memorial morning ride

[nighthawk]

Inspired by Viper's thoroughly entertaining ride reports... I swore I was going to take a lot of photos today. I didn't. Had a great day rolling, though, so thought I'd share. I'm moving down river next week... so figured I'd do a loop and visit a few of my favorite spots further north in the Valley.

Pre-ride cup of Berkshire Coffee Roasting Co's "Berkshire Blend"... just in time to watch the parade go by. The parade stopped here to fire blanks in to the sky at the memorial across the street.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bHQYUEyXvsU/T8P3cCmL_5I/AAAAAAAABM4/o2yYxS2c_To/s640/-8.jpg

After coffee, and dodging the rest of the parade, I sprinted up the short hill I need to climb to get out of town. Over a short bridge across the Connecticut River, and onto a bike path that runs the length of Turners Falls, a classic crumbling New England mill town..
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Va99voCGar8/T8P3e9uLuRI/AAAAAAAABNA/tlAnDADldNA/s640/-7.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HYIFveEX8m8/T8P3fhhksjI/AAAAAAAABNE/k_Fy7vdJRvI/s640/-9.jpg

Once through Turners and passed the airport, the route turns to dirt, crossing a great little steel bridge over a spur of the Connecticut River.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hPTHdEjNoy0/T8P3Z7I51mI/AAAAAAAABMw/j1eOqGTOxVk/s640/-5.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PxtNADwDug0/T8P3RWBPzII/AAAAAAAABMA/j5qL5vCunn0/s640/-14.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1Xdbgp6SVDg/T8P3ZLzWbhI/AAAAAAAABMo/ZrpL2USHuyo/s640/-6.jpg

North of the river crossing the road goes back and forth between dirt and pavement, surrounded by forest for a mile or two before opening to farm land on both sides. Ran into these little buddies, staying cool underneath some trees at the edge of their field.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--lEf7bcy6x8/T8P3LIALjwI/AAAAAAAABLw/v1mhK6U6fSQ/s640/-12.jpg

On the way to Northfield. Aye Aye Captain!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WxdcR0S_dwE/T8P3V3S0GFI/AAAAAAAABMg/SD3yqE7hvgQ/s640/-11.jpg

In Northfield I stopped for a quick snack. Some of the best ice cream going.
The flavor I chose was called "You Deserve It". 20 miles into a ride, I didn't really deserve it yet, but I knew I wasn't coming back this way today.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OWUzyMp5XSw/T8P-oJwbvdI/AAAAAAAABNU/06yL66rJkqg/s640/-15.jpg

The cone didn't last long, and I was back on the road, heading north east into Warwick. One of my favorite hiking spots is up that way, but this time it was just a quick roll thru town. The town center was mile 25, so I stopped to gobble an orange, and get directions. Ha!
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HkYqqlIBZAI/T8P3IiDrFYI/AAAAAAAABLo/ivYTn5EBG8w/s800/-10.jpg

[nighthawk]

continued below...

[nighthawk]

I should've taken more pics at this point, because the roads south into Wendell are great. Beautiful surroundings on a long steady climb. I was cruising at this point, though... so.. no slow, all go!

Quick stop at Wendell General Store/Deja Brew pub for a water bottle refill, and snack attack... and to check the temp. Ooof.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-134DsR7QtLo/T8P3UmxyCPI/AAAAAAAABMU/GPmOrzSzbdE/s640/-4.jpg

The next 10-15 miles were a sweet cruise down out of the hills, past a few nice bodies of water. Again, I should've taken more pics, but was getting hot and tired, and just wanting to keep plugging away.

Stopped at the BookMill in Montague for a quick pint... and then rode thru some beautiful farmland on my way back home.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qtlpWl7lCzo/T8P3IEJsKWI/AAAAAAAABLg/AUsacFCY_GY/s640/-1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WnSvnT7nXhA/T8P3Ua4M1fI/AAAAAAAABMQ/gcsclVC3XcM/s640/-3.jpg

OH.. and there's this weird wizard house/castle I ride by all the time (pretty sure that's a ghost up in the window).
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Zm1HF7MRp38/T8P3RqNzGJI/AAAAAAAABMI/PO47S6wIC0M/s640/-2.jpg

55 miles.. on a hot day. Post-ride Smoked Trout quesadillas at the Peoples Pint... oh, and a pint of the Wheelman's Wheat, of course.

Cheers, my friends.

BTW. Soundtrack for the ride, which some of you may know from Danny Macaskill's "way back home (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw)" video:

http://youtu.be/OrLl5wkpnAY

[Earl Gray]

Great report and the Danny link was just icing on the cake!

[thinpin]

No doubt about it, you chaps have some lovely riding country.

[nighthawk]

No doubt about it, you chaps have some lovely riding country.

I would love to see some Aussie ride reports...

[benitosan1972]

The pictures from this ride + Viper's rides + anyone else's rides makes California look downright ugly compared to the scenery you guys enjoy on the East Coast... that's it, I'm packing my bags and heading East :)

[Earl Gray]

The pictures from this ride + Viper's rides + anyone else's rides makes California look downright ugly compared to the scenery you guys enjoy on the East Coast... that's it, I'm packing my bags and heading East :)

Selective photography



and I say that as a compliment.

[thinpin]

I would love to see some Aussie ride reports...

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=106405

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=106411

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=103318

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=101868

That should keep you going;)

[nighthawk]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=106405

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=106411

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=103318

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=101868

That should keep you going;)

These are incredible! Those mountains... and those misty forest shots... Now that is lovely riding..

thanks for sharing.

[maxn]

excellent!! takes me back to college days

[cycle_chic]

Very cool. I love wizard houses...

[douglas]

Nice pics. Pretty country. Kudos for doing the miles in that heat.

[nighthawk]

excellent!! takes me back to college days

Did you spend some time out this way?

[nighthawk]

Nice pics. Pretty country. Kudos for doing the miles in that heat.

Heat wasn't too bad. I've worked a few blueberry harvests in northern Florida (Gainesville) that got me acclimated to heat and humidity. Late June, 100 degrees, humidity like being wrapped in a wool blanket, all day in the sun, 4 weeks of living, breathing, dreaming blueberries. Sounds worse than it was, I even miss it sometimes.

[nighthawk]

Very cool. I love wizard houses...

They usually have a room for rent over at that place... but I don't know if they are good wizards or bad.