"He chose poorly"
- Guardian of The Holy Grail
After the long month of April, when air temperature never exceeded 70F (21C) and frequent rains soaked the soil like a sponge, the warmer weather has finally arrived. Unfortunately, plenty of sun and clear skies mean that now, in the middle of Covid-19 pandemic and after sitting at home for weeks, everyone wants to be outside. This presents a major problem - how to enjoy cycling, yet stay away from people?
Obviously, the solution is to ride somewhere where people don't go. That's easier said than done. Here, in Eastern Massachusetts, we simply don't have enough non-urbanized space and truly remote locations.
For this reason, last weekend I decided to travel just across the border, to New Hampshire, and visit places around Bear Brook State Park. I figured that this forested area is large enough that even if more people show up later in the day, I should be able to social-distance myself just fine.
It all started quite well. I drove up to Auburn, NH and left my car right next to the popular Rockingham Recreational Trail. At 7AM the trail was still empty and after a short ride, I left the trail to move north, along Tower Hill Pond. At the early hour I encounter only a few guys fly fishing and a couple of dog walkers. However, then my route took me by North Candia Rd into Bear Brook State Park and this is where things started getting dicey.
Routes through the parts are something like a cross between dirt roads and hiking trails and can get very muddy and rocky in places. I can't say I enjoyed "roads" consisting entirely of ankle-deep mud or those very steep trials looking more like someone just dumped a truckload of rocks there. I didn't enjoy them because you can't really ride your bike there. I had to do quite a bit of walking instead.
The situation has improved once I reached Podunk Rd - a fast, wide dirt road. Then, I continued along Lane Trail, which turned out to be a popular mountain bikers' destination, judging from tire tracks in the sand. Fortunately, the trail was still empty, even though it was already close to noon time. As such, I kept maintaining a proper social distance.
Soon enough, I left the park and arrived at Epsom and at that point I thought the rest of the route should be easier. But I was wrong. Once I reached North Pembroke Rd things went south really quickly. As it turned out all roads around Whittemore Town Forest are actually ATV trails - very frequently used ATV trails, to be clear. That makes them completely ruined for anyone not on an ATV. Look, I realize that ATVs are "fun", but from a perspective of a cyclist (or a mountain biker) they are scourge to anyone who doesn't share the same type of fun. Honestly, I don't like drowning in mud or wading across giant puddles just because someone thinks cutting deep tracks in soil with massive tires is the best way to kill some time.
I was really glad I finally reached safety of Route 3, even though it was a bit busy with the usual car traffic. At this point I was really tired of muddy trails and I was glad to be rolling on a regular road - Chester Turnpike. Unfortunately, the regularity of this road quickly became much less regular and became a very rough, muddy (again!) ATV trail. Even worse, a good chunk of it was completely flooded so I had no choice but to take shoes off and carry my bike over.
Once I was through this mess, I entered Tower Hill Pond area again, but since it was early afternoon and very sunny, the place was then packed with cars and people. No chance of maintaining any social distance in such conditions, so I evacuated myself ASAP and went back home.
In my search for new places to ride and places that are free of cars and people, I have a bad tendency to choose poorly. Too often I end up in the middle of a swamp. Too often I have to walk my bike. Eastern Massachusetts is not exactly famous for open dirt roads with no car traffic - somewhere where you could just ride and enjoy the view. My only option is to either embrace the paved road or venture out farther. Much farther.
It all started quite well. I drove up to Auburn, NH and left my car right next to the popular Rockingham Recreational Trail. At 7AM the trail was still empty and after a short ride, I left the trail to move north, along Tower Hill Pond. At the early hour I encounter only a few guys fly fishing and a couple of dog walkers. However, then my route took me by North Candia Rd into Bear Brook State Park and this is where things started getting dicey.
The situation has improved once I reached Podunk Rd - a fast, wide dirt road. Then, I continued along Lane Trail, which turned out to be a popular mountain bikers' destination, judging from tire tracks in the sand. Fortunately, the trail was still empty, even though it was already close to noon time. As such, I kept maintaining a proper social distance.
Soon enough, I left the park and arrived at Epsom and at that point I thought the rest of the route should be easier. But I was wrong. Once I reached North Pembroke Rd things went south really quickly. As it turned out all roads around Whittemore Town Forest are actually ATV trails - very frequently used ATV trails, to be clear. That makes them completely ruined for anyone not on an ATV. Look, I realize that ATVs are "fun", but from a perspective of a cyclist (or a mountain biker) they are scourge to anyone who doesn't share the same type of fun. Honestly, I don't like drowning in mud or wading across giant puddles just because someone thinks cutting deep tracks in soil with massive tires is the best way to kill some time.
I was really glad I finally reached safety of Route 3, even though it was a bit busy with the usual car traffic. At this point I was really tired of muddy trails and I was glad to be rolling on a regular road - Chester Turnpike. Unfortunately, the regularity of this road quickly became much less regular and became a very rough, muddy (again!) ATV trail. Even worse, a good chunk of it was completely flooded so I had no choice but to take shoes off and carry my bike over.
Chester Turnpike (no kidding!)
Once I was through this mess, I entered Tower Hill Pond area again, but since it was early afternoon and very sunny, the place was then packed with cars and people. No chance of maintaining any social distance in such conditions, so I evacuated myself ASAP and went back home.
Thanks for the advice!
In my search for new places to ride and places that are free of cars and people, I have a bad tendency to choose poorly. Too often I end up in the middle of a swamp. Too often I have to walk my bike. Eastern Massachusetts is not exactly famous for open dirt roads with no car traffic - somewhere where you could just ride and enjoy the view. My only option is to either embrace the paved road or venture out farther. Much farther.
