Pure Water Ride - Nov. 2020 - Western Mass.

 The river below is the Green river.  The church is River Valley Community Church , a stone's throw from the Green River.  Also known as the East Colrain Chapel, it's where my former youth group leader is Pastor.

 

Pure Water Ride 2019 - Oct. 11 - Maine and New Hampshire

My wife, Margaret by a waterfall on the Castle in the Clouds estate in New Hampshire.  The grounds were covered in hiking trails and though there is no one else in this picture, there were hundreds just like us enjoying the October outdoors and a cooling mist from the waterfall.

We also stopped at Songo Lock-the only remaining manually operating lock in New England.  Boats full of lumber and other cargo used to go from Long Lake in Naples to Portland Harbor through this lock and canal. 

Oct. 24, 2018

We greatly enjoyed our East Bay Pure Water Ride — and through the Northwest winds we went, and the 20% rain showers, and the warm flush of sunshine too, wheeling our way to the Narragansett Bay in Bristol, and back to India Point in Providence.  

Our side adventure to pinpoint the location of Blount’s Seafood Market in Warren was of course another highlight of the day — what a find!  We’ll want to return for another ride on this super scenic bike path, and wheel off the path for a repeat platter of Blount’s heavenly plump and tender clam strips again. 

Thank you for another wonderful PWR.

Pure Water Ride - Oct. 7, 2017

Halfway point was the 'Main Moon' Chinese restaurant in Simsbury, CT.  The food was delicious and we were starved after 13.5 miles!

Simsbury was twice burned by hostile Indians, whose lands were deeded as reparation.  No doubt the fire was spectacular as tar, pitch, and turpentine were manufactured in town.  Simsbury has a long history related to metals-Copper, Steel, Silver.  More recently the town has supplied world-class figure skaters such as Victor Petrinko, who have been major contenders for Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Rest breaks were few.  We all appreciated relaxing for a few minutes at the 3/4 mark.

It was fantastically comfortable to be outdoors.  Warm by October standards, yet autumn color was sparkling here and there along the way.  27 miles total.  Please consider a donation to support pure water.  Enjoy past years blogs and visit again for next years!

Pure Water Ride 2016 - Perfect Day!

Oct. 17, 2016 - Perfect day!  The frost could have been on the pumpkins, but instead it was in the seventies!  In shorts and t-shirts we rode through beautiful fall foliage along the Blackstone River Bikeway.  We did more than 20 miles-the entire length that is dedicated bikepath-and back.   Gordon, Mark, and I made good time along the paved trail.  The leaves were red, yellow, and orange against the blue of the sky and the water of the canal and Blackstone River.  It was hard to image a better day for the ride.

Thanks for all who contributed this year.  There are many in the DR and Cameroon that you have helped to live healthier and longer with pure water.

 Mark and Gordon on one of the more open parts of the trail.

 Once the hardest working river in America, the Blackstone is still in good shape-but in retirement-abandoned by all the mills that once lined the banks between Worcester and Providence.  Why not harness some of that natural power to generate electricity, Mark wondered.

 Gordon at our starting/finishing point in Lincoln.

 Mark brought a fold-up bike.  Carries like a suitcase, goes anywhere.  

Afterwards we celebrated with some authentic Indian cuisine at the local 'Flavors of India' restaurant.  Definitely worth a try if you are in the Cumberland, RI area.

Postponed to Oct 17, 2016

Due to the 40% chance of showers, we decided to postpone the ride.  New target date is Oct 17th!

Pure Water Ride - Nov 28, 2015

Here I am at the start of the Nashua River Rail Trail in Ayer, MA.  Gordon and I had just gotten the bikes unpacked.  Right after a few pictures, we headed north. The trail was paved and not busy.  There were only a few road crossings so we made great time.  It helped to keep us warm, too.

Ten miles later, we hit the NH border.  It was rainy and cold.  We rode steadily along to keep warm.  A couple of miles later we reached the northern end of the trail in Nashua and turned back.

We were starved and freezing by the time we hit the center of Pepperell MA.  The Country Kitchen was closed, but nearby Gordon spotted a 50's diner.  Our hands were so numb from the cold it took us 5 minutes to get our helmets off.  At least some of the water in our soaked clothes ran off before we entered.  My coat still weighed about 50 lbs.

