Back to work tomorrow so

[NewValker]

Last ride of my little vacation today, I was up early so I emptied the coffee pot and headed west.
Did the jet ride to Rt 116 again. No traffic at all at 8 am out that way, sweet!
I always wanted a pic with this bridge, but traffic sux on the corner where it is. Perfect day to snap it!

photo hosting

It was closed for years and they did it over a few years ago.
Onto Ashfield and a gas-n-go, then back roads to the Hoosic Tunnel. There’s usually an eastbound freight every morning, but nuttin today. That’s ok, was an awesome ride out there anyhow.

Heading back east I stopped at the trolley museum in Shelburne Falls. They run a trolley on weekends for a little ride.



They have old MBTA trolleys in various stages of repair, I looked at a 60s era green line trolley car and was transported back to riding into Fenway Park with my father to see the Sox...wow, when did I get so old...?

Left there and headed for Bardwell’s Ferry Rd. The first 5 miles is great, then there’s a bridge over the Deerfield river that has planks that thump & bump as you ride over it. Up a hill and a switchback across the RR tracks. This road goes past Bill Cosby’s mansion and property. I didn’t see him, maybe he’s tied up somewhere else???
After that there was a mile or so stretch that was dirt. I actually got my VTX stuck in the mud there once. I got off it and it stood up straight it was so stuck. A neighbor and his 2 kids came out and helped me get it out. Happy to see it’s all paved now!
Another couple miles thru farmland and I grab Rt 2 and head to the E. Deerfield railyard. Struck out again, nothing moving.
Ok, time for the good old standby...Amtrak’s Vermonter screams thru Deerfield just before 2 everyday.
It’s going 60 mph and it’s a rush standing there feeling the wind as it goes by.



Had a leisurely ride home, Rt 202 to 9 then backroads home. 260 miles and my ass hurt, not my hips!

Ride Safe All,
Craig

[klb]

Last ride of my little vacation today, I was up early so I emptied the coffee pot and headed west.
Did the jet ride to Rt 116 again. No traffic at all at 8 am out that way, sweet!
I always wanted a pic with this bridge, but traffic sux on the corner where it is. Perfect day to snap it!

photo hosting

It was closed for years and they did it over a few years ago.
Onto Ashfield and a gas-n-go, then back roads to the Hoosic Tunnel. There’s usually an eastbound freight every morning, but nuttin today. That’s ok, was an awesome ride out there anyhow.

Heading back east I stopped at the trolley museum in Shelburne Falls. They run a trolley on weekends for a little ride.



They have old MBTA trolleys in various stages of repair, I looked at a 60s era green line trolley car and was transported back to riding into Fenway Park with my father to see the Sox...wow, when did I get so old...?

Left there and headed for Bardwell’s Ferry Rd. The first 5 miles is great, then there’s a bridge over the Deerfield river that has planks that thump & bump as you ride over it. Up a hill and a switchback across the RR tracks. This road goes past Bill Cosby’s mansion and property. I didn’t see him, maybe he’s tied up somewhere else???
After that there was a mile or so stretch that was dirt. I actually got my VTX stuck in the mud there once. I got off it and it stood up straight it was so stuck. A neighbor and his 2 kids came out and helped me get it out. Happy to see it’s all paved now!
Another couple miles thru farmland and I grab Rt 2 and head to the E. Deerfield railyard. Struck out again, nothing moving.
Ok, time for the good old standby...Amtrak’s Vermonter screams thru Deerfield just before 2 everyday.
It’s going 60 mph and it’s a rush standing there feeling the wind as it goes by.



Had a leisurely ride home, Rt 202 to 9 then backroads home. 260 miles and my ass hurt, not my hips!

Ride Safe All,
Craig

  Nice ride report. Really like the pic at the covered bridge.
Trains and Valks are cool. Around here they kinda match
mine.

https://youtu.be/gMOTmEPSp4c

[Pappy!]

Nice ride!! Thanks for posting!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Interesting country ! So different from everything out west. The inaugural Columbus Day/Catskills ride Evan put on, took us to my first covered bridge. Do you ever get the chance to ride on the train ? We have an Amtrack that comes thru Needles. I've always thought about riding it. I hope going back to work is painless physically and mentally.
(Good report, Craig) 

[NewValker]

klb, thanks, been wanting that pic for years.
This one is from a ride at the Morgantown,WV InZane that Robin & Judy let me tag along on.

google maps nearest gas station

Nice catch on the ponies!
Craig

[NewValker]

Hey Rob, see, I paid attention when you told me how to post pics!
And I  re-read your directions MANY times...
You can ride any Amtrak train, long as there’s a station nearby. Yes, lots of covered bridges up here in the NE.
Years ago that’s how they were protected so they would last a long time.

Work went ok first day back, thinking I like not working better lol
Craig

[Jess from VA]

In '07, I rode that Amtrack Vermonter from Union Station DC to Springfield MA to pick up my 2d Valk (out in Belchertown).  Carried all my gear up and rode home.

Having ridden every type of mass transit known to man (except covered wagon), I have to say that train ride (and it's big comfy seats with footrests) was the nicest trip I ever took.  And that includes about every commercial airplane you can think of (with the coach sardine torture seats)  (no taking your shoes off or getting your crotch groped either).  And riding up the Eastern seaboard through the oldtown train yards in each city, you see a lot of amazing history and architecture and stonework and bridges going back to the origin of US rail travel.  Also, a complete history of graffiti.

[Pappy!]

Loved those bridges when at that Inzane!



imagehosting

[3fan4life]

Sounds like you got in a good ride! 

[3fan4life]

Interesting country ! So different from everything out west. The inaugural Columbus Day/Catskills ride Evan put on, took us to my first covered bridge. Do you ever get the chance to ride on the train ? We have an Amtrack that comes thru Needles. I've always thought about riding it. I hope going back to work is painless physically and mentally.
(Good report, Craig) 

It certainly is different in the west.

I have a friend that is from Iowa and he is constantly amazed by how old some buildings and things are around here.

He says that growing up in Iowa he never saw anything that old.

[NewValker]

It was a good ride Mark!

Couple people have said how different things look out this way.
My buddy and I rode to WP AFB bout 10 years ago. I couldn’t get over how flat it is in Ohio.
We slabbed it out there and at a gas station I could see rain to the west so we geared up for it. We rode well over an hour before we hit it. The only places around here you can see that far is from mountain tops.
But that’s what makes our country great!
Can’t wait to see more of it.
Craig

[scooperhsd]

It was a good ride Mark!

Couple people have said how different things look out this way.
My buddy and I rode to WP AFB bout 10 years ago. I couldn’t get over how flat it is in Ohio.
We slabbed it out there and at a gas station I could see rain to the west so we geared up for it. We rode well over an hour before we hit it. The only places around here you can see that far is from mountain tops.
But that’s what makes our country great!
Can’t wait to see more of it.
Craig

You think Ohio is flat ?

Try Kansas / Oklahoma / Texas / Nebraska / North and South Dakota west of Emporia Kansas. There are places in Western Kansas that a man 6 feet tall can see 12 miles away - where the earth curves !!!