Assabet River Rail Trail Corridor
12-02-18, 10:31 AM
#26
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the usual cycling mumbo jumbo with an emphasis on overkill and redundancy for example two different patch kits and two large tubes in their boxes a hand pump plus a co2 inflator and 2 or 4 cartridges first aid stuff nitrile gloves extra riding gloves thinner that what I had on and a balaclava in case I underdressed my head on long rides I’ll pack lunch and maybe a rain jacket you know stuff like that
12-29-18, 07:52 PM
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nice day to get out
Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-29-18 at 07:55 PM.
01-05-19, 09:55 PM
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water crossings were deeper today in the rain
nope didn't ride thru this one!
so glad these bridges aren't slippery when just wet!
not all the water crossings were passable. & the cpl that were passable were pretty deep. glad I kept the studded tires on cuz I got surprised by breaking thru ice under water! wonder how bad that could have ended w/o studs. maybe a fall into the water?
nope didn't ride thru this one!
so glad these bridges aren't slippery when just wet!
not all the water crossings were passable. & the cpl that were passable were pretty deep. glad I kept the studded tires on cuz I got surprised by breaking thru ice under water! wonder how bad that could have ended w/o studs. maybe a fall into the water?
Last edited by rumrunn6; 01-06-19 at 05:47 AM.
01-12-19, 09:55 PM
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still no snow & ice was rare
Last edited by rumrunn6; 01-13-19 at 04:35 AM.
01-13-19, 08:31 AM
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I want to take my bike out there at some point. How long is the trail? I've looked it up, but it seems it is in different sections that are not connected?
01-13-19, 09:01 AM
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01-13-19, 12:25 PM
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Thanks. There's no hurry. I'm still deciding on the right bike to buy. I could take the old one though. But I took the bike rack off my car for the winter so when it is warm enough for me, I ride locally.
01-13-19, 06:02 PM
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Great pics and videos rumrunn6 really enjoyed this posting, looks like I will have to plan a field trip.
01-13-19, 06:44 PM
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this is the vortex
4 Riverside Park, Maynard, MA 01754
I got in 13 miles riding around the preserve, but you can also ride west on dirt or east on the new paved trail & it's not hard ti connect to the paved Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to Lowell
there's parking at the visitors' center. see link in post #1
the preserve & dirt trail west is best done on an off road bike. the trails get icy in the winter & due to the shade, the ice lingers even when it melts off the roads
also, if you follow arrow south to dirt you'll find preserve parking here on white pond rd (technically, open sunrise to sunset)
these are the trails I usually ride, after riding here from my house
hope that helps!
4 Riverside Park, Maynard, MA 01754
I got in 13 miles riding around the preserve, but you can also ride west on dirt or east on the new paved trail & it's not hard ti connect to the paved Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to Lowell
there's parking at the visitors' center. see link in post #1
the preserve & dirt trail west is best done on an off road bike. the trails get icy in the winter & due to the shade, the ice lingers even when it melts off the roads
also, if you follow arrow south to dirt you'll find preserve parking here on white pond rd (technically, open sunrise to sunset)
these are the trails I usually ride, after riding here from my house
hope that helps!
Last edited by rumrunn6; 01-13-19 at 07:02 PM.
01-13-19, 07:05 PM
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01-13-19, 07:10 PM
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The bike fits in my winter car or wife regular car, never used a car bike rack. I've always made sure I had a car that the bike could ride in. Even my Smart car when I had it would fit my road bike in it when I went to events to ride.
01-13-19, 08:36 PM
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01-17-19, 04:57 AM
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got out for an hour last night before we lose sight of the ground for a while. snow expected in a cpl days then very cold temps. the water crossings were not frozen over. crashed thru some ice in one area & stopped before trying this one
saw an enormous muskrat that surfaced where my light was shining near a clear area w/o ice. too bad I took this pic after scaring it back under water
getting around at night is pretty fun but not without hazards
saw an enormous muskrat that surfaced where my light was shining near a clear area w/o ice. too bad I took this pic after scaring it back under water
getting around at night is pretty fun but not without hazards
01-17-19, 10:40 AM
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@ZIPP2001
my camera & light aren't as good as ZIPP's but there was a cool sound that I barely captured. at one of the what I call "water crossings", there's a part of the park road that floods. there's some ice now, but it's not complete. so one has to ride thru some water. as I climbed onto the ice on the other side, I must have cracked it. this ice must be connected (due to the flooding) to the rest of the ice covering the estuary. this in turn, caused some kind of sound radiation, echo or low roar. it was fairly loud & spooky, at the moment. a weird deep, hollow moan. I can barely make it out at the :30 sec mark but I have to turn the volume up
my camera & light aren't as good as ZIPP's but there was a cool sound that I barely captured. at one of the what I call "water crossings", there's a part of the park road that floods. there's some ice now, but it's not complete. so one has to ride thru some water. as I climbed onto the ice on the other side, I must have cracked it. this ice must be connected (due to the flooding) to the rest of the ice covering the estuary. this in turn, caused some kind of sound radiation, echo or low roar. it was fairly loud & spooky, at the moment. a weird deep, hollow moan. I can barely make it out at the :30 sec mark but I have to turn the volume up
01-19-19, 07:30 PM
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@ZIPP2001
my camera & light aren't as good as ZIPP's but there was a cool sound that I barely captured. at one of the what I call "water crossings", there's a part of the park road that floods. there's some ice now, but it's not complete. so one has to ride thru some water. as I climbed onto the ice on the other side, I must have cracked it. this ice must be connected (due to the flooding) to the rest of the ice covering the estuary. this in turn, caused some kind of sound radiation, echo or low roar. it was fairly loud & spooky, at the moment. a weird deep, hollow moan. I can barely make it out at the :30 sec mark but I have to turn the volume up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAs6TlwwBuE
my camera & light aren't as good as ZIPP's but there was a cool sound that I barely captured. at one of the what I call "water crossings", there's a part of the park road that floods. there's some ice now, but it's not complete. so one has to ride thru some water. as I climbed onto the ice on the other side, I must have cracked it. this ice must be connected (due to the flooding) to the rest of the ice covering the estuary. this in turn, caused some kind of sound radiation, echo or low roar. it was fairly loud & spooky, at the moment. a weird deep, hollow moan. I can barely make it out at the :30 sec mark but I have to turn the volume up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAs6TlwwBuE
02-04-19, 02:39 PM
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could not complete my usual route around the preserve perimeter trails due to snow conditions exceeding the capabilities on my current bike. need a bit more melting. resorted to the compacted river road
Last edited by rumrunn6; 02-04-19 at 02:43 PM.