Hot bowls of chili and hot cups of coffee helped us to thaw out and we were feeling pretty good by the time we had to go back out and finish the ride.  It was still raining, but we knew the end was closer with every pedal.  

Mt Greylock - Sept 12 - 6.5 miles

    It was only 57 degrees out at noon when Margaret dropped me off at the parking lot at the north end of the summit road.  Fortunately, the sky was mostly clear and the sun kept the chill at bay.  Still it was a frosty start.  Margaret took some pictures then headed to the top in the car.  She brought knitting to occupy the time while I walked.  The brisk air had at least one advantage - it was walk brightly or be cold. 

    The road to the summit rises steeply from the car park and a good portion of the vertical rise occurs in the first half of the climb.  As I tired, the road leveled out.  Traffic was very light.  I saw more motorcycles than cars and only one bicyclist as I hiked, although there were two or three at the top, when I got arrived.  Margaret and I stayed in touch by cell phone.  The reception was good all the way, and when I got near the top, I let her know.  Margaret walked down to meet me, and we both got to the summit together, about three o'clock. 

    We found a glorious spot for lunch-a picnic table indoors on the porch at Bascomb Lodge.  The sun shone in the windows warming the room to a very relaxing temperature and the view out of the windows was some of the very best vistas to be found anywhere on the summit.  The mountains and lakes went on until the limit of the air visibility.  It was terrific place to celebrate the completion of our goal for the 2014 Pure Water Ride-to climb Blue Hill, Mt. Wachusett, and Mt. Greylock, even if we did have to resort to plan B!

    Our heartfelt thanks go out to you, our supporters.  Your generosity truly makes a huge impact on the health of the people that benefit from the projects the Pure Water Ride supports in Cameroon, West Africa and the Dominican Republic.  We hope you will join with us again next year.  Until then, may God bless you richly!

Mt Wachusett - Sept. 10, 2014 - 3 miles

Following plan B, since my left arm is still far from being healed, and attempting to ride a bike at this time is ludicrous, today I walked up Mt. Wachusett along the access road.  Like last year, the only other time I had climbed this mountain, the tower landing was homequarters for a group of hawk-watchers.  With binoculars, spotting scopes, and cameras, they were observing, tracking, and counting the various kinds of hawks who frequent the area.  Mt Wachusett is one of the premier spots in New England for hawk watching and the tower landing has a level, firm floor and extends all the way around the tower, enabling a 360 degree view of the horizon. 

It was exciting to watch a group of hawks soaring but much more so in the company of the hawkers, whose commentary greatly added to the enjoyment.  They easily identified the type of hawk, whether or not it was migrating and had names for their every manouvre.

The top was a great place to enjoy the lunch of chicken fried steak I had packed up.  Despite what the website said, there were porta-potties at the parking lot at the top.  Very convenient!

Blue Hill/Bradley Estate - Sept. 8, 2014 - 3 miles

    Sunny, clear day with a hint of Fall in the air.  Hiked up Blue Hill to the weather observatory, then over to the Eliot Tower for views of Boston Skyline.  Also walked around the Bradley Estate, a Trustees of Reservations property in Canton, MA, on the cart path.  The Bradley Estate is a beautiful brick mansion with a formal garden in the front yard.  The grounds extend for about 90 acres, which is about 1/20 the size of Borderland State Park.

Blue Hill - Aug. 30 - 2 miles

Just two days after making this years first ascent of Blue Hill, we were back.  My wife, my daughter, and I took advantage of the cool, dry air and a sunny day and climbed Blue Hill a second time.  A large rock provided a resting spot at the top where we sat with the sun on our backs to keep the chill off.  As we rested, a steady stream of hikers, runners, and bicyclists completed their conquests.  Some turned around and headed back immediately, others lingered a few moments or explored around the observatory grounds, others, like us, hung around to appreciate the view and relish the accomplishment.

Blue Hill - Aug. 28 - 2 miles

    My daughter and I hiked up the access road to the weather observatory at the top of Blue Hill.  The observatory gift shop was open, but no tours of the observatory were being offered today as they were short handed.  The bored shop attendant bounced around at random releasing more energy than he would have if he had taken us a tour and watched the shop at the same time.  We enjoyed looking over what they had for sale, including many books on storms-the hurricane of 1938 and the famous blizzard of 1978.  Outside, it couldn't have been a finer day. 


