Local ride
Mon May 25, 2020
(~291 miles)

Passing the two-month mark of COVID-19’s severe social self-isolation orders, the unusually cool spring weather began taking a warm turn while state governments activated their initial plans to allow certain businesses to re-open. One of the many disappointments this year’s pandemic situation brings has been the cancellation or postponement of most of the long-distance rally events in which I usually participate. In addition to the actual riding and fun puzzles to solve, these events are guaranteed opportunities to gather with our riding friends.

Memorial Day weekend approached without the usual anticipation of  the Mason Dixon 20-20 rally, now postponed until the fall. For several friends and I who attend that event, it seemed a good opportunity to finally get out of the house and test the waters at a socially-distanced RTE. We chose to meet at the MKT: Grafton general store in the quaint village of Grafton VT. It wasn’t likely to be crowded and we could pick up to-go deli sandwiches to dine in their birch-shaded outdoor patio area. Failing that we would strike out to find another nearby outdoor location roomy enough to accommodate five couples trying to stay at arm’s length.

Char and I enjoyed a nice 2-up ride to Grafton, following the first half of NER’s Lancaster-Lake George Run ride, the same route we took to the NER Lake George trip last year, cutting across NH on a nice backwoods route. The rest stop building at the start in Lancaster MA was closed, but there was a row of porta-potties lined up out front for public use. The morning sky was overcast with very comfortable temps in the 60s, and we got about an hour of mist/drizzle early in the ride due to low-lying clouds.

It was both wonderful and odd pulling up to the store in Grafton and seeing the row of bikes and all our friends chatting from a respectable distance. After managing the slightly tricky on-street parking opposite the store, we got the lay of the land: The store was open but required wearing a mask to enter. Orders would be brought out and dropped off on the shelving set up on the front porch.

Someone handed us a menu printout, we made our choices, and I went in to order. The store had been stripped out of all free-standing displays, likely to allow more people inside while maintaining social distance. It had a rather bare, empty look, but is still the same welcoming place with locally made goodies and merchandise filling the wall shelves.

There were only a couple other customers in the store besides our group (we went in a couple at a time), so I felt good helping support this small business. This would be the first restaurant/prepared food we’d gotten since mid-March, having lived on our own groceries and cooking for weeks. In addition to our lunch order, I picked up some Vermont-made microbrew to enjoy after the ride.

Unfortunately, the outdoor patio seating was closed, with tables but no chairs available. Luckily, several of us approaching from the east along VT 121 had spotted a small town park devoid of people. Once everyone had their food, we mounted up and rode a mile to Winnie Park, on the bank of the lovely Saxtons River. There was no parking lot, but we pulled the bikes off the road onto the grass and found our own spots. There were two picnic tables and a bench, giving us just enough room to spread out and eat without being on top of one another. The sky was clear and sunny now, and the gurgling river ran by just feet away – it was a perfect spot!

>Eating food that someone else prepared felt like such a treat, and the sandwiches from MKT are great anyways. I’d gone with the “Roast Beast” with VT cheddar and caramelized onions, and we followed things up by splitting one of their delicious cookies. After eating, we did our best to stand apart while catching up and reminiscing of rally days past.

 LD Riders on a picnic. (Points: 0)  ** Objects in picture are further from each other than they appear **

A couple hours flew by before we called it quits headed our separate ways. Char and I headed south on VT 35 & 30 to Brattleboro, before crossing back over the Connecticut River on route 119. We cut south to Northfield MA and made a run of Warwick Rd/ Northfield Rd/ Athol Rd/ Tully Rd (a BONE road segment). Parts of this stretch are still in serious need of repaving, as has been the case for a few years now, but we also hit a newly surfaced section after going through Warwick, so maybe more repairs are on the way. We picked up MA 2 in Athol and slabbed it home.

I cracked my first Upper Pass Brewery First Drop pale ale (recommended by MKT staff) with dinner and enjoyed it thoroughly while thinking back on a great day.