Add Hawk

I was almost taken out by a hawk. I have no picture of the incident because it all happened very quickly.

At around the eighteen mile mark of what ended up a 22 mile ride, I was cruising along in a meditative, eyes-ahead state of relaxed tunnel vision on a recently paved road when, out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. My immediate interpretation of the motion was "newspaper blowing in gusty wind."

It was a gusty day after all, a blustery sun & cloud afternoon, a classic Sunday in early October New England.

But it wasn't a newspaper.

The moment unfolded rapidly. From the instant I noticed the movement, to the synapse firing in my brain that immediately tried to decipher the movement, to the point at which I actually realized what was happening and responded, was nearly instantaneous.

The newspaper was actually a hawk on the sidewalk (later I supposed it had made a play for a local squirrel or perhaps a house sparrow, flocks of which cavort in the hedges and the lot edges of neighborhoods all over Woo City). It was trying to take off, and the movement I saw as I was nearly abreast of it was it hopping & flapping to get some lift-off. By the point at which I realized with crystal clarity what was really happening, I had already instinctively reacted and ducked.

The hawk lofted into flight with a mighty lunge and barely missed my hunched shoulder as I raced past. Less than a second of reaction time separated cyclist-knocked-to-pavement-by-raptor and
holy-shit-near-collision-with-hawk. We both got away with our dignity.

Parting Shot

Kendall Reservoir, Holden, MA
October 4, 2015

Setting Out

Later in the season when you're in pretty good form, and if you've got no nagging little injuries, the first few miles of any ride are fantastic. When you set out you feel strong, your bike is a fine-tuned machine, you're confident and eager, you're not yet fatigued or slippery with sunbeam sweat.

So it's been for me lately. Like yesterday's 30 mile ride. Sunny, hot weather, the sun still a considerable force even though it's now lower in the sky earlier in the afternoon. I set out around 3:30 PM and felt terrific. And I took a chance of riding out of town via Holden and Brattle St.s, both of which had been grated over and unpaved as of two weeks ago.

There's good news! Holden St, Brattle St and Shrewsbury St have now all been paved. They are rough and dangerous no longer!

Shrewsbury St, paved at last!

Eventually I made my way to Causeway St in Holden, a true gem of a road, nearly bereft of cars.

The beginning of Causeway St in Holden

For a long while I rode alone on this street, several miles probably. Me, the sun, the green, the hum of late summer emanating from the New England roadside botanical abundance. At one point I saw some turkeys.

Turkeys

And then there was the farm.

Climbing toward the farm

Past the farm buildings and cresting the hill

Looking back, over the shoulder

The return part of the ride brought me past the Worcester Airport from the opposite side that I'm used to, which is the Big Climb up from Mill St. Today, it was Cat 4 downhill. It too has recently been paved, it's now like a slightly oily but luxuriant static river of sweet licorice un-flowing down the hillside.

First Ride to Mt. Wachusett from Woo City

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.

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.

Mt. Wachusett on the horizon

Mirick Rd.

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.

Wachusett Summit, May 3, 2015

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

The childhood home of Richard Johnson
family friend, author, sports historian and curator
Beechmont St
May 3, 2015

Gale Free Library, Holden

Mason Rd.

Eastward from the Summit