Evans Notch From Shelburne. 9:30 am

Thursday August 26, 2020

This should be a good ride for getting out of town and away from the end-of-August traffic. The weather looks cool and crisp, like an early fall day. 

The ride starts at the park in Shelburne, NH in the Chester Hayes Memorial Park, goes over RR tracks and the Androscoggin River to North Road, takes a right turn at the triangle and then out about 5 miles to the iron bridge in Gilead, crosses the river again and goes to Route 2. We turn right and ride a short distance on a wide shoulder on Route 2, then take the left onto the road up Evans Notch (Rt 113). 

Some will ride up to the small bridge for a nice, easy, gradual route upriver. After the small bridge, the steeper climb to the top begins. Some will climb to the top. Either way is a spectacular ride, and you can regroup down the river at the suspension bridge for a snack or lunch on the rocks, riverside. Return to the parking area in Shelburne by reversing the route. 

Mileage: About 32 if you do the whole ride to the top of Evans Notch, about 28 if you go to the bridge just before the climb goes from gradual to steep. 

Shorter option?  Start at the iron bridge in Gilead for a really nice 18 mile ride. 

Time:  Ready to ride at 9:30 am in Shelburne Village. I think the extra half hour might help to warm up above 50 degrees. 

If you want to start at the iron bridge, look for riders coming across it at about 10:00. 

Meeting place and parking: Start from Shelburne Village, in the Chester Hayes Memorial Park, just off Meadow Road (a left turn off of Route 2 about 5 miles east from the route 16/2 junction in Gorham). After turning left into Meadow from Route 2 take a quick right onto Village Road. Take a quick left into the park and park on the left off of the dirt pathway on the grass.  Porta potty in the park, complete with TP, sanitizer, mirror and cup holder, WooHoo.

If you want to carpool, meet in Jackson, in the parking lot across the street from the J-Town Deli at 8:40 am.

Here is a map:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28223686

Maine Visitor's Center to the Fryeburg Fields 9:00am

Thursday August 20, 2020

At this point in the summer season, it is hard to find a local ride that is free of tourist traffic. The rides out of the Maine Visitor's Center are typically good choices in this busy season. The Brownfield ride has been popular, lately, so how about a different ride out of the Visitor's Center? This one goes north on Route 113 up to Cornshop and Fish Street, you can do to the Stow Store or just return via Harbor and 113. 

Start at the Maine Visitor's Center and ride part of the bike path to Fryeburg Village then up Rt 113 to Cornshop, over to Fish, MacNeil. You can go to the Stow Store via Union Hill or just return via Harbor and 113 or Green Hill Road, choose either one. This lollipop-shaped loop can provide 31 miles of relatively flat riding. 

Meet: Fryeburg, Maine Visitor's Center on the border between NH and ME, on Route 302.

I cannot join you this week....I am the support crew for Madeleine Ryan, who is the first to RUN the 83 mile Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail this week. She finishes on Friday in Bethel!

Time: Ready to Ride at 9:00 am

Map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13070790

The Basin 9:00 am

 Thursday, August 13, 2020

How about The Basin Ride, It should be a good ride, not TOO hot on Thursday. There is a lot of traffic in the valley in mid to late August....but this ride is typically quiet even in the busy season. 

Meet in North Fryeburg at the corner of South Chatham Road and Route 113, alongside the park next to the Saco Valley Fire Station. As you already know, please do not block the fire station parking area. If it looks too crowded, another place to park is in the parking area along the fence at the little white church on the corner of Fish St. I have not seen a porta potty out there this season, so plan accordingly...

Start, Ready to Ride, at 9:00 am

Head to Fish Street first to enjoy good pavement and do MacNeil, then out on Union Hill and Meadow to the Stow Store. Bring a lunch and/or snacks. You can pick up food at the Stow Store. You can picnic and refill water bottles at the Basin Campground. 

