Saturday, August 20, 2016

Reformatory Branch Trail with the family

Today was the D2R2 and I wasn't there.  I rode the 2009 100K version, the 2013 Green River Ride, and extended versions of the Green River Ride in 2014 and 2015.  I tried to put this year's ride on the family calendar but somehow didn't manage to do it and the morning was taken and I didn't get out to the valley.  I grew up in the valley and lived there for half my life and rode in the hills many times over the years I lived there and since then.  I was sad to miss the ride.

I did get some dirt miles in today with my family, riding from Bedford to Concord on the Reformatory Branch Trail.  It was the first time we rode it and it was great fun.  Our older boy rode it on his mountain bike and it was his longest ride to date - 9 miles.  Our younger boy came with me on a trail-a-bike behind my Surly Cross Check.  My wife rode her new Soma Buena Vista.  The trail wasn't heavily trafficked like the Minuteman but there was a substantial number of people riding, walking, and running.  But the trail surface slowed everyone down so we weren't quite as stressed with keeping the 8 year old on the right side of the trail.

We made a couple of stops at the observation tower overlooking wetlands at the Concord Unit of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.  I've stopped by on rides in the last few years but my wife hasn't been there in a while so she appreciated checking it out with the boys.  And it was a Poke stop so the boys were thrilled to stop there.  And it was enchanted on the way back and we met the person who did the enchanting.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't fret.  I'd prefer that I didn't know anything about Pokemon Go.

We also stopped in Concord center, which was easily and safely accessible from the trail.  We ate at the Main Street Grill and had ice cream there as well.  We also wandered around town looking for Pokemon gyms and other Poke stops.  My sons took over the gym at the Concord common (that one in front of the Colonial Inn.

Overall it was a great day and everyone had enough to eat so we all had energy to get back to the car.  I'm pretty sure my wife likes her bike more after riding on the trail.

The meadows from the observation deck.

Our bikes.
Strava, just to prove it happened: