As promised, above…
Fall colors are a bit past “peak,” but the oranges, browns, and especially the yellows are astounding. I’m going to post a little photo essay (below) of one direction — due west — of my daily ride. Right now, I’m chowing down and getting ready to head home. It will be a 35mi day including lunch stop, but 17(ish) of the usual 21 miles I do daily are on the Mass Central Rail Trail, pictured below, and now annotated. This starts at the West Boylston entrance, and ends at Maple Spring Pond, Holden. You’ve seen many pictures of the pond in my earlier posts.
I think you guys will appreciate why I love riding this trail, and why I’ve done this run probably around 100 times on Fättie. The existence of the MCRT, and of course the purchase of Fättie have transformed my life.
Entrance (at West Boylston, Thomas Street)
Quinapoxet river, running essentially eastbound (on the left in this picture) to feed the Thomas basin of the Wachusett Reservoir (about a mile downstream). Wachusett is a secondary to the Boston area (second to Quabbin reservoir, that is).
One of the two foot bridges on the trail that cross the Quinapoxet. I’ve taken a few pictures in earlier posts of my bike overlooking the river that runs beneath it. Today, just the approach (from the east):
Panorama of a very steep overlook of the Quinapoxet as the trail jogs right (north):
Across Manning street (one of the two main roads that need to be crossed). The next three pictures are of about a mile and a half of brand new switchbacks that have tamed what is (I think) about a 500 foot hill between Manning Street and Mill Street in Holden. These new switchies have made the ride feasible for everyone, which is what a rail trail should be! They did a wonderful job building this. The original single-tracks up and over this hill are (mostly) still there, and it used to be something to conquer this hill. On my bike, I can knock them down no problem.
At the crest of the hill is a beautiful (formerly) farm property which is bisected by the trail. I’ve met the owners of this place and they are super friendly. Good thing; I bomb this trail all the time.
This is the actual peak of the hill, and what you’re looking at is a right turn which commences the “back” side of the hill. Switchbacks were created here too, and the whole thing was finished with stone gravel about 3 months ago (after 3 years of construction):
OK, on to the next section which is after about 3/4 mile on Mill Street. This is a (relatiively) short section of switchbacks to get up to the former rail bed:
Now just a few pictures of the former 3 mile or so rail bed:
The end of the trail, where the trail Ts off and I head out to the road to Maple Spring Pond:
The remaining pictures are from the road coming to Maple Spring Pond and showing the natural beauty as well as the road and the (currently active) RR tracks. Tallyho.