    On the summit was a monument summarizing interesting weather highlights recorded at the observatory.  The deepest snow on the ground was 42" in January of 1948.  The highest wind was 186 mph, calculated during the hurricane of 1938 and the greatest monthly average percent of possible bright sunshine was 76% in June of  1971 - it was a good day for sunshine!

    The hike back down was great.  A refreshing breeze sprung up and clouds shaded us from the direct heat of the sun.  We were starved by the time we got back to the car, and thought of food the whole way home.

A Bump in the Road - Aug. 1, 2014 - 7 miles

    Todays ride began on a wet and wild woods road that led into a broad and level meadow where yellow daises bloomed beside the path.  After a steep climb to the top of a ridge, I was enjoying a 100 mile vista without pedaling as the road now descended. 


    Suddenly a black dog streaked across a yard on my right.  The next thing I knew, I was picking myself off the ground, with the dog barking at me as I checked over my bike.  Noticing that the front wheel was too bent to fit through the forks-rendering it unrideable,  I glanced across the street to the nearest house, whose yard the black dog had come from, but decided to avoid any further encounter with the dog, and walked uphill instead to a house where another dog's bark greeted my knock.  Fortunately, the husband and wife soon responded.  Seeing my torn and bloody T-shirt, and learning of my accident, the young man called an ambulance, who was there in just a few minutes, arriving nearly at the same time as my wife and mother-in-law, who I had phoned earlier.

    X-rays and CAT scans at the emergency room at Central Maine Medical Center revealed a broken right and left clavicle, first rib right side, and left neck bone.  The doctor warned it would likely be a six week recovery for the bones to heal and then more time for the muscles to rehabilitate.  This bump in the road forced a change in strategy for the Pure Water Ride. 

    With bicycling out of the picture for prime weather for the rest of the summer and likely the better part of the Fall, I would have to switch to hiking, if I was to have any hope of completing this year's three hill challenge.

Monmouth, ME - July 31, 2014 - 8 miles

    Short ride today around favorite routes.  Stopped by a new kiosk put up by a local conservation group, but was dismayed to learn that mountain bikes were prohibited from using their trails.  Why do so many conservation groups ban mountain bikes?  It seems they should welcome human powered, green means of transport.  Isn't it less green to drive to a conservation area and walk around, than to bike to the same area and bike around? 

Bowdoin and Sabattus, ME - July 29, 2014 - 20 miles

    A beautiful ride on a beautiful day.  Mostly on an ATV trail in Bowdoin and Sabbattus. 
Exploring this year much further south than ever before, I kept pushing further and further until I knew that I was going to exhaust myself getting back.  Finally arriving at a paved road, I rode a half mile down to the next intersection.  Try as I might, there was no locating the intersection on my map, a page from DeLormes Atlas of Maine.  Ordinarily an invaluable resource, it turned out to be practically useless today. 


    Not wanting to risk extending my ride even further with a wrong turn, I doubled back and re-traced my route northward through the woods, until I came to another paved road, which I was also unable to locate on the DeLormes.  This time, I was reasonable sure, by the position of the sun, that the paved road was heading north, the direction I wanted to go and that it would be much faster than continuing to re-trace the ATV trail.


    This turned out to be a rare good decision-an almost straight, level, mostly paved road leading back to my starting point at the Litchfield fair grounds.


    When I got home, I signed onto Google maps, hoping to learn where I had been.  Google had the road names right and I was able to identify where I had been.  Had the road names been changed since the atlas was printed?  Why would a town re-name roads? 

Pure Water Ride 2014 Begins!

The Pure Water Ride is starting soon.  This year we have an exciting new way for you to support improved health through pure water.  Your choice of donation level and what maximum donation you would like to contribute.  We will be biking up three mountains during the summer and fall of 2014. 

Blue Hill in Canton, MA is the highest peak in Eastern Mass, rising to a height of 635 feet.  Massachusetts gets its name from the Indians who lived in the area around blue hills whose name means 'people of the great hills'.  We are asking for a donation of $5.00 for each time we ride up the access road to the top, up to the maximum number of times you chose to support.


Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, MA is the highest peak in central Massachusetts at 2006 feet.  We are asking for a donation of  $20.00 for every time we ride to the top, up to the maximum number of times you pledge to support.


