It's really all about time.
Recently, Russ from Path Less Pedaled asked what "What is keeping you from going bike touring?". For me it's time - or the lack of it to be precise. As the owner of two mini humans in a very early school age, I simply can't leave everything behind and go for a bike trip, even a short one. First, I need to negotiate terms with my wife.
Anyway, the rare opportunity happened last Friday so I packed my stuff, put it on the bike and went to New Hampshire for a S36O (sub-36hrs overnight) tour.
I tried a little bit different setup this time. I used a Teardrop canvas bag from Bags By Bird and two Big M.U.T. fork bags from Randi Jo Fab. It worked really well. Those Big M.U.Ts are spacious enough to contain my tent (except the poles), Tyvek foot print, air mattress and the sleeping bag. They also proved to be stable enough to never swivel into the turning wheel, even on the most bumpy roads. The Teardrop kept my camera, tripod, batteries, snacks and other items secure.
I drove up north to Boscawen, NH where I left my car at a Park&Ride lot. This is also the trail head of the Northern Rail Trail that I would be taking on my return the next day - more on that later.
The first miles were easy. I moved quickly and made my way to Contoocook and briefly stopped at the old rail depot. Next, I rode northwest and reached Waterloo Covered Bridge, which reminded me of the time when I visited this place years ago, riding my own Kearsarge Klassic.
Just like years ago, I followed North Rd along Stevens Brook and reached Sutton and then New London. Very soon I discovered that Star Lake Rd is private and what's worse, gated. There was a sign though, stating that bicycling is allowed so I proceed through the automatic gate and kept going. Soon, the road became rough and unpaved, only to soon disappear (sort of).
I made it through and next reached Grafton Pond. At this point it was already afternoon, humid morning air was gone and sun was high up in the sky. It felt way too hot to ride a bike. My water bottles were nearly empty. I reached Canaan and stopped at the convenience store to resupply. Riding in heat and on constantly rolling hills wore me out. I was tired. Little I knew, the worst part was still ahead of me.
My destination for the day was Rumney - a small town just at the edge of White Mountains. Getting there from Canaan is easy - just follow Rt 118 north. But easy wasn't in my dictionary since I wanted to stay off the main, paved roads. So I took Fernwood Farm Rd instead and then tried Bob Porter Rd directing me towards Mascoma River Wildlife Mgt. Area. It all started well - the road was nice and flat...
...but soon turned into a rocky mess.
The worst however was yet to come. First I found a gate with a warning against bears in the area and a "no bicycles" sign. Then, I found out that the section of the road that was supposed to take me north didn't exist in the real life.
I had two choices - keep pushing through what looked like a snowmobile trail, heavily taken over by lots of vegetation or go back. Trying to cross the wildlife management area was not only technically illegal, but also risky - not just because of bears but simply because I had no idea what kind of trails or roads were ahead of me, which meant I could've been stuck there for a long time.
This, and the fact that it was already late in the afternoon and I was tired of riding thousands of hills and the scorching sun, I decided to ride back. For the rest of my ride I stuck to Rt 118 and made my way to Rumney fairly quickly.
I've never been to Rumney before, but I knew there were at least 2 decent-looking camping options nearby: Mountain Pines Campground (conveniently placed right at the bank of Baker River) and Barn Door (a hostel with some camping spots in the backyard). Both were only about $10/night, which meant I was happy to pay the price and have access to a hot shower, rather than try to wild camp somewhere.
Another great thing about Rumney is The Common Cafe and Tavern - great place if you're hungry. They serve good burgers and some great looking pizzas. Live music is a plus too.
When I was done with my dinner it was already dark and it cooled down a lot. I guess I forgot that temperature can drop quite a bit closer to mountains. I felt better after filling my stomach but was ready to call it a day and go to sleep. The next day was supposed to be easier, except the strenuous climb early in the morning, so I needed all my energy back.
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