Wild Hogs V Day 5 the trip home

Last night was remarkably cool. The temperature at 6:30 this morning was 56*. It was the only night I actually used my sleeping bag.

We were up pretty early this morning and got started with breaking camp. We enjoyed the free continental breakfast provided by the Campground, then we were on our way. Our target departure time was 9 am and we pretty much met that.

We decided that we preferred to utilize back roads for as much of the trip as we could. This meant added time to make the trip home due to traffic and stop lights, but for me it was worth the extra time. It allowed us to run some great roads and experience some very interesting little towns along the way. One that was particularly picturesque was Stockbridge MA.

We stopped for lunch just outside Poughkeepsie NY before moving on. In all the trip took about 10 hours including stops, which didn't set any records, but it was a good day of riding.

The entire trip was a good time. It was fun to welcome Tony to the group and at the same time, it was unfortunate that our brother Jay wasn't able to join us this year. Everyone is already looking forward to next year, though the destination is yet to be determined.

Wild Hogs V Day 4

Today started a bit iffy. Forecasts showed high probability of storms today and there was a severe thunderstorm watch for most the day. The radar showed several cells coming our way, but each seemed to dissolve just before it got here.

We kind of hung out for a while trying to decide what was going to be our best bet. While the forecast was bad, it seemed nice enough here. There were a couple of big storms that passed to the north last night, but we were fortunate enough to only get a few minutes of rain and some impressive winds. In the end we decided to ride and take our chances. That turned out to be a great decision.

We took a ride up into New Hampshire and Vermont in what turned out to be some of the most comfortable weather we have ridden in all week. It was somewhat cloudy but not completely overcast, which kept the heat in check. We still hit 90*, but without the sun relentlessly beating down on us it was a comfortable ride.

Riding in this part of the country is really amazing. The scenery is great, the roads are decent and there is history everywhere. We rode through scenes that seemed to be straight from some movie. Towns founded in the mid 1700s or even earlier. Stereotypical white steepled churches and homes straight out of revolutionary war movie. The only thing missing were the tri-corner hats and women in big dresses.

Interesting ATM we saw along the way

Our main goal for the day was to just get into New Hampshire so that Tony could add it to the list of states he has ridden in. Most of us had been there before. We made it to the town of Winchester NH, and found a Convenience Store (that was actually the name) just across the border. It was very interesting. Their primary product seemed to be beer and wine. They did have a small area of cooler space dedicated to soft drinks, and a few shelves with candy and some minor household items. In most places that would not seem at all unusual. What did seem different was the walk-in humidor with high end cigars, and one entire corner of the store dedicated to odd looking glassware labeled ''for use with tobacco only''. Hmm... The clerks were very helpful and informative and one was particularly enthusiastic about the ''glassware ''. He seemed particularly well versed in the law as it pertains to these specific types of items.

They did provide us with an outstanding recommendation for a nice route to take back into Vermont to find some place to eat lunch, as there wasn't much locally available.

We took their advice and found ourselves in Brattleboro VT, after a very pleasant ride through the New Hampshire countryside. Brattleboro is a very cool little town that still has a thriving downtown. That's something that is becoming very rare in this country.

Following lunch we elected to stay off the highway and run back roads to make our way back to camp. We arrived around 3 pm and took a little rest. Then we headed over to the lodge to shoot some pool and play some cards. We had a great time just relaxing. I lost two games of pool to Tony, but I was the big winner playing poker even if it was only for bragging rights.

We decided to try out the camp snack bar for dinner. It was okay, but it is nothing to make you want to go running back for more.

Then we had a little horseshoe tournament. Let's just say, Scotty and I didn't come in last, but we didn't come in first either. Either way, a good time was had by all.

Horseshoes

Horseshoes

We finished off the night with a campfire,  the traditional lighting of the bikes and an incredible sunset. 

Campfire

Lighting the bikes

Incredible Sunset

Most of the guys were out by 10. I tended the fire until it died out around 11:30, then moved to my tent to finish this entry. For the first time this week, it is actually chilly outside. I may actually need my sleeping bag tonight. As I am writing this I am getting a symphony of snoring in surround sound. I don't want to hear any grief about my snoring in the morning!

Tomorrow we pack and head home. I'm sorry to see it end, but I am ready to get home to see my family. The weather forecast is great for tomorrow, so it should be a pleasant ride home.

I think it's time to call it a night.

Wild Hogs V Day 3

As I write this I am keeping an eye to the sky. There is a big storm just to our north and it remains to be seen if we will get any of it. Clear skies above, but a very impressive front above the mountains to the north. It's putting on an impressive light show.

