Spring on the Brompton

And I'm back!

During this year's impossibly long and rough winter here in Massachusetts, dreams of cycling adventures helped see me through to the beautiful months of spring.  If my early season Brompton rides are any indication, it's going to be a good June, July, and August ahead.

Along with some great rides in my neighborhood, such as on the Neponset River Trail next to the old Baker Chocolate Factory....

...early spring warm weather gave me a chance to take my Brompton with me on some trips out the the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, where I rode the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.  Running from Pittsfield to Adams, this 11-mile paved path features some beautiful lakeside views of Massachusetts' tallest mountain, Mt. Greylock...

...as well as waterfalls, rocky outcroppings, and nice cycling infrastructure.

And just last week, my Brompton was in all its inter-modal-transportation glory as I took it on the historic Greenbush Old Colony Line train (recently re-added to Boston's Commuter Rail system) to the South Shore town of Scituate.

A bike path leads from the station...

... alongside a vast salt marsh, with seaside homes lining the ocean on the other side...

... on to the harbor.

My goal for the ride was Scituate Light on the opposite end of this little bay.

Riding out on the neck took me by picturesque summer cottages...

...before reaching the old lighthouse on the end.

Riding a bit further up along the Scituate coastline, I reached the second lighthouse of my journey -- the remote and mysterious Minot Ledge Light.  Here you can see it to the right of this photo, completely surrounded by the rough waters of the cold North Atlantic.

And then it was time to ride to the North Scituate train station and head home...

...with my Brompton tucked into the seat beside me.

Early Morning on the South Shore

Since all of my recent posts have been in black and white, I've decided it's time to add a little color back into my blog before posting "Boston Cycling Life, Number 20".  Fortunately, I took an amazing 40-mile ride last weekend...

...full of seaside colors and scenery.

I shot the above pictures from Nantasket Beach, which is a hilly 15-mile ride from my home.  I was out on the road at 5:15 am, so the sun was still rising above the ocean when I arrived.

Nantasket Beach is part of the town of Hull, which sits on a peninsula extending far out into Massachusetts Bay.  The beach looks directly into the North Atlantic, so at times the waves can be really huge, especially in the fall and winter.  But on this 75-degree summer morning all was calm.

On the way to Nantasket Beach, I passed by lots of fellow cyclists who waved hello (there's a kind of solidarity among us 5:00 a.m. riders) and these guys:

Wild turkeys!  That was actually the third flock I saw on this trip.  I rode by some deer too, but they ran away before I could get my camera out.  Those turkeys weren't in much of a hurry though. They just gobbled at me bit and then haughtily waddled off in the opposite direction.

Pedaling east beyond Nantasket Beach, I made my way onto one of the most beautiful roads in Massachusetts: Cohasset's Jerusalem Road, which winds along rocky shores and little inlet beaches.

 

If you look closely at each of those photos, you can see a very faint vertical speck on the horizon.  That's the legendary Minot's Ledge Light.  Here it is in a close-up view:

The granite lighthouse sits on top of a treacherous submerged rock ledge that is renowned locally for having caused countless shipwrecks.  In fact, it was on this very beach...

...that Henry David Thoreau stood and observed the shipwreck he would later describe in his classic book Cape Cod.  For more information about the story of this incredible lighthouse, check out "New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide".

Riding back inland took me through the quaint little village of Cohasset itself...

...with its classic New England town hall...

...and village green.

If the church looks familiar to you, that's probably because Cohasset was the location for the 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick, starring Susan Sarandon, Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Cher.  The church itself features prominently in the movie, as do other locations throughout the seaside town.

As you can see from the steeple clock -- which was only about 5 minutes fast -- it was nearly 7 a.m. as I reached Cohasset's town green.  So I decided that was a good time to head back home, beating the rush of Sunday morning beach-going cars.  I retraced my route through the South Shore towns of Hingham, Weymouth, Braintree, and Quincy, and then treated myself to a large iced coffee at my local Dunkin' Donuts, celebrating a truly spectacular morning ride.

Springtime on the Harbor

Spring is slowly coming back to life here on Boston's South Shore. Each day more and more boats return to the marina I pass by on my regular riding route.


Some boats still sit around the parking lot though, patiently waiting for their turn to set sail.



My "regular riding route" is actually rarely that regular. There are many little detours I like to add along the way. For instance, on a late-day ride last Thursday, I turned down a steep hill to take some photos at this lovely Boston Harbor cove:


It's a little tough to see in the following photo, but that tiny white speck in the center is Boston Light, the oldest lighthouse in America:


Every night the rays from Boston Light shine all around the harbor, reflecting up off the water into the evening sky. It's a beautiful sight.