My neighbor, Krystal, and I were supposed to ride today. Last minute she had to go to a funeral. The original departure time was 9 a.m. but since I was riding alone I left as soon as I was ready...about 8:40.
We were supposed to ride the new section of the Airline Trail in Willimantic. Since I was now riding alone, I decided to ride, instead, part of the Hop River Trail from Andover to wherever it went now. The bridge over Route 316 was installed a few years ago and the surface was improved. I wanted to see how far it went (or ride 5 miles out) whichever came first.
I parked at the trail on Burnap Brook Rd. in Andover. This proved to be a good decision.
From here it's about a mile to the Route 316 bridge. I had not ridden beyond the bridge before...because the surface was narrow and lots of stones. I recently heard it had been improved so I had to see for myself.
The new surface is hard packed dirt with stone dust. Good riding until I notice it was getting bumpy. There is only one explanation for that...horses. The hooves make small indents and it feels like I'm riding a jackhammer. Not fun. However, I keep going.
Most of the gates have soft sand, a couple inches deep, in the area of the narrow access opening, which can be disastrous if you don't see it in time. If you are riding a mountain bike it probably is not a concern. I ride a hybrid.
At about the six-mile mark don't I meet the horse and its rider. Nice guy for the most part. Has a negative attitude about the East Coast Greenway. And I did mention to him how hard it was for me to ride when his horse chops up the surface. He really didn't care (none of them do). He did tell me that those folks who parked their cars in front of the barriers (because all parking spaces are full) are now being towed. What are these folks thinking? The gates need to be clear in case emergency vehicles need to access the trail. And he also told me I was about 1.5 miles to where the trail surface changes and ends shortly thereafter.
So I continued to the end...a total of approximately 7.5 miles.
Now I have to go back. The trail is a slight up grade for the return trip. Not bad though. However, it is getting hot and I'm getting tired. Thank goodness for the pediatric electrolyte drink! At the 12.5 mile mark, I had to stop and drink the bottle I had with me. It made me feel better, but the last 2.5 miles was a little scary. I kept talking to myself, telling myself that quitting was not an option. I had to make it back to the car.
I did make it, obviously. I loaded my bike on the rack, locked my stuff in the car and headed down the embankment to Burnap Brook.
I sat on a rock and immersed my feet in the cool water. I splashed water on my face and over my head. Oh, my! Did that feel good! Then, squishy sneakers and all, I trudged back up the hill (I was so tired), stowed my stuff properly, made sure my bike was secure and headed for home.
