New England Tour
This was the year that kicked off the long-distance solo motorcycle adventures. After months of planning, preparation, training classes* and a few thousand miles of practice rides, Springtime launched the maiden voyage into the simultaneously familiar and unknown of New England. Having lived in multiple venues throughout the region, this would be an entirely new way to experience it.
The other obvious component was a secondary effort affectionately called “Mountain Biking”. Having spent years worth of 1-week blocks learning and teaching skiing at SugarloafUSA, the return to these youthful roots was another way of honoring those who have chosen the same path.
Thanks for following along!
Sunday, June 12, 2022
New England Tour (NET) Leg1
First day on the road. Got the glitches worked out and getting used to the bag weight.
Got freakin lost in Lancaster when I couldn't get my GPS to do what I wanted. Finally back on track and a nice ride, especially from Jack Frost to Camelback on nice twisties. Good day
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
NET Leg3
Another fantastic day. Short hike at the Saugerties Lighthouse shortly after getting started but a good chance to get in a walk before the ride. Then a gorgeous ride across the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge for a quick dip in CT before heading up to Mt Greylock. The road in AND out of the park at Greylock was unspeakably good. I would have put the GoPro on if I had known it was so nice. Well paved and twisties through forest up to the summit. Unbelievable Vietnam Vet memorial! From there up to Bennington, then east on VT Rt9 until the famous VT Rt100 north. Then Rt30 to Rt 11 to hit a few more mountains. Finished up in Ludlow. Excellent day!
Monday, June 13, 2022
NET Leg2
DAAAAMMN! This was EPIC! 100% the best riding day EVER. Heading up 209 was a slog with road construction but I stopped in Dingman's Falls for a short hike to see the falls and wait for the cloud cover to burn off a bit. Once in Port Jervis, a stop at Hawk's Nest for pic and then, wow... what a ride! Followed up to Fish's Eddy and along Pepacton Reservoir. But 23A from Haines Falls was the absolute icing on the day. It was so good, I went back up and did it again. Better than Lees Highway off Skyline Drive (and I didn't know that was possible!). Ran by Hunter Mountain and a quick fill-up. I did the math twice... Pyrat is getting 57(!!) mpg. Holy Crap. Looks like 200miles/day is a good target. Can probably do more if it's less technical. May have to adjust some of the future legs.
Thursday, June 16, 2022
NET Leg4
Another big day! Started out again on the venerable VT Rt100 north to Hancock with a west diversion on Rt 125 to 116 to cross the breadth of the Green Mountains. A turn back east on Rt 17 was positively EPIC! I was planning to stop at Mad River Glen but I was so tuned in to the road/ride, that I completely missed it. Went south on Rt 100 to see Warren Falls but the lot was crowded and the hike was a bit much with quite a few miles left to go. Decided to go back to MRG for a pic and got caught in a sudden mountain downpour.
Lesson # I-Can't-Remember... it's WAY harder to get raingear on AFTER your wet!!
Back on Rt 100 up to Stowe and stopped to hydrate. A Park Volunteer wanted to make sure my rest period off the bike was filled with an endless monologue about the region and a recommendation to ride up Mt Mansfield. Realized I didn't have the fuel to add that to the trip but it was irresistible. So... 5 miles back in to Stowe for fuel and then back up again to make the ride up the mountain. Unfortunately, the helpful volunteer must not comprehend the difference between bikes and cagers as the big sign at the entry gate ($25/car) clearly stated NO MOTORCYCLES. Nice! Onward and upward! The run up Notch Rd (the paved portion through Smugglers Notch and had recently opened for the season) was a great ride. Saw several bikes that had come through and turned around at Stowe to run it again. More miles of awesome roads up to Jay Peak and then in to Newport VT for rest. Looking at the overall met, the rest of the country sitting in a heat dome with unprecedented, record-high temps. Meanwhile, I have on almost all of my winter gear and am riding in low-mid 50s. Rain is inbound and taking a layover day before pressing on to Maine.
Sunday, June 19, 2022
NET Leg6
The morning was clear but chilly. It's only a day away from the Summer Solstice and it FREAKIN SNOWED at the summit of Saddleback Mountain last night just 10 miles from my lodging!! Having had the nutritious evening meal, I hopped on the bike early for a trip to town and a proper breakfast. Met a dad/son team doing an early ride and chatted about the area. Then fuel and back to the Inn to pack up and head out.
