My day started at 6am, I woke up got dressed, and like a large number of area residents, turned on the pumps to remove the water which came in over night. I stepped outside and found my bike waiting for me, it was covered in condensation. the day was for-casted to be great but at 730am it was, foggy, foggy and cold. Yesterday I had sent out an E-mail about Joe's intended ride, and that I would be departing Dunkin Donuts in Montville at 9am for the ride to Canterbury. I put on a long sleeve shirt, gloves, coat,vest,chaps and started up the bike. It cranked up instantly, Fresh from having Rick change the oil, the petcock, doing a full maintenance and adjusting the valves. I jumped on it and headed to Fieldcrest to meet Jerry Miner. There I was told his girl friend Linda had woken up nervous and was already headed to Motorcycle riding school.
Jerry pulled his Lowrider out of his garage and we headed along 184 to I-95 into New London, then up rte 32 to Montville for gas and coffee. With the speed of the bikes Jerry's face was red and he was glad he made the decision to change from cut offs to full gloves, the fog was so thick he was constantly wiping his goggles.
The E-mail I sent said I would leave at 9am from D&D and anyone who wanted to ride up should come, at 859 it was still just me and Jerry, as we walked outside to start the bikes Jim Skerrit pulled up on his Ultra Classic. I changed my mind about running up 395 to 169, instead we ran up 32 to the 2a connector and picked up rte 12 in Gales Ferry. By now the fog was long gone and the air was beginning to warm, We rode into Norwich, through Greenville and took 97 to Taftville then picked up rte 169 and followed it north to Canterbury. There was absolutely no traffic and the three of us just sat back and enjoyed the turns and hills. We arrived at the D&D at 169 and 14 around 940am, and most everyone else was there.
We talked for a while,had more coffee and waited for 10am and more people arrive. We pulled out of D & D around 10:10am Joe Fogerty leading sitting comfortable on his new Red and Black Road King.
Behind Joe the three of us "southerners", then there was Steve Brown, Drew Lombardi, Rick Hazlet, "Bubbah" Gowin, and George Booker. Joe led us west on 14 then north on 97 through Hampton, Abington to Pomfret and rte 169. Turning left Joe took us north through Woodstock to North Woodstock then south on 197 to 198 at Woodstock Valley where he headed us east on rte 171back to Woodstock and Putnam. In Putnam we grabbed 12 south through Attawaugan to Dayville and Lunch at ZIPS. We had no issues with water, or busted pavement on the entire trip, there was a few cracks and a little gravel. This would change after lunch.
Finished eating Bubbah, Rick and George headed off to their own destinations. Joe, myself, Jerry, Jim, Steve and Drew headed east on rte 101. by now the day was warm, we sheeted the chaps and full gloves. The ride was fantastic, the warm soft air rushing by, the smell of pines and things growing, the underbrush all sporting the green buds.
Now those of you who know where east on 101 will take you, should remember what I have said about the roads..."Over there", what I used to refer to as Goat trails. Now to be fair to Rhode Island, while their roads have always been...crap...they cannot be held responsible for the latest disaster which has struck them. With all the rain as of late the roads which where cracked and broken, now have large sections on pavement missing, like pot holes, only well, not the kind of pot you would cook a can of soup, more like the kind you would boil a New England Boiled dinner in, and not one but lots, all together, like you were preparing a St Patricks Benefit dinner... for the entire state. Route 101 had issues, rte 102 was a mess, and to make it worse the State DOT was hard at work filling them, well...some of them, but it didn't appear that they tamped the patch, just sort of shoveled it in The hole and moved on. This left the area UN-ride-able and the area between patches had pieces of new hot patch all over te road, like little stones, stones that the vehicle in front of you would pick up and throw at you. I got hit in the lip, the cheek and countless other areas, Jerry complained that his legs were pelted, and the sound of all that crap in the fender wells was not pleasant.
klay
Still the weather was great and we were riding. We ran on 101 through Foster to rte 102 and took that south all the way to rte RI route 3. It was good that we were getting off 102 here because south of the route 3 intersection rte 102 was closed due to water damage. We arrived at our next destination shortly after-wards, "Ocean State Harley Davidson".
Leaving Harley we picked up RI 3 west, Jim dropped off and picked up 95 south and headed home, we continued, the idea being rte 3 through Hope Valley, then 184 in Ct.. Like I said, that was the plan. We passed through Hope Valley climbed the hill towards Canochet and came to a dead end. a small bridge had been washed out and with it a section of the road. A U turn and it was onto 95 to Ct, and off for rte 184. We already knew 184 was closed between rte 49 and rte 2 for the same reason, Joe and drew were going to head west on 184 to rte 49 north, the rest of us were going to follow then pick up 49 south to rte 2. But we decided instead to take 95 to 49 and cross to 2 there. As we pulled off the exit rte 49 south of 95 was also blocked. We took 2 to 184 west and ran to Old Mystic where we found another bridge washed out and had to detour again. Finally, in Groton (Mystic) we split up and I headed home....to pump water...again.
GREAT RIDE.
klay
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