What an amazing day to be on a bike! The sun was out, the birds were singing, and the spring flowers were in their glory. We had six riders when we left Pulaski Park and headed out of Northampton on our Thursday Night route. We picked up another rider a few miles into our ride. He later split off from the group on his quest for an early season century!
We had three bigger climbs today – Ashfield Rd, Creamery Rd, and Clesson Brook Rd. After our climb up Clesson Brook, we slipped onto Watson Rd and enjoyed the view.
The vibrant green grass of the fields against the new green buds on the trees and the deep blue of the ski were a gift. Someone noted that the view from Watson Rd was “worth the price of admission.” In this case, the price was a fun climb. It was a win-win! 😉 We had a short stint on a dirt road, but it was nothing our road bikes couldn’t handle. In fact, it was more smooth than some of the pavement we encountered.
Our refueling spot was Chesterfield General Store. It is one of the most bike friendly places around. The people working the counter happily refill your water bottles for you, there is a bike pump outside, and most importantly they have really yummy treats! After our stop, the route was mostly downhill. Our group appreciated that the climbing was over for the day as we had all “refueled” a little too much.
We rolled into Northampton in the early afternoon. While we could feel the excitement of Hampshire Pride, we had no trouble getting in or out of Northampton. From my parking spot in Northampton I rode 57 miles, with 4,500 ft of climbing.