I parked the bike out in the sun to let it soak up what few BTUs were available and got all the Kriega bags locked and loaded. Got on all my gear and, as is my habit, was mounting from the right-side as it's easier to kick my left leg over the packs. But.... I had parked with a slight uphill slant on the left side and as soon as I fully-weighted the peg, Pyrat was too unbalanced to avoid the drop. I tried to save it but the weight of a full tank and all my gear was too much. We both went down rather unceremoniously. Banged my helmet and elbow (but that's the reason for ATGATT!) but nothing serious. After a short recital of sailor-refined expletives, I started to get the bags detached for the bike to make the lift possible. Just then, a guy in a DISH-Network van comes rolling up into the lot and hops out. Apparently, He saw the whole thing happen as he was driving down the hill and immediately pulled in to help. Bikers aren't always on bikes!! I was more embarrassed that someone saw it happen but was grateful he stopped as it was still a serious lift to get the bike back up.
Other than a scrape on the lower crashbar, no damage that I could find. Pyrat, nevertheless, expressed displeasure with my lack of attention by refusing to start for the next 5 minutes giving me a well-deserved mini-panic. After reconciling and promising to never be such a fuckwit again, we finally got the day started.
First stop was Height of Land. Fantastic views of the Rangeley Lakes region. A local had also told me not to miss Quill Hill. This is a dirt/gravel road up to the top of a "hill" on privately owned land but open to the public for a small honor-box donation. WOW!! Well worth it. Terrific views of the Rangeley region including Saddleback Mountain and looking off towards Carrabassett. From Quill Hill, continued up Rt16 to Eustis and then a turn south on newly-paved, sweet twisty blacktop to Sugarloaf Mountain, a sacred and immensely important destination from my youth and early adulting years. Then, on to multi-miles of classic Maine roads though forest, along rivers/streams and lakes up to Jackman and across Rt6 to Moosehead Lake. Clear day, perfect riding temps. Couldn't ask for more.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
NET Leg5
A day sitting in a marginal motel with cold rain outside and temps in the 40s was as fun as it sounds. More rain was on the way but it looked like it was going to hold off until the afternoon. This time, I put on ALL of the raingear before starting out. This was also helpful with the cold. I took Rt 114 up along the Canadian border to Canaan and then down through Dixville Notch to Errol then followed Maine Rt16 up to Rangeley. The road wasn't in great condition but I suspect that will be good practice for what's to come. Happily into the motel before more precip started.
Next Lesson: Always determine what kind of food resources are available for each destination. There was no food within walking distance, no delivery and zero vending. Fortunately, the housekeeper gave me a couple of bottles of water from her car and I settled in with a cereal bar and some beef jerky for dinner...yum!!
Monday, June 20, 2022
NET Leg7
First Day of Summer!
And thankfully so as it's planned to be a long one. This part of the adventure had always been an unknown quantity given the remoteness of the region and, of equal importance, the recent met. I had planned/hoped to ride from Greenville to Kokadjo and then connect to the Golden Road for a ride south to Millinocket. This would have been about as wildernessy/off-roady as I was prepared to tackle (all the while hoping I hadn't been too ambitious).
Since there had been 3-4 days of recent heavy rain, I wanted some local knowledge about the route and my Innkeeper gave me the number of a general store up near The Golden that would be about the only intel for the conditions along the route. The proprietor immediately identified me as "non-local" and relayed in the succinct Mainer vernacular that the road was "rough". I was able to further determine that the road was "being worked on" before the conversation no longer held their interest. This felt strangely equivalent to wanting to go for a sail with dark clouds gathering and the breeze dropping off.
So.... New plan. My GMaps had been spot on the whole trip and it now showed an “alternative route” that went east and connected to Rt11, the famed Aroostook Highway that was my final push into Fort Kent. The day was beautiful and I followed East Rd out of Greenville which soon lost the basic elements of what I would consider "road". But it wasn't unmanageable and the ride was challenging but not too far out of my comfort zone. It required constant attention to contour, texture, features, speed and gear choice. After about 10 miles, I realized I had not seen any signs of other vehicles or even wildlife.
Another several miles found me arriving at a small, pleasantly decorated cabin with a rope across the road.
A lovely older woman came out on the porch after I had gotten off the bike and asked " Whacha doin?". I asked her if I could get to Millinocket on this road and she said "Yup... if you're a logger". We chatted a bit and I learned that the Katahdin Iron Works Rd goes through private land and nothing but 4-wheel drive is allowed to travel it due to the danger in the commercial logging region. I told her of my thwarted plan to ride the Golden Road and she said she and her husband were planning the same drive the following day. I gave her the number I had called earlier. I suspect a local got a bit more detail on the conditions.
I had to ride back out to the start of my day and tacked on an additional 40 miles or so of diversion. Stopped in Millinocket for food/fuel before launching on to the Aroostook Scenic Highway. This was a great ride though Maine wilderness. Stopped at Aroostook State Park for lunch and rest. Met some Rangers for a pleasant chat. Beautiful open valleys and through some dense forest. Great views along Eagle Lake. Was thankful to get in to Fort Kent and have a decent meal and sleep.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
NET Leg8
Started at America's First Mile and continued up along Rt 1 to Madawaska then down to Caribou, Presque Isle with destination Calais (pronounced Kalis). Beautiful open landscape but a strong (~20kt) southerly wind was brutal. Even knocked down my gas mileage about 5mpg!
Rolled along the US/Canadian border for mile-after-mile. Awesome views at Grand Lake. The "accommodations" in Calais were, shall I say, sub-optimal. Dirty facility, no hot water, marginal food selection. My bad for making a poorly-researched reservation choice.
Can't wait to get on the road.
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
NET Leg9
Glad to be out of Calais. Beautiful run along the St Croix River Reservoir and looking out toward Passamaquoddy Bay.
Took a side ride out to NFI (No-Fukin-Idea)Cove. Then down to Lubec to see the Lost Fisherman's Memorial. Next stop West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and "Touch The Fence". This is apparently a “thing”, at least in the motorcycle community, and an item to check off the list of riding achievements.
A nice lunch looking out toward Bay of Fundy and good conversation with a few kindred visitors. Next portion along the coast on 191 to Cutler and then link back to Rt1, through Machias and out to Great Wass Island and the Downeast institute (https://downeastinstitute.org/).
Sadly, I was too late for get in to see any of the science so headed back out for my destination in Milbridge.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
NET Leg10
This looked like, and eventually was, the longest ride of the entire NET.
The first part was a swing through Winter Harbor that I had only previously seen from the water looking in, not from land looking out. Then I couldn't pass up an opportunity for the Schoodic Loop Rd. I stopped at the Ranger Station and bought a lifetime National Parks Pass. At the same time, they educated me on the process to ride up Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. This now requires a reservation for an "entry time". The process is an efficient and well-reasoned way to keep the traffic and human density down to a tolerable level. After signing up, I started on my Schoodic loop but got stuck behind a cager. This not only detracted from the ride but also wrecked most of the GoPro footage of this gorgeous natural environment. Still a great ride. On to ANP for my designated time slot up Cadillac! This was a great ride into the park and I nailed the entry time almost to the minute (that isn't necessary as there is 30min allowance both before and after your designated 30min window).
The ride up was awesome and the views didn't disappoint. Even with the entry window limitations, there was still sufficient human density to detract from the natural environment but this is now the world we live in. Headed back down and stopped for a few more pics with fewer people involved. Trying to get out of the park on a Friday and I encountered what I had feared... bumper-to-bumper traffic and unapologetic pedestrians in a continuous stream across the roadway. It eventually opened up and the ride continued. I abandoned the idea of going to Southwest Harbor based on the miles I had yet to cover and headed to Ellsworth. A local rider had gushed about how nice Rt 172/175 was heading south from Ellsworth so I went after it. Ehhh... was fair at best. Road not in good condition and I had been on far more interesting and challenging ride earlier in the day.
I was committed to going out as far as I could get on Deer Isle... no idea WHY this was something I had on my list but it was freaking cool to see how far out into the connected coastal islands I could get. The low tide fragrance was everywhere in the coves and flats with exposed shoreline. Despite the name, not a single deer sighted on the isle. At almost 4pm, I'm headed back toward mainland and the final push of the day to Rackliff Island to my only evening on non-hotel stay. The long run down more of Rt1 was exhausting and a bit tedious but no time for side-travels at this point.
