My ride today included the gravel loop of the Reformatory Branch and Battle Road through Minuteman Historical Park. I hadn't done that in awhile, partly because I knew that boardwalk replacement was causing trail closures this summer:
https://www.nps.gov/mima/mima-gaoa.htm
Like many rides, I started out by riding the Minuteman out to Depot Park. Other than this sighting, that was uneventful:
Your guess is as good as mine...
The RBT had another day to dry since
rholland1951 's report yesterday, so the mud bog just east of Great Meadows wasn't too bad, until I encountered a small pond in the middle of the trail, with a stream flowing across it. The source turned out to be water being pumped off the property adjacent to the trail.
I left the RBT at the Concord waste water treatment plant access road, aka Great Meadows Rd, which brought me to Concord Rd and St Bernards Cemetery.
As my father used to say "folks are dying to get in here!"
There's a somewhat hard-to-find trail at the back of the cemetery that leads to Old Bedford Rd near Meriam's Corner. Normally I would pick up the Battle Road trail at that point, but knowing it was closed at the Farwell Jones House, I used Lexington Rd to get Shadyside Lane. I decided to explore Shadyside Lane while I was there. I was rewarded with this scenic meadow:
Near the end of Shadyside I encountered this somewhat threatening sign:
Oh well.
Anyway, thinking I was home free at that point I headed east on Battle Rd. I only got a short way before I encountered another trail closure at Brooks Village. Argh - I should have reread that NPS posting
before I left! Anyway, a bit more road riding on 2a got me to another segment of Old Bedford Rd and back on Battle Rd. No more trail closures from there, but lots of washouts and ruts.
Hartwell Tavern:
Near the Captain William Smith House I encountered a well meaning couple walking the other way who warned me I would meet certain death if continued on the rutted trail. I thanked them and continued on my way.
It was pretty rough in spots, but I was cautious and had no incidents. None of my on-the-fly photos do justice to the ruts, and I didn't feel like stopping, so you will just have to use your imagination.
At the end of Battle Rd I did the two steep climbs on Old Mass Ave and Mass Ave to get back to Lexington Center and the Minuteman.
I guess my bike and I weren't significant enough to trigger this speed sign:
Back home on the Minuteman.
A varied 27 miles.
Tom