Dear AdventuRides,
The weather forecast for Monday is looking fantastic! It should be SUNNY around 60 degrees in the morning and still SUNNY and around 70 degrees in the afternoon.
The morning Recreation Ride features the beautiful mountain views from Prospect Hill, although there is a category 5 hill (the easiest hill) getting up to the view. We will also stop and see lots and lots of goats on our way to Bare Hill Pond. We will stop at the beach and hopefully we won't get thrown out.
The afternoon Recreation Ride features the Shaker Villages and Shaker "lollipop" Cemetery. No trip around Harvard would be complete without riding UP Oak Hill, yes, its a category 5, but its not that steep, just long. Hopefully the apple, peach and purple magnolia trees will be in bloom.
On Monday, May 7th - Harvard Track
- The morning Recreation Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
- We will return by 11:30 AM.
- Starting Point Map - Harvard Track.
- Route Map - Harvard - Bare Hill Pond.
- Distance = 12.5 miles.
- Elevation Gain = 300 feet (moderate).
- Unpaved = 1.5 mile - generally smooth.
- Equipment - Any sturdy, well maintained bike will work.
AR Index - Roughly equal to 15 flat, paved miles.
Lunch will be at Sorrento's. I plan to ride over on some back road with just a little time spent on Route 110.
- The afternoon Recreation Ride will leave at 12:30 PM.
- We will return by 2:30 PM.
- Starting Point Map - Harvard Track.
- Route Map - Harvard - Shaker Villages.
- Distance = 15 miles.
- Elevation Gain = 500 feet (more difficult).
- Unpaved = 1/2 mile.
- Equipment - Any sturdy, well maintained bike will work.
AR Index - Roughly equal to 20 flat, paved miles.
On Wednesday, May 9th - Portsmouth
I have scheduled the Portsmouth ride for Wednesday, but it sometimes takes a few weeks to get good enough weather to make the one hour drive each way worth the effort. Stay tuned. The route is about 30 miles and basically flat. I have multiple tricks up my sleeve if we run into a sea breeze. Lunch will probably be at Portsmouth Brewery to avoid a mutiny if Janet, Joe, and/or Eddie come along :-)
On Friday, May 11th - West Groton
On Friday, we will meet at Cutler Field in West Groton and ride to Brookline, NH. The route will be about 26 miles long and somewhere around 700 feet elevation gain. Most of the hills are getting up to the ridge in Townsend with beautiful views of the mountains of Central Mass and Southern NH. We can have lunch afterwards at the Clover Farm Store in West Groton, or there is always Filho's.
Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole