Chapter 7-June 28th 2008- The Pothole Ride.

Before I start on the the Pothole Ride I have a point of interest that I would like to share with the group. Last Thursday, on the planned Thursday Night Ride, Duke bailed out because there was rain in the air. In my 7 years as a member of the BCA, I have never, ever seen Duke skip a ride because of rain. Well my friends, mark an X on your calender for June 26th,2008. Duke skipped Rogers ride, 27 miles to 5 Corners where rain ended by the Old Forge and back in the sunshine. Duke, Duke, Duke.. What happened to JUST RIDE!!!!

The Pothole Ride an annual ride that goes to/from Shelburne Falls. Distance from West Cummington was 60.61 miles, mostly down hill going out, mostly up hill coming back. The whole purpose of the ride was to see the Glacial Potholes or Kettles are fluvioglacial landform occurring as the result of blocks of ice calving from the front of a receding glacier and becoming buried partially to wholly by glacial outwash. Glacial outwash is generated when streams of meltwater flow away from the glacier and deposit sediment to form broad outwash plains called sandurs. When the ice blocks melt, kettle holes are left in the sandur. When the development of numerous kettle holes disrupt sandur surfaces, a jumbled array of ridges and mounds form, resembling kame and kettle topography.[1] Kettle holes can also occur in ridge shaped deposits of loose rock fragments called till.[2] I hope you understand this better than I do, i'm totally confused. At least that's what the encyclopedia says. All I know is that we thought they were worth the trip. And what a trip.

As usual the group was waiting for the ride leader. Never again will I ever comment on people being late to start when ride leader two wheels it into parking area 3 minutes before start. At least he remembered his pants this time. (The picture after this one is proof.) The group was small, 10 of us, Paula, Julie Ryan (she just got back from riding across US (Virginia to Oregon, 3000 miles. Wow!!) Karen Mills, Deb McI, Mary Lou, Ken K., Willy, Don Briggs, Duke and I. [Segway: We should all be proud of Karen, she did 35 tough miles last night. She climbed 143, did East Windsor Road, and back up 9. And then she comes out and does this ride. You go girl!!!] The ride started up rt 9 nicely. The group just tooled along up to 112. The morning was cool so the climb up to Goshen was ok. And as usual when we regrouped in Goshen, Willy was missing, he doesn't like the slow pace, 15-16 mph and has to tool along. When we started down Rt 112, we found him chilling along the side of the road waiting for us. Rt 112 is a roller, it did have some neat things to see. Poor John C. always misses the rides without the red barns and the walls, and all the green.

The group turned into Ashfield, and turned on rt 116. Boy was this nice, newly paved, no potholes and it was all DOWN to Conway. Plus it had some interesting Barns for John.

In Conway, Julie decided to show us how to ride and went straight down hill. It was great if you were going straight. We had to chase her down and get her refocused on the Shelburn Falls Road. Julie, I know you pedaled out west mostly by yourself and aren't used to groups, but if you ever ride with us agian, a rule to follow is never get too far behind or ahead of the ride leader. Willy knows this rule well. I can't tell you the number of times he dissappears. And how would we have felt if you dissappeared and we couldn't find you? So Biker Lady, head up, no zoning, and watch for turns. :) Deb McI and Pat have some experience in this, right ladies.

At this point the ride got a bit more interesting, we were chugging along climbing up Shelburne Falls Road, when a group of 4 Ladies Amherst joined in. They were heading for Shelburne Falls for Lunch. They apparently ride to eat, just like we do. But instead of pies they eat at McCuskers, a health food store. While we were climbing, there wasn't a lot of chatting with them, but whe we creasted hill we started introducing ourselves. One of the ladies, Deb from Amherst and Paula struck up quite the conversation. It was very intertaining, Paula was complaining about all the climbing, when Amherst Deb, told Paula that she was too young to complain, and asked her age. Paula replied and Amherst Deb called her a

Spring Chick; and just wait till the year comes where you wake up and things weren't going to be melting they were going to start falling off.

Willy later confermed when you hit 50 what don't work leaks. Amherst Deb then explained to Paula, that she has to just do it. I tell you I was dying. Amherst Deb told me that she was 53 (Editors Note: No Way!!) At any rate, she rode with Paula and I all the way into town. A very nice person and poor Paula was still grumbling about the melt away comment all the way back home. [Editors Note: These ladies would fit right in with the My Ride With Duke crew. They rode 60 miles yesterday from Amherst. Good for them. I have a feeling that this OG would have trouble keeping up with them.]

