The Snowville Loop, Thursday, May 22, 10:00

The weather just isn't cooperating with planning adventures! It looks like tomorrow will be like today with the usual threat of showers, but cloudier.

Let's compromise again, so instead of doing a really nice ride away from home (The Wonalancet Loop) let's do a really nice ride that is close to home. This way if it does start to rain on us, it is not a waste of the drive down to Tamworth. We can do the Wonalancet Loop in the sunshine next week!

Let's do "The Snowville Loop". It is a really nice, relatively short ride (24 miles). There are no notches, but there are a few short moderate climbs and also that famous "Asparagus Hill" which is a short, steep challenge! The ride goes through Center Conway, South Conway, into part of Brownfield, ME, then to Snowville and Eaton, by Crystal Lake. A stop at the Eaton Store for lunch or snacks is a tradition!

The ride starts in Conway Village out of the public parking lot near the corner of routes 16 and 153, behind the Mountain Center Physical Therapy building and the Laconia Bank.

Be ready to ride at 10:00 am.

For a longer option, start at the EMS/Eastern Slope public parking lot for a to add 7 miles one way via West Side Road. Meet up with the rest of the riders at the parking area in Conway Village. Leave the parking lot no later than 9:15.

For a short ride, just do the West Side Road portion to Conway Village an back for a total of 14 miles.

For the map:

Additional info for today's ride Thursday May 15th

Looks like the weather may be OK for us!

Here are some shorter options for the ride up to the Willey House today.

Total round trip distance from Attitash to the Willey House is ~29 miles.
You can cut out about 13 miles if you start from the Fourth Iron parking lot for a round trip of 16 miles.

If you start out of Attitash, be ready to ride at 10:00.
If you start out of Fourth Iron, I would predict that the other riders would be stopping there at about 10:45.

From Attitash to:

Bear Notch Road: 2.6 miles
Fourth Iron parking lot: 6.4 miles
Notchland Inn: 8.6 miles
Willey House: 14.2 miles
Crawford Notch Train Depot: 17.1 miles

Crank Some Crawford

The weather forecast just doesn't look certain enough to set up the North Road Ride, nor does it look certain enough to cancel the ride entirely.
So, I think the compromise is to do a more local ride, hoping we can get it in between possible showers. Hopefully, there will not be any!!

Meet at Attitash parking lot, ready to ride at 10:00.

Lunch at the Willey House. We can turn back earlier if the weather threatens.

The ride to the Willey House from Attitash is about 29 miles round trip. It is NOT HARD -- it is WAY easier than Bear Notch Road, a gradual climb with flatter sections. The ride back is marvelous.

Those that want to burn some extra calories can continue 2.5 miles up the notch to the Crawford RR station.

Check this blog again in the morning if the weather is really not looking good. I may put out a cancellation if there really is rain.

Here is the map!

Bear Notch Ride becomes John Pepper's Birthday Celebration!

What a day!

The weather and ride were just great, and the reason has to be that it was John Pepper's 83rd Birthday, which was celebrated in a song that radiated out for miles over the valley towards the Kanc!! The sun just had to shine for us today!!!

Accompanying John today were:

36 total riders (31 did the Notch, 5 did the River Road and Stilling's Grant Area)

4 new Thursday bikers
4 brand new bikes
At least 12 riders who summited Bear Notch for the first time ever

Some blood was shed by one, and one had a black and blue arm. No tears.

4 went all the way to the Kanc and then rode back up (snow is all gone on that side)

1, with his trailer, did the loop down the Kanc to Conway and back up West Side Road (~40 miles)

1 had a flat tire right out of the Attitash lot, drove to Red Jersey, rim tape replaced.... She started again and still made it up to the top in time to see the rest of us just starting our way down.

Everyone's brakes worked, so no one skidded into the closed highway gate at the bottom of the hill.

A very successful day!

See you next week!

Thursday May 8th Ride in the afternoon

For the Thursday, May 8th ride: Looks like the weather will clear during the morning, and it should be a good afternoon for a ride.

In order to let the clouds disperse and the roads to dry, let's meet at 12:00.

Meet at Attitash parking lot, ready to ride at 12:00.

