Local ride
Thur June 19, 2020
(~494  miles)

Despite all the wonderful things I’ve heard about the pie at P&H Truck Stop in northern Vermont, I’d never yet managed to work in a visit to try it for myself. When my friend Ed pinged me to go for a ride and to pick a destination, I mentioned this glaring gastronomic faux pas and my desire to correct it. Turns out, he already had a ride planned up to nearby favorite Polly’s Pancake Parlor with our buddy Kevin,  so they invited me to come along and kill two cravings in one ride.

After a long day in the saddle yesterday hunting lighthouses in Maine, here I was at it again, embarking on a day-long excursion to northern New England. This time, however, I would have good company along, and we’d be hitting some great curvy roads and eating establishments along the way. Although I’d had a spectacular day on the coast, I was looking forward to a less mission-based pace today.

We met up at the Hooksett NH rest area on I-93 in time for KSU at 08:30. Skies were clear but the air was already hazy. We expected to hit 90 degrees today, and I had kept my hydration thermos mounted to the bike like yesterday.

After some socially distanced chit-chat and use of the (open!) indoor facilities, we headed north on the interstate through Concord and exited to pick up NH 132. This is a rider-friendly road, considering how closely it parallels I-93 for miles and miles. Nice and shady, with some decent curves here and there, as long as you don’t get stuck behind a slowpoke. It is well-screened from the interstate and feels rural, only passing through a few small towns.

Route 132 ends in Ashland, hitting US 3 for a couple miles to the scenic view on Little Squam Lake (BONE), where we stopped for a water/stretch/photo break. Ed called ahead to Polly’s, as they are doing call-ahead seating for one hour in advance as part of their pandemic measures. There are a few seaplanes moored on this lake and over the course of our break, one of them seemed to be drifting across the lake backwards and sitting very low in the water. We mused about whether anyone was in it or if it had simply broken free and/or was taking on water. Eventually we saw a paddleboarder heading out to it, but didn’t stay for the outcome.

We turned on NH 175, basically picking up where 132 leaves off and paralleling 93 for several more miles up into the White Mountains region. All north-south routes north of Lincoln are forced to converge (first with US 3, finally to I-93) by the steep mountain terrain funneling all traffic through Franconia Notch. Unlike most weekends, there was no real traffic to speak of, and the views passing through the notch were stunning as always.

 

We exited in the town of Franconia onto NH 117 and soon arrived at Polly’s Pancake Parlor, passing by a rider sightseeing on a spiffy new Royal Enfield.

Our call-ahead table was ready for us upon arrival, so there was no wait. They had spread out their table arrangement inside the restaurant pretty well for social distancing. We wore our masks until we were seated and our coffee arrived, then just tried not to breathe too heavily whilst considering our delicious pancake options. Feeling peckish after my long ride yesterday, I opted for Kathy’s Combo with a full stack (6 pancakes), sausage and bacon.

Usually at Polly’s, they bring you three pancakes at a time, either to serve them fresher or to make efficient use of the cooking apparatus for many customers. I’ve personally never cared for that particular quirk, preferring to receive all my food upfront, limiting interaction with wait staff while eating. For COVID, they were now bringing everything at once, so that was a nice surprise.

After a delicious brunch and good conversation, we headed out to the lot and spotted that Royal Enfield parked next to us. Pretty interesting bikes and it was first I’ve seen in the wild since their recent marketing resurgence in the US.

Lupines were in bloom around New Hampshire, reminding me of yesterday’s ride. I missed a perfect photo op near the top of Sugar Hill, with a big field of them in the foreground and amazing mountain views in the distance. Wished I’d turned around. 🙁 Nonetheless, after a brief photo stop further up the hill for my companions, we continued on NH 117 a couple more miles out to US 302 westbound.

Although a main road, this highway does follow a river and presents some chances for leaning if conditions are right. When you are not stuck behind a ponderous propane truck holding up several cars ahead of you. The truck ended up leading us almost the entire way to P&H – we didn’t escape the torture until we crossed the Connecticut River into Vermont.

We pulled into P&H Truckstop and as everyone says, it’s not much to look at – just a nondescript red-painted building with a huge parking lot and gas pumps. I was so excited about getting pie that I forgot to take any photos inside the place. There was a small dining area that appeared closed off, and a line for to-go orders.

Since we’d just eaten, my plan was to pick up a whole pie to bring home and share with my wonderful wife who was working all day while I gallavanted…er hunted and gathered for the good of the tribe (!) about the countryside. I picked through their cooler and opted for their Very Berry Pie, borrowing some Scotch tape from the cashier to keep things tidy. The price was very reasonable, I think $12 for a whole pie, compared to other pie shops I’ve visited.

Pie packed carefully in my top box, wrapped up in my spare jacket, we retraced our route a few miles on 302 and turned south on NH 112 for an excellent curvy ride back into the White Mountain National Forest. In Kinsman Notch, we pulled into the Beaver Pond NH scenic view lot for a photo break. The entrance for this spot comes up quick behind a curve, and Ed says many people miss it if they’re not looking. I’d certainly never stopped here before. It’s a beautiful little pond formed by a dammed stream, with mountains rising up on all sides.

There were a couple other motorcyclists here and one was from the town next to where I live. He’d blown off work for the day and ridden up on a Ninja 250. When they left, we had the place to ourselves for several minutes before anyone else stopped by. A single mallard patrolled the shore, hoping for a handout. He didn’t want to post for my camera, but took a liking to Kevin who was dipping his neck rag in the water to cool off. Ed preferred to perform his ablutions from an iced bottle of water.

In a few miles, we turned right on NH 118, a great twisty road in everlasting mediocre condition. The overlook along this road is also easy to scoot by if you aren’t paying attention, with only a very sketchy gravel pullout on the outer fringe of the road with a steep drop-off. Traffic was light enough for us to pull over on the pavement and soak in more White Mountains magnificence.

We branched off 118 in Rumney to NH 25 then turned on the very nice BONE road segment of Halls Brook Rd to North Groton Rd to West Shore Rd. The first two are hidden gems that can take you by surprise, making you want to turn around and ride them again when you get to the end, to learn the curves just a bit better. The pavement condition was merely OK, but Ed stated that it was usually much worse, and he was pleased to find it in comparatively good shape.

The shoreline cruise along Newfound Lake is scenic and curvy, forcing you to decide on looking or leaning. We turned along the southern tip of the lake, apparently the popular beach/boating spot, for a slow crawl through the bustle of day-users.

Picking up NH 3A, Ed informed me via intercom that we were about to scout a new road, to try cutting east to Ashland while avoiding town traffic in Bristol. However he was fighting some GPS gremlins at the moment, so I warned him when we got to the turn on Dick Brown Rd (yes, really). Following that for a mile, we got to a fork in the road and both options were gravel. The one we wanted of course curved steeply up and back at a forbidding angle to our right. Ed, still waiting for his GPS to recover, went zipping straight ahead while Kevin and I rolled to a stop at the intersection to wait until Ed could turn and come back to us.

The signage warned us in no uncertain terms that scrambling up Poole Hill Road was probably not a good idea for three big street bikes, but I was game. Ultimately, we decided against, and rode back out to 3A to find another way. That turned out being a scoot down through Bristol and east to re-ride a section of NH 132 back to Ashland.

This time, we turned east on the  Winona Rd to Waukewan Rd segment, enjoying some excellent twisties, getting back in the groove a bit. That dumped us out on US 3 south for a few miles to Weirs Beach, where we stopped for a photo op by the famous sign.

The sheer number of boats and other watercraft gunning around the lake in all different directions, made me wince in anticipation of all the accidents and near misses that must occur on an hourly basis out on the water. There were plenty of motorcycles around, but the Laconia bike week event has been delayed this year, due to the pandemic, so we got through the area relatively quick.

We turned on NH 107 just below Laconia and rode miles and miles to the south, with a brief photo stop at the view in Gilmanton.

 

The ride ended somewhat unceremoniously at a 7-11 in Raymond. We were all hot and sticky from the humidity, pleasantly pooped, and more or less ready to head off in our individual directions. Kevin planned a stop at nearby Goody Coles, while Ed and I had our sights set on home.

After a few minutes break for water, applied internally and externally, we said our goodbyes and split up after a great day of riding across some of the best in New Hampshire.

Click here for more ride pics

Postscript on the Pie

The pie survived the trip wrapped in my jacket, only to be dumped upside down within my topbox when I pulled said jacket out, (having completely forgotten about the pie after reaching home). Despite some leakage through the top crust, the pie survived that as well!

Alas, Charlotte and I were somewhat disappointed in the Very Berry Pie from P&H. Maybe my expectations had been built up too high, but while it was good, the crust is what makes a great pie and we agreed this one was a bit lacking – tasting almost a bit sour. I’ll try another flavor some day and hopefully be more impressed.