Great day on the bike. Perfect spring weather, 70 degrees, sunny, a porcelain blue sky, little wind. Sunday! I got out early, in shorts and a "Steal Your Face" short sleeve jersey, no tights or gloves or wind tops, just the minimum costume. Fueled on pink ladies (an apple varietal), maple yogurt, granola, red raspberries, and Italian roast coffee, I set out full of energy with the vague notion I'd ride to Mt. Wachusett, not really knowing how far it was from HQ. I'd see how I felt when the time came to make the decision.
Of course, that time came and I pulled over to check the map and I found, to my chagrin, that I'd forgotten the map. Hmm, what to do? I'd studied it fairly closely, there was only a 10 mile or so stretch of road with which I was unfamiliar until I connected with rt. 62 and the very route I used to take to The Vontusett back when I rode out of Lemonstar. I shrugged it off and figured that I'd find my way. And I did.
The discovery of the day was Mason Rd in Princeton. Amazingly, I had never been on this road before even though for years I rode past it en route to Mt. Wachusett. Because for me at the time it lead away from where I was heading, I never ventured down it nor ever thought to incorporate it in a route. You never know when new beauty will enter your life.
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| Mason Rd, Princeton, MA |
On Mason Rd, for some four miles, only two cars passed me in either direction, and I encountered no other cyclists. Feeling great when I got to rt. 62 and the base of the big climb up toward Princeton and the turn off to Merriam Rd, I decided to have a go at the mountain. So up up up I climbed, on familiar roads.
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| Mt. Wachusett on the horizon |
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| Mirick Rd. |
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| Gregory (Corso) Rd, Princeton |
I reached the park entrance and base of the mountain at the same time another rider did, though he had come up the opposite, steeper side than I. I noticed he was spent so I went ahead of him, offering myself as the rabbit. I rode away from him. I rode up to and passed a young woman cyclist, a personal trainer, working with her client, an older man who was a bit bigger than you'd like as a cyclist. And powered to the top feeling not that bad at roughly the half way point of the ride, 25 miles.
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| Wachusett Summit, May 3, 2015 |
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| DubSky |
Summary: 48.4 miles, 14.9 mph solo, 3 hours and 11 minutes. 3,560 ft of climbing. Lots of sun, but never too hot. 3 rides this week, 86 miles.
Parting Shots
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The childhood home of Richard Johnson
family friend, author, sports historian and curator
Beechmont St
May 3, 2015 |
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| Gale Free Library, Holden |
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| Mason Rd. |
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| Eastward from the Summit |
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