Yeah, right..... A few miles before my destination the GPS showed a nice twisty alternate route with the enticing "similar ETA" designator. What the hell?? Let's finish up with some fun. Once around the first turn, reality set in hard and the "road" disappeared with a quick transition into a seriously gnarly off-road environment with big, ugly chunks of rock and large gravel mixed in on the deeply rutted path. I knew enough to keep steady pace and stay light on the bars and, for about 30sec, things looked like a nice end-of-day challenge. The a black flash of enraged, unrestrained canine came tearing out of an unseen yard to defend the double-wide "castle" from the obvious bloodthirsty intruder. I knew enough not to stop but speeding up was not a great option either. Cujo tried to get in front of the bike but quickly realized that I had renamed him "Speedbump" in my head and wasn't stopping unless I went down. He finally gave up after a 100yards or so and that seemed like a mile!! I finally came to a clearing and could safely stop and settle. The road ahead, unbelievably, looked even worse but turning around was out of the freakin’ question! "There Be Dragons!". So pressing onwards hoping for limited wildlife encounters. Evidence of civilization returned in less than 1/4 mile and the road transitioned to hardpack dirt, which felt like smooth new pavement at that point. Rolled into destination with "similar ETA" but quite dissimilar experience!! A welcome beer with friends and more-welcomed sleep followed.
Friday, June 24, 2022
NET Leg11
After several taxing days, a short hop up to Waterville via Owl's Head and Pemaquid Point was in order. A lovely coastal stop for a break and soaking in the last of the quintessential Maine coastline.
This was the shortest riding day of the trip and I definitely needed it. Was feeling exhausted and adjusted my riding to the decreased energy and attention levels. More lovely coastal roads followed by what would be my last jog to the north during this trip.
Saturday, June 25, 2022
NET Leg12
A nice ride today from Waterville over to Sunday River on Rt 2 then down toward North Conway on Rt16.
The parking for the Mt Washington Autoroad was packed and, not needing a "This Bike Climbed Mt Washington" sticker like the 10s of thousands of others out there, I bypassed this reported "must-do" activity.
As an even better alternative, I took Crawford Notch Road up to a lookout for a stop and some hydration. Even a lovely little pre-diversion on Thorn Hill Rd away from the highway and other travelers. A sweet little tertiary, well paved and twisty jaunt before heading back up the mountain to the notch. Then the turnaround and arrival in North Conway. With some rain looking to move through tomorrow, I will combine a rain and rest day before taking on the Kanc.
Monday, June 27, 2022
NET Leg13
Yesterday was a much needed rest/recovery day as the daily miles had piled up on me and wasn't feeling well. Better today but still feeling wrung out. However, once on the bike things felt better and The Kancamagus Highway did not disappoint, even if the weather forecast did.
Intermittent brief spits of rain that eventually cleared away and the undulating trip though the White Mountain National Forest was fantastic. A great ride continued down to Warren and then, ultimately, into Ludlow VT. Unknowingly, the best was saved for last. The stretch of smooth, recently paved Rt 131 from the intersection of Rt5 all the way to Proctorsville was absolutely sublime! A fantastic way to end the day.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
NET Leg15- Finish Line
The final ride to the barn. A brief swoop through Scranton for a blindingly clear reminder of why I took this trip to the wilderness and then an enjoyably twisty menu of Pennsylvania country roads through open farmland , along rivers and streams until the familiar and now-welcomed transit of the Susquehanna River at Conowingo Dam leading to home.
Final tally: 3104 miles/ 189,300 vertical feet of altitude.
PYRAT got me through this adventure without a single hiccup. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
NET Leg14
The trip is in the final push and, with a constant eye to the forecast, it appears that carving a day off the plan helps me avoid riding in blistering 90°+ temps with thunderstorms on Friday. This means I will need to add some miles to the next 2 rides and alter the route a bit to allow for good rides to the finish.
Coming out of Ludlow on Rts 103 and 140 was the continuation of the stunning ride that ended the previous day. These roads could/should be ridden multiple times and are probably even more spectacular in the fall. Next target was Saratoga Springs and then on south past Oneonta and down into PA. I opted to make these last 2 days strictly focused on the ride and consciously chose not to video or stop for photos... just soak in the last few hundred miles and feel the flow of miles. The GPS seemed to understand that it was coming to an end and routed me to side roads barely acknowledged on the Butler Maps. A nice stay in my final hotel and a quick check of the weather for the last hurrah tomorrow.