Ride option #1: Crank Bear Notch Road. The gates are still closed so this is the PRIME TIME to ride it -- No Traffic!! Total miles from Attitash to summit: 8 miles.

I rode it yesterday - There is hardly any snow left on the Bartlett side, and what is there is very easily avoided. We can meet and snack at the fourth scenic overlook which is on the Kanc side of the summit. Some of you may want to go all the way to the Kanc and then ride back up -- caution- there is still some snow on the Kanc side of the notch! Total miles Attitash to Kanc: 13 miles.

You can do it!! It is not that hard!!!
It is a steady, moderate grade. If it is your first time - take your time and take advantage of the scenic overlooks to take a break and enjoy the view. It is early in the year -- if you stop a few times now, later in the season when you ride it you won't stop at all, and you will be really proud of your progress!!

Ride option #2: River Road - A really easy ride: At the blinking light in Bartlett Village, instead of taking the left up Bear Notch Road, take a right onto River Road and ride River Road and the Stillings Grant area.

Let's hope they are right about the weather!

Cruise Fryeburg Harbor Thursday May 1

On Thursday, let's ride the floodplain of the Old Saco River in Fryeburg Harbor.

There should be enough water in the river to prove why the area had the name of "Harbor". Last week, the turf, potato and soybean fields were full of snow and water - some houses looked like they were on islands. Should be interesting after all this rain....

A bit of history from http://www.fryeburgmaine.org/:
The Saco Canal: During the earliest years of Fryeburg's history, constant devastating floods known as freshets inundated the rich Saco bottomland. In 1817 a canal was built incorporating several small ponds and using the earth moving power of the Saco itself. The three mile canal bypasses roughly 30 miles of "old course" river. A shadow of its former self, the original course still winds its way through West Fryeburg, Fish Street and Fryeburg Harbor.

Meet at: The Peace With-Inn Bed and Breakfast located on route 113 in Fryeburg.
When: 10:00 am ready to ride

The Peace With-Inn is a beautiful bed and breakfast inn managed part time by Catherine Kyle. It is located on the left side (west side) of Route 113 approximately 2.2 miles north of Sherman's Farmstand. It is 1 mile north of the intersection of Green Hill Road and 113.
Pull into the driveway and park on the left side, there is a sign for guest parking.
http://www.peacewithinn.com/directions.htm


Carpool from Glen: Those in Glen/Jackson/Bartlett area who wish to carpool, meet at the Glen Dunkin Donuts at or before 9:00 am.

The route will include Cornshop Rd, Fish St, MacNeil Rd, Union Hill Rd, Meadow Road, Stow Store (still closed), and loop around to Chatham for a total of 27 miles. Here is the map info. Print out a copy to bring with you. The ride is really very flat -- no notches.....



For a shorter even flatter option, hang out at the Stow Store, avoid the Chatham loop, for 19 miles.
Cut off the Union Hill and Chatham loop for a very flat option of 15 miles.

See you on Thursday!

Marianne

Crank Some Kanc Thursday April 24

Hi Everyone,

Another beautiful day is expected for this Thursday -- should be another great day for biking, skiing, gardening or any outdoor activity!

If you want to bike, and want to see the rapids on the Swift River, let's Crank Some Kanc. It is a very gradual uphill alongside the river, and a pleasant downhill back to the car. You can bike as much or as little of the Kanc as you want. The Mt Washington Velo Club did this ride on Saturday, and it was so nice that I just had to use it for this Thursday. The river is running fast!

Where to meet: Saco River Ranger Station at the intersection of Route16 and the Kanc. Park in the area away from the visitor center.

When: 10:00 ready to ride

Bring: Lunch or a snack to enjoy riverside. The usual riverside lunch stop at Rocky Gorge looked quite snowy last Saturday. If it is not ready for us to sprawl out on the rocks, we can eat on the riverbank at the Bear Notch Road bridge.

How Far? To Bear Notch Road and back - 25 miles

For shorter options:
To Rocky Gorge and back ~15 miles
To Albany Covered Bridge and back ~10 miles

For longer options:
To the gazebo at the first scenic overlook and back: 34 miles
To the summit and back ~44 miles

See you Thursday!

Marianne


Click on this link to play with the map: