Yes, it's March. Yes, it'll snow some more. Yess, the CCRT season opener is on!
 

Patriots Day is early this year, so I propose two weeks later, 27 April. There should be more amenities on the trail by then as well.
The ride is C&V themed, but all are welcome. Dennis trailhead (exit 9A off Rt 6) kickoff around 1000, or whenever @jimmuller shows up.

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...and the 3+ miles of new trail is officially open!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod_Rail_Trail

For the past decade or so some of us New England folks have celebrated the end of winter with a run up the CCRT.

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We are in! And (ahem) we have not been the last arrivals to the last few CCRT rides! :D

You've been in Ft. Wayne too long BG.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

You know--- I might be able to make it this year! Easter is late--- April 21--- Mrs. PB will already be in southern climes, and I'm not heading her way until the 23rd or so. I'm adding this to my calendar. Now, which bike to ride?

Interested
 

I'd be interested in learning more. Is there a url to look at?

bikeboy3326 welcome to Classic and Vintage. We'll talk about it here. Are you a New England resident?

I'm in for sure. Pastor Bob, I always ride my Paramount. Does that make the choosing any easier?

If anybody (anybody?) purchased my book I'll be more than willing to sign your copy if you bring it!

Scott

OH OK. I've ridden on a section of that the time we rode from Hingham out to Ptown. Great ride, but the ferry ride home was tiresome. Sometimes I really miss living up there and riding all those great backroads along the south shore. Those Sunday morning rides with a stop at Blue Rhonda's in Scituate or maybe the Berry Patch down in ...down in.... RATZ it has been a while.

Bridgewater or there abouts I think.

Perhaps, but I haven't really lived in Mass since '96ish

Well, yeah. Y'er lookin' at it!

Some other things to look at can be found here, last April. It was cold! But awesome.
Index of /~muller/pics/CCRT4.14.2018

Also
Index of /~muller/pics/CCRT4.15.2017
Index of /~muller/pics/CCRT4.16.2016

We usually start at the Dennis trailhead parking lot. They've been extending the trail further west but @spiker will have to tell us about other options. The thing is, from Dennis to Wellfleet is 22 miles so a straight out-and-back is 44 miles. A run out to the Atlantic makes it closer to but not quite 50.

BTW, if anyone needs a bike and you ride a 23cm +/- a centimeter with toe clips/straps I can bring along an extra. @Prowler, you listening?

How far do it go?
 

Spiker, Glad the trail now goes to Yarmouth. Some articles say it ends at the Old Town House Road Park. Googlemaps also shows that paved trail continues from there another 3 miles, through the golf course and on to Higgins Crowell Road.

Is that true? Have you ridden that full stretch? How is it? I could maybe park at Higgins Crowell and ride my very own bicycle to Rte 134 to meet with "the usual suspects" then retrace after weez-all return to Rte 134

Thanks anyway Jim.

Yes I've ridden the thing. At the very end at Higgins Crowell Road there is technically no public parking, an office park does abutt it. Not sure how they'd feel about that. It's maybe a mile climb and then it cuts though the town public golf course. Then to cross the first road you have to snake through a steel waist high overlapping barrier on each side of the road. A half mile later you have the same thing but for the road entering the dump. (just before you get there is a short steep blind S curve). Once past there it's a couple of hundred yards to the new official zero marker for the CCRT, the largest rec park in town. A mile from there is the new dedicated rail trail parking lot. Exit 8 just like in Dennis go right and through the light, you'll see the same overpass go under it and the lot is on the left.

My opinion is the section from exit 8 East is something to do once just for the sake of having done the entire trail but the tedium of the barriers kind of takes the fun out of the ride. That said I would encourage at least a few people try it and let the crowd decide. I'd be willing to do the entire section every time for any newcomers wanting to do it.

Cool! Will try to join you guys!

I'm in, best ride of the year!

Maybe I'll ride my Raleigh Pro. It's got fenders. I can go slower and still be cool. And the saddlebag full of wine, cheese, sausage. And the girl. Need to find the girl.

Scott

So has a date been set? 13 or 20. Need to plan which Saturday to take off

As a matter of fact, my Supreme Command Authority has pointed out that the following Sunday is Easter and our daughters would be coming home for dinner.....
Any one upset if we delay this another week until 27 April?

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No pressure. But I have until the 19th to finalize my April time off

20th works way better for me. I work nights and have the 19th off. I'll kep an eye on the thread.

this weekends 200km brevet had to be re-routed because there is still 8" of snow and ice on some rail trail it was originally slated to use.

I'm good either date but will need to change a few invites if we move it to the 27th.. Maybe it will be warm. Maybe.

Scott