The Adventurous Life: 2018

Rippers Foliage Gravel Grinder

aka Central Mass Brew Tour

The Crew

This band of adventurers was the perfect crew to enjoy a perfect fall day in the woods and remote roads of Central Mass.

Phillip - enjoyed riding and hanging with his friends. Probably deserved a mutiny, but was happy everyone got back safely, with only mild scratches and sore muscles.
Josh - spilled my beer at Homefield, but I let it slide because he is so much fun to ride with.
Mark - rode an earlier and awfuller version of this route with me last year. His feedback helped make this updated route much, much better.
Anthony - loves these big mixie rides, adding to the fun at K2R2, the All-Day Mixie, and the Central Mass Brew Tour in the last 12 months.
Matt - channeled the Sassler method and killed all the climbs.
Guy - channeled the Blackman method and rode the dirt fast and fearless.
Olivier - rode his full-fendered Diverged over every obstacle, no problem. Like all of us, he hated the bushwhack through a quarter mile of brambles at the end of the ride.

A special note about Austin and his friend Ben:

Ben is a strong road rider, but this was his first time on dirt. We took him over some fun, easy trails similar to Battle Road in Lexington. But we also took him over some fun, challenging trails similar to the Fells in Winchester. White knuckle descents, baby heads, loose rocky climbs, puddles, ankle deep mud. Ben rode it all, but admitted that 30 miles of mixie was harder than the century he rode last weekend. After a late lunch at Homefield Kitchen and Brewery, Ben decided to call it a day and hopped in the car with Austin to make some purchases at Tree House.
Austin was another hero of the day, even though he didn't even get on his bike. On Wednesday, Austin fell in the Fells, suffering a deep gash in his knee that required stitches. Rather than bail on our Saturday ride, he drove to Tree House to sweep the course and carry our gear. Or he tried to, since the route traversed many "You shall not pass" sections that frustrated his ability to sweep the ride. Austin thinks I should have warned him he couldn't drive the course. I think he should have known that any mixie route I design is going to treat any sign saying "Do not enter" or "No outlet" as a challenge. OF COURSE you can't drive a car on my routes. Sometimes you can't ride a bike on my routes.

The Route

The ride was 50 miles with stops at Rapscallion, Homefield, and Tree House. We were definitely in need of refreshment after riding the challenging trails through Wells State Park and Brimfield State Forest.

The road sections were scenic and the dirt sections took us to the Twilight Zone (an eerie area in the woods with street signs, but no streets) and the mellow Grand Trunk Trail past the Westville Dam. Another mellow trail took us past the East Brimfield Dam.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28649225

Alternate Hero Finish: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28791433 - takes trails to Tree House, avoiding Rte 20, but requires hiking for anyone not named Danny Macaskill or Peter Sagan

If it's not on Strava it didn't happen: https://www.strava.com/activities/1917255509

The error

Near the start of the ride, we made a fortuitous wrong turn in Wells State Park and rode a mile of fun trail before finally admitting we were off course and riding the trail back to the route. No one minded the extra miles or the backtrack because it was exactly the kind of trail we seek out for mixie rides.

At the end of the ride, we weren't so fortunate. After 49.5 miles of near perfect riding, we reached a critical decision point. We could ride 2.5 miles on roads to the finish in the lower lot of Tree House. Or we could attempt the 8/10ths of a mile Hero Section trail that ends right at the Tree House tasting room. It took some coaxing on my part, but the incentive of avoiding Route 20 and the promise of sweet trails after the hike up the power line convinced the group to give it a try.

The power line was as unrideable as advertised. I offered a 4-pack of Tree House to anyone who could ride up the steep, rocky trail. Many tried, but no one succeeded. Some claimed that they could do it on a mountain bike, but I'm skeptical. The offer of a 4-pack still stands for the first Ripper to get up that trail on any kind of bicycle without dabbing (eBikes are not bikes).

The trail finally flattened out and we were able to ride again. So far, so good. Then the fatal error. I knew the sweet, sweet trail to Tree House was just ahead. I also knew it was very faint and hard to find. My Garmin told me it was 100 yards ahead, but my eyes told me that it was 100 yards downhill and that there was a faint trail leading off in the right direction without going downhill. I decided not to risk riding downhill only to climb back up if this faint track was in fact the trail. The one time MFG was right, I ignored it. I led the intrepid band into the woods...and we were lucky to come back out. Instead of a fun finish to the brewery, we endured a death march through deadfall and brambles. People fell, clothing and skin was torn, bikes were damaged. It was not fun! Uncharacteristically, I even suggested turning back and getting back on route, but the music from the brewery provided a siren song urging us on. It just got worse and worse, but we finally clawed our way out of the woods and the shimmering oasis became a reality. We slaked our thirst and over the next half hour, many of the astonished people who saw us emerge from the dense woods came over to ask us what exactly the hell we were doing.

