Lately (for, like, almost a whole week) I have been trying to get out on the local bike paths and cycle some. I want to get in good enough shape to do my cycling on the road. You know, like a big boy.Today brought me to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Chelmsford MA. This former rail road bed runs from Lowell to Westford with Big Plans to have it extend far beyond! Starting at the Cross Point Towers (the former Wang Building) it passes under Rt. 495 past the town ballfields and throughout he center of town where there is easy access to restarants, stores and the public library. Among other attractions in the town center are a bicycle-repair station complete with tools-on-strings and an air pump. This is, by far, the busiest section of the trail with many walkers dog-walkers and cyclists. From the center of town the trail rises gently through the woods.There is a side trail that leads to a parking area at Sunny Meadows Farm. Not terribly useful since it's about half way down the trail. It crosses Male Rd near the Bynam School, Kate's Corner Store and Post Office and the First Baptist Church. Getting off the Trail in this little village and crossing Rt. 27 and heading past Parlay's Farm on Proctor Road opens up the Cranberry Bog, Great Brook Farms to explore. These areas are best suited for mountain or hybrid bicycles. If you forgo the side trip and stay on the Rail Trail you will pass Baptist Pond and travel parallel to RT. 27 to where the trail ends. As cool as this all is, the Bruce Freeman Trail holds a secret. It turns out that this is two trails in one!
Another task that I have set for myself over the summer is to section-hke the Bay Circuit Trail. I have been concentrating on the portion closest to my house. You have to start somewhere and closer is always better. As you might expect, it is difficult to design a wilderness trail that circus navigates a major East Coast Metropolitan area. Concessions have to be made, and the Lowell-Chelmsfor portion of the trail is one such concession. I'm not even sure where (of IF) the BCT travels through Lowell, but in Chelmsford, it shares the same space as the Bruce Freeman Trail. So, today, as I cruised around on the Tri-Spec I also got to cross off another section of the BCT! Very efficient use of my time and precious calories, if I do say so myself.
Another task that I have set for myself over the summer is to section-hke the Bay Circuit Trail. I have been concentrating on the portion closest to my house. You have to start somewhere and closer is always better. As you might expect, it is difficult to design a wilderness trail that circus navigates a major East Coast Metropolitan area. Concessions have to be made, and the Lowell-Chelmsfor portion of the trail is one such concession. I'm not even sure where (of IF) the BCT travels through Lowell, but in Chelmsford, it shares the same space as the Bruce Freeman Trail. So, today, as I cruised around on the Tri-Spec I also got to cross off another section of the BCT! Very efficient use of my time and precious calories, if I do say so myself.
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