00 am

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Beautiful weather is ahead, so how about a really scenic ride?! Start at the Bretton Woods Ski Area, parking in the lot near the entrance across from the fitness center. Then head west on Route 302 straight through the lights at Twin Mountain to River Road (don't miss this right turn at the bottom of the hill JUST BEFORE the bridge over the River!!!) and Wing Road (immediate left!) along the Ammonoosuc River to Route 116 (a good climb or 2!) to Whitefield. You can eat lunch and/or ice cream at the gazebo on the town green in Whitefield, then head out a mile on route 116 to Hazen Road. Hazen Road takes us to the small airport and wood chip power plant that goes past the entrance to the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. There is a climb here up to Route 115 and the scenic vista, then downhill back to Route 3 and Route 302.

Total Loop from Bretton Woods parking lot: 37 miles.

Shorter, but still a loop - start at Zealand winter parking lot on the north side of route 302 for 29 miles. Look for riders passing by at about 9:20. Or park at the visitor center/tourist info gazebo at the Twin Mountain 4 corners where routes 302 and 3 cross at the light.  This will make a 25 miler.

Meet at 9:00 am, ready to ride at the big parking lot across from the Bretton Woods Fitness center building. The fitness center is on your right just after you enter into the Bretton Woods Ski Area road.

Carpool? If you want to carpool, meet at Attitash in the parking lot across from the lifts at 8:10 am.

I will be climbing hills in the Berkshires this Thursday, but I will be ready to ride next week. Next week, if weather permits, will be an "away" ride to get out if the valley!!