We have been getting super-lucky with the weather for these rides lately, tonight was another gorgeous evening with perfect temperatures, not much wind, and no humidity. Ten of us showed up tonight to take advantage of these great conditions on our Easthampton loop, which follows the bike path from Northampton to Easthampton, and then returns via Pomeroy Meadow Road and Park Hill Road. There was some confusion at several points about whether we were in Easthampton or Southampton, but Jennifer, our Easthampton expert, gave us a handy rule of thumb — if the road is full of potholes, it’s Easthampton; if it’s lovely pristine pavement, then you’re in Southampton.
We paused near the midpoint at the base of the Park Hill Road climb, where I issued a low-key challenge: first three riders to the Big Red Frame at Park Hill Orchard get a podium pic in the frame. Some took this more seriously than others, but I think everyone put in a real good effort on the hill. Adam and Clarissa were the first two to the top, with Chris and Jennifer battling for the final spot on the podium while avoiding potholes (Easthampton!) and an RV approaching from behind.
Clarissa, Adam, and Chris on the podium
It didn’t seem right to leave everyone else out of the picture at such a photogenic spot, so we also squeezed everyone into the frame (literally!) for this shot.
Jeanne, Jennifer, Henry, Chris, Adam, Sheri, Clarissa, Susan, and Ari
We enjoyed a fast descent on the other side of Park Hill, navigated some tricky traffic in downtown NoHo, and arrived back at Sheldon Field around 7:30PM. Thanks to everyone for coming out!
