MethuenRailTrail

I was using my bike to do a bit of grocery shopping today. Getting out to Mann’s Orchard on Pleasant St, wasn’t too bad. But I could do without the potholes and piles of sand on the shoulder of Pleasant street. And it would be very very nice if the supermarkets put in a few bike racks.

Since I was feeling jaunty, I decided to see how the northern section of the trail was looking from the saddle of the bike. I was surprised at how not too bad it was. The hard packed surface we can credit to the folks who ride that section regularly. I don’t advise the rail bed for skinny tire road bikes, but the ’69 has a short wheel base and a low center of gravity, so she did moderately okay, but she needs fatter tires. The packed earth sections were a piece of cake, the real challenges are the sections with heavy leaves and fresh gravel. (the fresh gravel from the Gas Line project) You most definitely need a fat tire bike to do this section as a regular thing. I had to spend the money I was saving for an off road bike on a silly old starter for the truck. I only wiped out once on a patch of deep leaves, and if I get up there again I will bring some lopping shears for the low hanging branches.

The painted turtles are all out laying eggs and the rail bed is the sandy part, so watch out for these little guys.

I also saw a scarlet tanager but i wasn’t fast enough to get my own image.

Tags: scarlet tanager, turtle