02-10-19, 05:47 PM
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Saturday was cold & windy but another nice day to ride
the big "crossing" was still flooded but shallow. funny to have flowing water, not ice, but hard frozen ground.
this one was bone dry!
the big "crossing" was still flooded but shallow. funny to have flowing water, not ice, but hard frozen ground.
this one was bone dry!
03-20-19, 07:47 PM
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temps were in the 40s & 50s? during the day. the perimeter trails still had a thick few inches of melty semi supportive mush at night. interspersed with harder more supportive ice. but even that ice was melty & soft. not a great ride. in fact, after the 1st leg, I bailed onto 117 to get back home
but there was a pretty moment before it got dark
but there was a pretty moment before it got dark
Last edited by rumrunn6; 03-21-19 at 08:22 AM.
11-16-19, 08:02 PM
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29 degrees, sunny & windy today. saw only a handful of hikers & one biker (road bike?). this place remains a well kept secret
light layer of ice forming
the wind help keep the "feels like" temp quite low
first ice
light layer of ice forming
the wind help keep the "feels like" temp quite low
first ice
Last edited by rumrunn6; 11-17-19 at 05:21 AM.
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11-23-19, 08:34 PM
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got introduced to the Rice Tavern over by the MEMA bunker today
old crushed stove pipe
well?
WWII munition bunker
old crushed stove pipe
well?
WWII munition bunker
Last edited by rumrunn6; 11-23-19 at 08:37 PM.
11-30-19, 10:00 AM
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chilly 38 degree ride yesterday, windy too! diverged from my usual route exploring outside the park & found the abandoned office bldgs on top of the hill south of the river. found my way out of that area & wound up finding the end of the Assabet again where the bridge is out. such a pretty section, I hope they continue the trail & rebuild that bridge. met a kayaker who was surprised to meet me in that remote area. was interesting riding back thru the woods as he paddled the waterway
I should explore further South to Railroad Ave!
https://goo.gl/maps/CZDw28Yc83r3anv88
across the road from Magazu's Landing (Sudbury Rd, Stow, MA)
guess someone crashed their quad copter drone?
I should explore further South to Railroad Ave!
https://goo.gl/maps/CZDw28Yc83r3anv88
across the road from Magazu's Landing (Sudbury Rd, Stow, MA)
guess someone crashed their quad copter drone?
Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-02-19 at 08:42 AM.
12-29-19, 04:01 AM
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Otter Alley was dry yesterday, I guess because they cleared out the beaver dam around the culvert
heard a cpl gunshots, saw a cpl riflemen off trail & this bow hunter on trail
it was a pretty, sunny day
persistent snow & ice but it was granular & actually provided good traction. just a little slip felt riding the water covered ice
seems like a cpl new trees have come down
heard a cpl gunshots, saw a cpl riflemen off trail & this bow hunter on trail
it was a pretty, sunny day
persistent snow & ice but it was granular & actually provided good traction. just a little slip felt riding the water covered ice
seems like a cpl new trees have come down
Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-29-19 at 04:15 AM.
01-18-20, 06:21 PM
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stark 19 degree January day. no snow pack so the going was easy except for going down on some ice. can't put off the studs forever
01-22-20, 04:18 PM
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You're right about this place being less known. I've been out there multiple times (my wife REALLY dislikes the bunkers, thinks they're creepy) and it's always like being there by yourself. I believe this was mentioned previously, but not all trails are open to bikes (technically, only Taylor, Harry's, and White Pond) and the west part of the refuge is completely closed off. Taylor Way was actually quite a bit of a slog even on my all-terrain bike with 40mm tires. That's the most flooded I've ever seen it and kudos for tackling this kind of terrain on studded tires and not a fatbike. Give it a few more days and I bet the snow will clear out.
https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Re...etBrochure.pdf
https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Re...etBrochure.pdf
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