Year 1 - Ride Day 12 - West Greenwich RI to Mansfield Center CT - Sept 12


Yesterday we departed the Washington Secondary Rail Trail on the most direct route to our evening lodging. The route designer also did the same for this morning, that is, used the most direct route to get back on the very nicely paved Washington Secondary Rail Trail. Note to route designer, check elevations on your short cut direct routes! We climbed two very steep and long hills only to drop back down to the Trail. I think we all agreed that we would have been glad to ride a few extra miles back to the trail if we could have avoided those two climbs! 

The rest of the morning was spent hopping from one trail to the next. We started on the Washington Secondary Rail Trail, then onto the Moosup Valley State Park Trail, then the Quinebaug River Trail, and finally for the morning the Putnam River Trail. This final trail dropped us in downtown Putnam CT.

This was Sunday, Sept 12 and the town was alive with tourists. Apparently there was something on the order of a restaurant/microbrewery food/drink tasting tour. People had small slips of paper with the restaurant/brewery names on it. The restaurants had tables set up in front for the people to take samples. What a zoo! People everywhere, cars everywhere, oh my! We finally agreed on a suitable restaurant for a quick lunch. We chatted with a local who thought the CT roads were superior, far better than MA, except maybe more hilly. We agreed to the hilly part.

We enjoyed the brief downhill from the restaurant to the Putnam River and also making the left turn off the main road. The main road was beginning to climb out of the river valley. That joy only lasted a few more minutes when our path turned upwards also. After climbing for a while we turned right only to see a steeper climb in front of us! 

We climbed into the town of Pomfret. A short distance after leaving Pomfret, we turned onto the Airline State Park Trail. This trail is not paved and began as hard packed dirt/gravel. It also begins a appropriately 425 feet in elevation and climbs upward for 9 miles to about 750 in elevation until it begins it downward descent.

Short steep road climbs are one thing, but when riding a trail one never stops spinning and with a continuous climb, you really can’t stop spinning. Down a gear and crank away! The more we rode southwest on the trail, the more rough it became. Finally, at a crossroad after about 15 miles on the trail, we stopped and examined our GPS units. We diverted to and were very soon on Route 6 at Clark Corner. Although Route 6 carries a lot of traffic at 55 MPH, it has nice wide flat shoulders and the climbs are more gradual! 

Our alternate route along Route 6 eventually put us back on our predestined route and back on the Airline State Park Trail, but this time it was paved! A short ride on and we arrived at out motel, just a short way south of UCONN! There was a package store a few feet away in the strip mall next to our motel as well as a vary tasty restaurant.

I must apologize, but there was a lack of photos from this ride day! Sorry! Too busy riding.

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