Great day for a ride....

A tad cool, but nothing a layer of leather and some warm layer of clothes wouldn't handle. So a group of us got together for just that reason.  The ride was going to be an over-nighter, with Doug and I running to Allentown, Reading, and Harrisburg PA before looping north-east and home. A third member joined the fray, but without the capability of an over night trip.  The ride was reconfigured for a single day trip. The new ride left the Mystic Diner at 8am, we ran up 184 to Pumpkin Hill,  then Gallup Hill across 214 to Spicer Hill. Spicer took us to 117 then 2A across the Thames to 395. We stayed on 395 to Norwich and took 2 to 32.

In Willimantic we cut across to 66 using Pleasant. At Mountain we made a stop because we caught Mike Henry coming up Mountain. Saying our goodbyes it was Kingsley, Baker Hill and Cards Mill to 66, which took us to route 6 in Columbia. I had intended to take route 6 to 44, but, remembering the traffic lights I opted for 384 into Hartford. We found 44 there, in the form of Albany Avenue. 

The day before I had talked to Vinny on the phone about the ride. He and Paul were to be heading to the Catskills for a Bike Rally but wouldn't be leaving until Doug Junior retrieved his derelict Honda, left over from the 911 run. Hearing the route he figured we would be at 44 and 8 around 10:30 and agreed to a meet. 

We cruised through West Hartford, Avon, Canton, and New Hartford making a stop to top of the V-Star. We rolled into Winsted at route 8 at 10:30on the money. We stopped, topped off the Road Star (bought smokes) and called Vinny. He and Paul were parked 200 feet up the road.

Their plan was to ride to Canaan and hook a right on route 7, ours was to hook a left. So we headed out of Winsted, ran through Norfolk and waved our goodbyes in North Canaan. Vinny took the right and we went left to check out the Housatonic Railroad.

 After getting some photos, riding through the grass, losing and retrieving a headset and getting a cup of coffee we stopped at the former New Haven Railroad/ Central of New England Railroad Union station.

After getting some photos and looking around we walked across the parking lot to Collins Diner. The special of the day was Macaroni and cheese which , none of us had. We each had sandwiches and since they had PB&J and FlufferNutter sandwiches we each grabbed one of those for later in the trip. I hope to have a copy of the menu to post here soon.

Phase Two

 Back on the bikes we were back on 44 into New York. We made two stops before the Hudson River, one was at Millerton...(where Doug found Giant Cookies and bought us each one)

 The next stop was Poughkeepsie on the east shore of the Hudson. We parked the bikes walked around the station and down by the river to check out the rail activity and the bridges.

 It turns out that the old New Haven Railroad bridge which has been out of service since the fire when Penn Central shut it down, has become a part of rails to trails.

Back on the bikes we got to perform the death defying act of getting on route 9, without the aid of a access ramp, crossing the highway instantly and jumping on 44 and 55 to cross the river on the Mid Hudson bridge. This was death defying, I, leading, did not realize that the ramp takes you to the highway and stops. There is no merge lane, L earned this because it damned near dumped me in front of a car, Danny glancing back to check traffic found me stopped, locked his rear tire and went sideways before recovering, Doug...enjoyed the show. Once across the river we jumped on route 9W and made an instant stop to top off all the bikes. From there we ran north on 9W to Kingston where we picked up route 25. Route 25 is a fantastic road of hills and curves and fairly nice surface. We passed through Saugerties, Catskill, Greenville and Ravena to name but a few. one town, I can't remember which now seems to have been designed by a man with a T-square since there were no curves, just 90 degree turns. We arrived at the CSX (formerly Conrail, nee Penn Central nee New York Central yard) around 3:30pm or so. we went right to work taking photos. Danny, who has no railroad interest, found the place down right impressive with multiple through trains passing through the yard, a train working the hump and engines being shuttled around for maintenance.