It was an awesome day with a terrible finish, that just adds to the reputation of Ripper Mixies. We go where no sane cyclist dares go.

Addendum

Tree House has great beer, no doubt. It also has a beautiful setting next to a nature preserve, a gorgeous pavilion, and an awesome painting behind the bar of a tree house heavy in the use of chiaroscuro, a la Thomas Cole and the Hudson River school. Somehow despite all this excellence, the Tree House Brewery experience leaves me cold, metaphorically and physically. Just one example: Shivering after our epic ride, we were drawn to the heat lamps under the pavilion. Unfortunately, their tantalizing flames were for show and provided no warmth.

Tree House

Thomas Cole

In contrast, our lunch at Homefield Kitchen and Brewery provided hot food, good beer, loud music, and a warm, homey feel. We chatted with the owner / head brewer. The waitresses were delightful, friendly and sassy. A guy in the band came outside and offered to sell Mark a helmet which he found abandoned on our table when we left to continue the ride.

Even Rapscallion was a better experience than Tree House, even though it was infested with disc golf posers that drove Austin to drink. The beers may not be as celebrated, but after a hard ride Rapscallion beers tasted pretty damn good. Plus we got to sit in a welcoming and friendly tasting room instead of waiting in line and shivering next to fake fires.

Enough words

Enjoy the photos and videos from our ride...

Friday - Go north, young randonneur, go north!

What a great weekend! Vermont foliage, endless dirt roads, great companions, good beers, Red Sox in the playoffs. What else could I ask for? I guess some sunshine would have been nice.

Saturday was the NER Fall Classic, 130 miles of dirt roads and hills. The route description is classic. Just a sample:

quickly climbs 1000ft into the Deep Gibous;
Class IV roads, covered bridges, and Highlander cattle predominate the crossing of the Cold Hollow range;
a ridge heading north into Irasburg, passing old farmlands, gnome homes, and forests;
the final 1300ft climb up and over Hazen’s notch.

For Sunday's recovery ride, I mapped out a mixed-terrain route across the border to visit a microbrewery in Quebec.

More about both rides below, but first...

My weekend kicked off on Friday at noon. I left work and drove to Montgomery Center, VT (with a quick detour to Greensboro) near Jay Peak and the terminus of the Hayley-Bazen Military Road.

Black Lantern Inn is open for business again, so I went there for dinner (pumpkin gnocchi and MBC Lunch). Then back to Grampa Grunt's Lodge for the first game of the ALDS. I was front of the TV in my room by the 2nd inning. Kimbrel gave up a 9th inning HR to Judge, but the Red Sox hung on to win 5-4 over the Yankees.

Northern Vermont is beautiful but remote. There are only a handful of radio stations and half of them are in French. If you stop at Hill Farmstead, make sure you load your final destination into Google Maps before you get off the highway or you just have to guess how to get back without cellular service.

Northern Vermont is beautiful.

Some of the best foliage of the weekend was viewed through the windshield on the drive up.

Saturday - Let's ride!

The NER Fall Classic 200k started at sunrise. Per usual, I rode the first hour with Matt Roy. Really great guy but just too fast. The first thing he said to me was, “Did you pass us yesterday?” I didn’t know what he meant but... I got stuck behind a car going slow down a narrow dirt road in Hazen Notch. So I got on their bumper for a mile or so then when the road hit a straight section I gunned it and passed them and totally put them in my dust. I knew I was sort of being a jerk but who cares when I’d never see them again? Turns out that was Matt and his wife Mo Bruno. And Matt recognized me as I passed. Pretty funny (and embarrassing).

Another thing Matt told me before dropping me and finishing 1.5 hours ahead of me...
He and Brad Smith (a tattooed, bearded guy from Seven I’ve ridden with for short stretches on the 600k) competed in a 7-day bikepacking race around Ireland, riding ~200 miles per day. They won, of course! Matt's Fall Classic ride and excellent photos here: https://www.strava.com/activities/1888523494

It was a fun but challenging route: 90% dirt roads including some class 4 unmaintained jeep tracks; 12,000+ feet of climbing with some steep gradients of 15-20%. The foliage was at its peak. The weather was cool and cloudy with only a slight sprinkle.

I finished in the dark on a long, fast, white-knuckle downhill over a bumpy dirt road. Someday I hope to ride over Hazen Notch in the daylight. This was my 4th time through the notch and always in the dark.
The first finisher (guess who?) was almost 1.5 hours ahead of me (repeat after me, it is not a race) but I did beat him down a .7 mile Strava segment by 4 seconds, so there.
My ride and photos: https://www.strava.com/activities/1888734754

The lunch control was at the Craftsbury General Store. But I mistakenly stopped at the nearby Village Store and was just getting comfortable when Tsun rode by and pointed out my mistake. So I rode a couple blocks down the street with all my gear hanging from the handlebars. Daniel, the route designer, was at the General Store eating lunch with his wife Allie and young son Arlo. I thanked him for the excellent route and told him he was a genius--an evil genius--for finding so many hard dirt road climbs. From previous visits, I knew that ordering a sandwich took longer than I could spend there if I wanted to finish with a decent time, so I opted for soup instead. I was hungry and sort of overdid it with a quart of chowder which took awhile to eat.

The descent down Hazen Notch had a couple of thrilling moments. Although it was totally dark, the dirt road was pretty smooth so I was flying downhill at 20-25 mph. I was psyched to slowly close the distance with a car ahead of me, but it turned into a driveway before I had the satisfaction of passing it. I was outrunning my 400-lumen headlamp, so I didn't even see the washboard coming. Suddenly my bike was bouncing all over the road so I just gripped the handlebars and hung on until things smoothed out. Whew! That was more exciting than when I flew through the invisible puddle and water flew into my face. Near the bottom, the dirt turned pavement and my speed crept up to 30+ mph. But wait, I forgot about that sharp curve! Grab the brakes! No, now I can't turn. Release the brakes! Lean the bike! Whew! Made it around the curve instead of into the ditch. Time to cruise into town a bit more sedately.

The post-ride party was at Blue Bike Cafe in Montgomery Center. They opened early and closed late for us. Arlo (the evil genius in waiting) was on the porch swing when I arrived and congratulated me on finishing. I said, "Thanks Arlo" and he was all confused that this stranger knew his name. Later, over a Frost IPA, I was talking to the owner of Jay Cloud Cyclery about the trails he liked to bike. I mentioned the Bayley-Hazen Military Road and he asked, “Did you ride that a few years ago in the rain and stop by my shop to clean your bikes?” Ha! He remembered Don Kelley and me trashing our bikes going over Lowell Mountain and stopping in to see if he could fix the shifting.

I got back to my room in time to see Price get pulled in the 2nd inning. He blew another postseason game and the Red Sox lost 6-2, tieing the ALDS 1-1. I fell asleep before the end of the game.

Yikes. It’s 38F at 6:30am at the ride start.

Rode past Lost Nation on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail with Jake. Didn’t stop. So sad.

Morristown, aka Morrisville, the home of Lost Nation Brewing and Rock Art Brewery

Notice the knights made of maple buckets in the background

Jake Kassen had the pleasure of riding a randonee instead of organizing one. I had the pleasure of riding with Jake.

Lots of beautful dirt roads like this.

Most of the controls were at cafes or general stores, but for this unmanned control we just had to write down the 2 words of graffiti on the rock.

Centerbar Rd was a fun bit of Class IV double track. My Specialized Diverge was made for "roads" like this.

The trees were mostly russet, with a few bright red or yellow trees. The colors were a bit muted because there was no sun all weekend.

Covered Bridge Road was named after this rickety old covered bridge.

Post ride beers are the best.

Phillip finished at 7:05 PM. Matt finished at 5:01 PM. But guess who was faster down this particular hill?

Last time I stayed at Grampa Grunts, I was the only person there all weekend. Didn't even see the proprietors. Just left my payment in an envelope on the counter.

Sunday - Brasserie Dunham, Quebec

What a wonderful ride! The weather was even chillier and just as cloudy as the day before, but the route was miles of smooth dirt roads, with some challenging Class IV to spice things up a bit. Quebec was
très magnifique. Miles of empty dirt roads through orchards and vineyards, past tasting rooms and restaurants. I'd love to do this ride again, and share it with a friend.

Breakfast at Bernie’s. Same 5 old timers at the counter shooting the breeze. Last time they were talking about chasing bears out of their yards. This time it was about flying their drones.

I rode past the start/finish of yesterday's randonee on my way out of town.

Montgomery is the record-holder for most covered bridges in New England and the United States. So I had to visit a couple of the beautiful and historic covered bridges at the start and finish of my ride.

The second of the four covered bridges I stopped at in Montgomery. There are a total of 6, but only 4 were directly on my route.

These snowmobile trails often make excellent routes for mixed-terrain biking.

Safely across the border.

An unplanned stop at Domaine Pinnacle was a highlight of my day. Good thing I had my expandable Viscacha underseat bag, because the ciders were so good that I carried a 750ml bottle back to the USA for my wife Julie.

I tasted still and sparkling summer cider, still and sparkling fall ice cider, and still and spakling winter ice cider. The ice ciders are made from frozen apples making the cider a beautiful golden color and much sweeter than the summer cider.

For miles after Domaine Pinnacle, I rode past orchards and vineyards, with several places featuring tasting rooms and restaurants.

My destination was Brasserie Dunham, a microbrewery in the town of Dunham.

Notice the "Velo" sign above the bike rack. Looking at Strava Flybys, I realized a club ride left from Brasserie Dunham about the time I left Montgomer Center, rode 40 miles of dirt roads, and got back to the brasserie for beers in the courtyard while I was having lunch indoors at the restaurant.