Oh since I'm thinking of Paula, I have to tell you about her bell. A couple of weeks ago she got a bike bell for her birthday. Well the wife and I gave it to her becasue she had a habit of going buy me and not saying anything. Always scares me when she does that. So for her birthday we gave her a bike bell (from Walmart of course, nothing but the finest for Paula.) Well I guess she didn't like it. Today the bell kept dinging over every bump. This lasted 34 miles before she ripped it off and pitched it. It was hilarous, and the best part of this is that since I can't hear very well, I didn't hear a thing. Yep I would say I got even......

Oh by the way, McCuskers has expanded to enclude a sitting room.
It's very nice, and they obviously are doing quite well inspite of my warnings about organic food a few years ago on the dissadvantages of health food.

After visitiong McCuskers, where we left the Amherst ladies sitting comfortably outside enjoying lunch, we tooled over to the Pot Hole site and spent some time watching the pot holes grow. Not very exciting but pretty. It was a nice break.

Shelburn Falls is an interesting place.
It's really a very nice town and it's full of artists. Who would have figured that along rt 2 in Western Mass, a town like this exists. A local Glass Blowers art-- This shop had an artist that liked twisting wire. How cool are these sculptures or wire hangers or what ever they are? And I wonder how many people sat in these hands over time.

Finally we had to leave, we spent a long time doing the tourist thing and I think it was because we all realized that the down hill getting to Shelburne Falls would be uphills leaving, 30 miles of uphill.

Although there are many beautiful scenes to take pictures of leaving the Falls, I did't take a single one. I was way to tired to even lift the camera and besides I couldn't see a thing through all the sweat in my eyes. We headed back west out on Wilder Road and just kept going to the Cematary. The Cematary was the goal because Duke told us that when we hit the cematary we were almost there. Well a couple of interesting things flashed through my mind. First one was, which cemetary? There are 100's of them along this road, every little turn you make is a cemetary. And then when we finally find it, what is "almost there"? Almost where, back to start, at a Pie Stop? Another typical Dukism for the records.

Well for the record he meant we were almost in Ashfield. The Cemetary marked the end of the long climbs out of Franklin County. It was a welcome relief, we stopped and rested with all the other folks buried there. Lucky the roads were shady or we would have joined them. I think at one point Karen would have thankfully joined them. It was very hot on those climbs.

When we finally all recovered we headed for Ashfied, there was a band gretting us [if you look closely you will see a small stringed instrument masqarading as a banjo and he has a harmonica in him mouth like Bob Dylan. And just for record, while it was interesting watching, I would save my $$$$.] as we passed him once, then missed a turn then passed him again..

Out of Ashfield there were some small climbs to rt 116. Where we turned onto the Lama Farm road to take us over to rt 9. This is where we lost Willy, Deb and Mary Lou. They finally got tired of slow pace and took off. The only evidance we have of their survival is that their cars were gone when we got to the lot. Back to the Cut Over.

This cut over was terrible, half dirt and half asphalt, the dirt part was actually smoother than the asphalt. When we regrouped at rt 9, Julie came up to the group and complained that the road made her head hurt. I thought that was pretty funny, how would her head hurt from the road, her brain must be loose, she is from Adams you know, and she did just pedal to Oragon, East to West. What's up with that anyway Julie, why East to West. Rare that people do that. But I admire you for it.. I would love to do it, probably never will.

The ride down route 9 was ok. Rt 9 is a bit uphill and everybody is tired at this point and want to get back. Fortunately it was cloudy so we weren't exposed to the sun the last 10 miles. I have to admit I was pretty whipped when we got back. It was a great ride and we saw a lot of neat stuff.

We missed John Chaves, but we thought of him, we passed this yellow barn on 112 . You can't see it but the weather vane is another cow. In fact it is just like the one we saw last weeks ride.

And finally the obligatory animal that you don't see amongst all the red barns and the green trees, and the green fields.

Duke as usual the Pot Hole ride is one of my favorite. I was glad to share it with you.. Have fun in Italy next week and we will try and get alone without you. Oh and by the way, Karen, great job..100 miles total from last night to the next day.

And and Julie, welcome back, you pedaled a dream.

Oh and Deb from Amherst, you should know Paula has a nick name, OG. You are going to have to ask her what it means. Modesty prohibts me from spilling the beans.