Heading back will be a good ride, a few uphills, but mostly downhill, hope for a tailwind.

It always was Red Hot Dog Thursday at the little white church, but I don't know if this is happening this year due to the Covid-19 issues.

Total mileage: 28,   This ride allows for many options to shorten or lengthen the ride and choice of route to get from place to place. 

If you want a longer ride, start at the Maine Visitors Center to add a total of 18 more miles (9 miles each way), for a total of 46 relatively easy miles. If you start riding from the visitors center at 8:00 or 8:15 you should easily meet the group at the Fire Station or at the little white church as we turn onto Fish street to head to MacNeil. 

Here is a map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30519118

Lost Nation Loop: 50 or 27 miles 9:00 am

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Thursday will be beautiful weather, typical after a tropical storm system passes through.

Farms, fields, horses, cows, mountain views, 2 covered bridges, rivers, streams, villages, little white churches, closed papermills, Vermont and New Hampshire scenery. This ride has everything the region can offer! 

The full loop is 50 miles, but there is an excellent 27 mile option that avoids most of the climbs.  This is a nice 50, the climbing is in the first part of the ride.

I will host the 27 mile version.

EVERYONE should meet in Whitefield at 9:00 am, whether you do the 50 or 27 miler. The 27's will then drive 10 minutes to Lancaster and start from there. 

The 50 Miler: The Lost Nation Loop starts in Whitefield at the town green with the gazebo in the center. Ride east towards Jefferson on Route 116, then North Road through Grange and Lost Nation (tiny white church) to Groveton. We then ride about 2.5 miles down Route 3 (wide shoulder) to Northumberland and cross the CT River into Guildhall, VT. We ride the VT side of the CT River on Route 102 then cross the long Mt. Orne Covered Bridge just south of Lancaster. We ride almost to Dalton along the NH side of the CT River and then take route 142 back to Whitefield. This riverside cruising downstream from Groveton is superb biking!

Shorter Option:  27 miles  A shorter, easier loop with less elevation gain can be done out of Lancaster, parking at the Shaw's Supermarket. If you want to do this version, meet at the Whitefield Gazebo with everyone else at 9:00, get the plan, then drive up to Lancaster. We will meet the 50 mile riders at the big dairy farm at the corner of Grange Road. You will have cut out the longest and steepest climbs.

Bring a lunch to eat at the white covered bridge in Groveton. Bring plenty of water. There is a convenience store/gas station near the covered bridge that is hopefully still open for water refills and snacks.

Meet time: 9:00 am.  ALL riders meet in Whitefield at the gazebo.

Carpooling: If you want to carpool, meet at the Attitash parking lot at 7:50 am, otherwise, see you in Whitefield.

Directions to Whitefield: Route 302 through Crawford Notch to the light at Twin Mountain four corners. Take a right onto Route 3 and follow Route 3 to the center of Whitefield, a tiny town green with a gazebo. 50 minute drive from beautiful downtown Glen.

Parking in Whitefield: There is parking around the town green in the center of Whitefield (intersection of Routes 3, 116, 142). There is a large parking lot behind the gas station that works well. Avoid the 2-hour limit parking spaces.

History: Lost Nation seems to always be associated with The Republic of Indian Stream, (perhaps because of the book written about this interesting region of NH? Lost Nation, by Jeffrey Lent). The place called Lost Nation, where we will ride (don't blink or you may miss it...), is not geographically contained within the former Republic of Indian Stream, which is closer to Pittsburg. On the Pittsburg/Colebrook bike ride we travel over the rivers that bounded the Republic of Indian Stream, which was the Lost Nation, but this is well north of where the village of "Lost Nation" is on a map. I have not been able to remedy this inconsistency!
For a history of The Republic of Indian Steam here is a short review: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Indian_Stream



Map, 50 mile ride:
From Whitefield: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28020766

Elevation profile:





Map: Shorter version, 27 miles, from Lancaster:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13191276

Elevation profile: