Tour de PMC 2021: Sweet Baby James

From “Sweet Baby James”:

So was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
The Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting.

Actually the plan was to start from West Stockbridge, on the New York border, to ride cross-Mass for my Pan Mass Challenge.

This plan is contingent on getting someone to wake up at the crack of dawn and shuttle me to the border. This was planned to be a recreation of last year’s James Taylor ride. Bene came through with a ride, and companionship. Wouldn’t have to do this solo.

We knew the ride was sure to be superb when we saw this set up at the New York border.

We never did see Mr. Human Cannonball, just his launch tube. Meanwhile we prepped for our own launch at the border. With a fist bump, Bene and I were off. Just 160 miles or so until we reached Boston Harbor.

We had 10 miles to warm up, passing through fog-filled valleys and farmland. Then the climbing came rushing in. We had to get up and over the Berkshires. There is no flat route, just up. With Bene at my side (or me at his side), we climbed and climbed with no problems.

All that climbing earned us a long downhill at blazing speeds down into the Pioneer Valley, passing the access road to Camp Becket and welling up warm memories. We had some rolling miles along the Westfield River. Next up was the toughest climb, Route 66. It’s 3 miles with an average grade of 5%. At the top sits Outlook Farm. An oasis of baked goods for tired legs.

It was a great stop to refuel, catch our breath, and stretch our legs. The toughest part of the ride was behind us. Ahead, we had some flat miles of the Connecticut River Valley and the start of the Mass Central Rail Trail before we encountered any hills.

This is the same Mass Central Rail Trail as the newly opened section in Weston. The state is working on knitting the sections together as rail trails are becoming more and more popular. We took a detour across the Windsor Dam and into Ware for lunch. The miles were starting to take a toll. Air conditioning and a meatball sub helped with some recovery.

Up next was climbing over the shoulder of mid-state hills in Holden. I discovered a beautiful section of the Mass Central Rail Trail. It’s not paved. It’s hard-packed stone. It’s easily passable on the skinny tires of a road bike. You need to watch out for eroded places and sections that have been loosened by the rain. The reward is a stunning ride through the woods.

Bene and I were gassed. We knew that we had an extra special treat at the Berlin Farm stop. Yes, there would be ice cream and lots of toppings. Yes, it would be the end of the hills. Even better, we were getting some company to escort us for remaining miles.