Woke up early this morning, as I have been during this quarantine. While I did not feel a strong urge to get on the bike, the weather was really nice, and I had even less desire to spend yet another morning in the basement, answering emails. So getting the bike out was the ultimate decision, with no specific destination or route in mind. At first I thought I'd just do a few slow miles on the Battle Road trail, but then I decided to make it a loop via the Reformatory Branch. On the way there I decided to avoid the Minuteman bikeway completely and improvised a much longer 21.5mi loop via Grove St -> Narrow Gauge RT -> Reformatory Branch RT -> North Bridge -> Minuteman NP. Funny how getting out of the door can be so difficult, but once you're out there, nothing else matters and time just disappears.

Highlights were bombing down from Liberty St to Monument st via Old N Bridge path with a spectacular view of the North Bridge, and down the straightaway between Hartwell Tavern and Capt. William Smith house on the Battle Road Trail. Turns out it's a slight downhill and a whole lotta fun at 7am when there's no one around.


Also found this nice little good-surface singletrack connector from the Minuteman bikeway to the Reformatory Branch (alternative to Railroad Ave)


This is what it looks like:


The RBT is quite sandy at this point (as is Battle Road). There are many holes (chipmunks?) and in some places, dinner-plate-sized sinkholes, so exercise caution! The usually wet swampy area east of Great Meadows is wet but packed down (not muddy).