Mt. Greylock in Adams, MA is the highest peak in Massachusetts.  At 3491 feet, the summit offers dramatic views of the beautiful Berkshires.  We are asking for a donation of $40.00, the cost of one water filter for a single household, if we manage to ride to the top.  Due to the distance and the arduous climb, we plan only one ascent this year. 


Follow our progress-check this blog throughout the season.  Like to get some exercise, see some fantastic scenery, and have some fun?  Then bring your bike and join us for one of these rides.  Contact me at purewaterride@msn.com and we will try to find a date and time that will work.  All riders must make a contribution.  After all, the purpose of the pure water ride is to help provide pure, clean, healthy water to those who often have to drink dirty, contaminated, unhealthy water.

Borderland - 12 miles

A perfect weather day-sunny, clear skies, no humidity, and just enough nip in the air to make you want to keep moving.  Gordon and I did some local trails in Borderland, where the trees were starting to color and the crisp air seemed to make everything surreally bright.  I pushed myself hard just to show off a little and was pleasantly surprised to see that a summer of riding has paid off in better power and stamina.  If a couch potato like me can do it so can you.   Next year there will be opportunity for you to join me on the pure water ride.  See you next year!  

Wahh_ahh_ahh - Wachusett! - 15 miles



A trip to Mount Wachusett turned out to be a showcase for alternative energy.  The sun-bathing windmills below totally dominated (and nearly ruined) the view from this overlook half way up.  And no, they weren't turning.  I'm sorry, wind power is not the answer!  (see excerpt below)

(...this letter written by Princeton Municipal Light Department's (PMLD) General Manager, Brian Allen, offers a candid assessment of the utility's two-turbine (3.0 MW) project. The turbines have failed to live up to expected production levels and has been plagued with technical problems. Rather than reducing rates for customers, the project lost $1.875 million and will continue to lose $600,000 yearly under current circumstances...)

 

On the drive up here, I passed by a solar farm off Route 70 in Lancaster, MA and hardly even noticed it although it is located right next to the road.  The solar farm produces 550 kilowatts, which is just about what all the municipal buildings in the town consumes.

 

 





Windmills Suning Themselves

Sunlight is everywhere, not just on high isolated ridges, where windmills are located.  Not every day is windy, but every day has at least some sunlight.

Oh, Yeah Solar is Everywhere!

 

"Rising above the surrounding forest to a height of 2006 feet, Mount Wachusett stands as a unique landmark within the central New England landscape. From the summit, a clear day reveals views of Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire, the Berkshires to the west, and the Boston skyline to the east.".

(from the mass.gov/dcr wachusett mt website)

Mr. Retro made it non-stop to the top.  Up the car road, then later a second ascent on a combination of unpaved and paved roads. 

On top of Wachusett

Barely visible due to my photography skills - a group of 5 or 6 birdwatchers were spotting broad winged hawks.  Good thing for the hawks the windmills weren't turning today.

The Mass Audubon site states "Wachusett Mountain has been documented as one of the premier hawk migration and observation sites in the Northeast."
 

Boston Skyline from Wachusett

Blue Hill - Sept 21, 2013 - 2 miles

Weather Station atop Blue Hill

Great Blue Hill in Milton, MA rises about 400 vertical feet above the surrounding countryside.  It's the highest point in the area.  An access road about a mile long reaches from Route 38 at the base to the weather station at the top. 

This morning I got up, grabbed my bike, tossed it into the back of the truck, and headed over to Blue Hill.  No breakfast-not even a sip of coffee.  I'd been planning this ride for some time, but somehow it never worked out-until today.  Yet I couldn't take long with a full day planned ahead. 

I was half-way to the top before I woke up.  Glancing over the ski slopes to civilization far below suddenly made me aware of the height I had been gaining.  Until then it was all through the woods which pretty much restricted the view to the surrounding trees.  It wasn't a clear day in general, so the view from the top was obscured by clouds and fog, but what a great feeling to ride non-stop to the top!

Monhegan, ME - 0 miles

We took a day trip to Monhegan.  Nice ferry ride through the heart of Maine's lobster country?

How's your balance?

 

Seal Harbor

 

Picture Perfect

 

Where's the Lighthouse?

 

Outward Bound had a boat or two here.