After taking care of some needed issues, and eating my Fluffernuter we left the yard and picked up County road 53 then picked up 396 and crossed the New York through-way passing through the town of Selkirk (which...is a lot smaller than the yard that is not actually in Selkirk). We turned left onto route 144 which brought us into the Port of Albany. Neither the Canadian Pacific Kenwood yard, the Albany port Railroad or Cargill had anything going on so we went into downtown Albany on route 32 to cross over to Rensselear. This is much easier to say than to do seeing as the downtown riverside has changed a bit. we made two circulations through downtown, sort of a demented figure eight before finding we were in the wrong area to access the bridge. It came down to parking at an intersection, looking up at the maze of accessways, ramps and highways to realize we had to go further in town to gain access. Once on the ramp we accelerated onto a empty four lane expressway which inside of one mile narrows instantly to two lanes and enters a spiral downward loop. In the middle of the ramp there is another ramp leading onto a spiral right to bring you into Rensselear. 

At least we didn't have the enjoyment of finding the "Ghost Ramp"

We checked out the Amtrak facility then headed out of town. At this point we made a decision, we had planned two alternate rides home, one was north up to Adams Mass then the Mohawk trail east and down 9 to Palmer and 32 home. The other was 20 to Pittsfield then across the same route to Palmer and 32 home. With the sun sitting low in the sky we opted for the southerly route. With Doug now leading and Dan assisting in navigation we only made two or three u turns before finding route 20 (marked with signs saying "20").

We cruised on 20 which once out of the city is a fantastic road, hills and curves. The wonderful thing about New York State is if the road has a number it is automatically a 55 mph road unless and where otherwise posted. we followed 20 east through Lebanon Valley and into Massachusetts. Where the same two lane in each direction 55 mph sweeping highway turned into a 35 mile and hour road. (Signs do not affect actual cruising speeds) We continued using the New York ruling and added the Club 5 to 10 rule to it.

The temperature through out the day varied, sometimes cool, sometimes downright cold. 

We made a stop in Pittsfield Mass for fuel and food. I was in the mood for steak and Doug found us a 99 Steakhouse. After a 30 minute wait we were seated and the food was good. Leaving there we ran south on route 8 up over the Berkshires. 

It was dark out by the time we finished eating and with the possibility of deer and bear in the roads I decided to run at our normal "faster than needs be" strategy, I figured if we hit something we should be moving at a sufficient speed to cut it in half. The ride to Westfield was fun and uneventful except when Doug put both wheels in one pot hole and bottomed out the bike. I am not sure but I believe both other riders enjoyed the ride at speed down Lower Valley road (dirt) in the dark, Myself I like rolling across the wooded bridge that has the boards all jump when you cross it, it makes a great sort of bumteplunk, bumteplunk, bumteplunk, bumteplunk, bumteplunk, sound as you fly across it. I have been over it many times in my cars over the years, it may have been a small surprise for my companions. We stopped in Westfield for coffee (hot chocolate) then grabbed the Mass pike to Palmer to bypass the West Springfield, Springfield traffic patterns. The toll attendant made it simple when he handed me the three toll tickets and sent us on our way. 

In Palmer we took 32 south and stayed on that till Coventry Ct. where we used Cidar Mill rd, Flanders River road, Cards Mill and Village Hill roads to bypass Willimantic to get to the Beaumont highway. These roads were taken at a nice clip and as I came up onto the flats before route 289 a rather large deer bolted across the road in front of me. It was beautiful, all the muscles flexing as it ran across the road. from there we took 289 to 87 to 2 to 395. We dropped Dan of on 32 in Montville, crossed the river and stopped at
the parking lot at Davids cafe for a smoke and a stretch. needless to say after riding in the cool night air that had long since soaked into the bones, we were both moving slow. We took 214 across to Ledyard Center and the only point of issue was when swinging through the big curve before the hill up to 117 I came across a dead Opposum in the lane. I leaned in further, sort of half closed my eyes and waited for the thud and slide, it didn't come, the new lean angle clear the dead rodent on the inside. Doug on the other hand didn't see it till he was on it, and he hit it square with both wheels in teh lean. A little slide, a little a wobble, some curses and he continued on. We said our goodbyes at 117. 

According to Doug's odo it was a 478 mile run for fun.

photos by Doug and myself, (Doug took I believe 116 or so)