Anyway, back to today. We started kind of slow just hanging out at camp enjoying the morning breeze and relaxing. We knew the prediction of high heat and humidity would kind of limit how long we would want to be out riding, so we decided to stay somewhat local.

We started by taking another run at the Mohawk Trail since we all agreed it is probably our favorite stretch of road in these parts. That took us to the town of North Adams, where we went to see the Natural Bridge State Park.

Upon our arrival we were met by a park ranger whose first words after hello were '' you're going to be sorry you stopped'', referring to the heat and humidity. It was rather hot, but it was an impressive place to see. 

There is a dam there constructed of white marble, according to information there it's the only white marble dam in North America. The dark spots on the face of the dam are accumulated algae. The stone is actually very white. It was used to create a holding pond to send water to a large turbine down towards the bottom of the mountain that provided power for a plant there. The plant operated from the 1800s to 1947 when it was destroyed by fire.

Not only was the dam impressive, but the formations made in the rock (mostly marble) were amazing. The water has carved it's way through the rocks leaving some very interesting formations, including a natural bridge over the chasm (the obvious source of the name). 

Once we saw the sights there we relaxed in the shade and discussed possible lunch venues. We actually went so far as to call a couple of places to inquire as to whether they had air conditioning.

It was decided that we would go to a place called Poppa Gino's. We had eaten there when we were in the area 4 years ago. It was indeed well air conditioned and the pizza was great. We milked our stay for a good while as no one was particularly enthused about going back out into the heat. We decided we should make another Walmart run for more food and some bottled water since we seemed to be going through it by the case.

By now it was 97* and very humid so we decided to make our way back to camp. We arrived back at camp around 3pm. The first order of business was a change of clothes. Some of the guys decided that a dip in the very crowded pool would be a good idea, while I opted for a short nap in front of my recently acquired fan. A few went to play some horseshoes, then it was time for dinner.

We had hot dogs on the grill and made smores around the fire. Then we just hung out around the fire and talked. I am the last one standing as I watch the last of the fire die out. I can now hear thunder in the distance though the sky above us remains clear. It is my hope that this front will take the humidity with it, but that remains to be seen.

The Lighting of the Bikes was a hit with the other campers

Campfire

I think we are going to make a run to New Hampshire tomorrow if the weather cooperates. Now that the fire has died the bugs have declared open season on me so I think I'll call it a day.

Wild Hogs V Day 2

After a long night of very warm very still air with not a lot of sleep, things were much improved after a nice shower and a little cooler start to the day.

We started the day with a run on a section of the Mohawk Trail (Rt2). This road has to rate in the top 5 I have run. Lots of sweeping curves through incredible mountain passes much of it following mountain streams. We stopped a couple of times at some scenic overlooks and the weather could not have been better.

Along the Mohawk Trail

View from an overlook

From there we made the trek up Mt Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. As before the views were amazing. We spent some time admiring those views, checked out the monument and lodge, then were back on the road heading to Bennington VT.

The Guys at the Monument

Scottie taking a picture from the summit

As we made our way back down the mountain it became apparent that the cool comfortable temps we had enjoyed were not going to last. We went from 3491 ft back to the valley below, and the temperature climbed as we descended.

We road to Bennington stopping along the way for gas and a cool drink. We got lunch at Subway then headed for the Hemmings Motor News Auto Museum. There are some absolutely fabulous cars and trucks there. The real kick was that the old guy working there remembered our visit 4 years ago. From there it was decided that we should make a run to Walmart for some needed supplies and food for dinner.

Izeta at Hemmings Museum

Incredible front end on this towncar

Old Pumper Truck at Hemmings Museum

Cool Roadster

Now I admit that the main purpose of this trip is to ride with a minimum of plans. But, let's define the situation. It's 97* with a heat index of 104 in the mountains of Massachusetts/Vermont. I think I speak for us all when I say that our main interest was in getting to that air conditioned store in the most efficient and shortest way possible. Let's just say, it didn't quite go that way. Through yet another twist of fate, the intersection of the two roads Google provided doesn't exist. The roads virtually run parallel and do not meet. While we gave Kevin, our navigator for the day, a hard time about it, in the end we made it fine even if it was by a very circuitous route (the scenic route).

We cooked a great dinner on a little portable grill that Mark provided (amazing what we can haul now that two of us have trailers). We sat by the fire talking and fighting off kamikaze attacks by mosquitoes and an army of other annoying bugs, then most everyone was in their tent by 10:30. As I write this you can hear nothing but the faint drone of fans in everyone's tent. Yes we picked up small fans to make the nights a bit more comfortable. That might sound a bit wimpy, but after suffering through a warm humid night last night, these middle aged men are smart enough to remedy the situation, and we don't much care what anyone else thinks. I am tucked in my tent cool and comfortable.

Tomorrow promises new adventures in heat and riding, so off to sleep for now. Sat and Sun look much more promising weather wise. We shall see.

Wild Hogs V Day 1

Meeting up at Ravine

The day started remarkably well. I met with Kevin at about 7 am and we headed up the road to meet the rest of the crew coming up from Lancaster. We met at the Ravine exit on I-81. They were a few minutes late due to construction, but we were on the road in good time.

The first few hours were outstanding riding. The sun was shining and the temps were very comfortable.

OCC Stop just before lunch

By our lunch stop in Newburgh NY the heat was on.

We stopped by OCC. They have changed things a bit. About half of the former showroom space is now dedicated to a small bowling alley and their new bar and grill. Many of the old bikes are on display as well as some others I had not seen before. From there we went for lunch at Subway (the OCC Bar and Grill was a bit too pricey for us poor traveling men. We stopped for gas (that gave us a little sticker shock), then we were back on the road. The temps just got worse as we went.

We chose to travel Rt 9 through the Hudson River Valley. It's a beautiful area with some spectacular homes along the way. We passed the Vanderbilt estate along with a huge number of historic buildings and other sites.

At our final gas stop we got to talking with the clerk who informed us that Friday should be the worst day of the week heat wise. Not so much what you want to hear when camping in tents.

We arrived at the Peppermint Park Camping Resort in Plainfield Massachusetts about 6 pm (named for the peppermint oil production that used to be done nearby). It was still very hot, but much better than it had been earlier in the day. As we made our way into the mountains of western Massachusetts there was a noticeable drop in temperature (from high 90s to low 90s.

Camp Set up

We got camp set up, then needed to decide what to do about dinner. The nearest town with any restaurants is about 12 miles away on back country roads. We set out to find a place called Country Pie Pizza at about 7pm. The list of places provided by the campground said it should take about 15 minutes. Unfortunately we let Scott lead.

The ride was nice. Twisting country roads as the temperature was cooling, were very enjoyable. The only problem was Scott missed the turn and we traveled nearly 10 miles out of our way. I will say that the pizza was excellent, but had we been much later, we would be hungry. They roll up the sidewalks around here very early.

Country Pie Pizza Ashville, MA

With our bellies full and darkness upon us it was time to make our way back to camp. Another pleasant ride in the cooler evening air, or so I thought. It was going well with Kevin leading using his gps function on his phone to be sure we could find it in the dark. All of the sudden we find ourselves on a dirt road winding up, down, and all around. I was having some serious flashbacks to Wild Hogs II (check out our gps gone wrong adventure from that year, 2010). The road did take us back to the campground, but I would have much preferred the paved road we originally came in on.

As I write this it is going on midnight. The camp is very quiet. I can hear the fan Mark has running in his tent and an occasional plane will pass overhead. Otherwise it's very still. I can sometimes hear a car somewhere off in the distance, but not much else, not even the usual woods sounds. My nephew Scottie is the only other one still up and he is at the showers apparently taking the mother of all showers. The Internet connection here is a bit slow and unpredictable but I will try to upload some pics and spruce these entries up when I can get the laptop to connect.

Off to bed for now. Hopefully it won't be quite so hot tomorrow. I think the plan is to make a run up Mt. Greylock tomorrow.

Wild Hogs V The Day Before

Gas stop along the road coming home from Tennessee

After a 1200+ mile journey to pick up my nephew's father in law Tony, (he rode in from Texas and we met him in Tennessee) we had two days rest to prepare for Wild Hogs V. This year we are returning to western Massachusetts. We were in that area 3 years ago and enjoyed it enough to make a return trip.

Last time we stayed in a state park outside the small town of North Adams. This year we will be staying at the Peppermint Park Camping Resort in Plainfield. Along with the brothers we are taking my nephew Scottie and his father in law Tony.

I have a lot to do today before leaving bright and early tomorrow. I have to figure out what I'm taking and get it packed and go over the bike to make sure it's ready. I might even scrape off a layer of bugs! I redesigned the custom hitch that I built for the bike, and thanks to the precision metals shop at the Tech School it seems to be rock solid.

Well, I've killed about 1/2 hour typing this on my phone. I'd better get going if I'm going to get anything done.