Way Around Boltinghouse Cruise

By John Bassett

When I volunteered at the February ride scheduling meeting to lead last Saturday’s club ride, the Around Boltinghouse Cruise, I really did not realize that this is a very short route.  A 22 mile ride might be enough for a cold, windy, late winter day, but by mid-week the forecast for last Saturday was bright sunshine with a high in the upper 70s.  A 22-miler wasn’t going to cut it.  Further, for my first-ever attempt to lead a ride, I did not find it particularly appealing to run the thing in a clockwise direction and up that nasty hill on Lentz Road.  People let you know about stuff like that.

I had been told the ride leader sets the route.  So, I set about laying out a couple of alternatives.  First, I decided to run the route counter clockwise.  A logic extension out Shiloh Road to Anderson would add about 5 miles - still, not enough for a good riding day.  So, I decided to present an alternative route running out Shiloh, east on Anderson, up the Beanblossom Hill to the Forest Road, and then back on Old 37.  That would be a reasonable 36 miles.  I posted all three routes, the 22, the 27, and the 36 on the club calendar and hoped for the best.  The 36 miler was still true to the intent of the ride (i.e. riding around the Boltinghouse Hill).  It just happened to go way around the Boltinghouse Hill – leader discretion at its best.

I had also been told the ride leader is supposed to have a few copies of the route map.  So, on Saturday morning I made a quick trip to the office and made 10 copies of each of the three routes.  Maps in hand, I drove to the Bryan Park hoping that this multiple route strategy would work out.

It was a day of pleasant surprises.  By the 11 AM starting time a massive gaggle of 29 riders had assembled - pleasant surprise Number 1.  Even Tom Reynolds had gotten up “early” for this one - pleasant surprise Number 2.  I passed out my maps, asking each rider which of the three maps he/she wanted.  In the end, I passed out all 10 of the 36 milers, 1 of the 27 milers, and 0 of the 22 miles – pleasant surprise Number 3.  At 11:05 Kathy C reminded me in, no uncertain terms, to get mounted up because it was time to go.  It seems everyone was out for a big day.

Heading east out of town, we picked up Ben E, and John C, bringing the total, by my count, to 31.  The group headed east on 45  We did a brief regroup at Tunnel Road letting some straggles catch up who had serviced a small mechanical problem.  We then proceeded pretty much as a group out Shiloh Road.
Shiloh Road is like splitting a stubborn piece of firewood.  Turn it around and you get a much better result.  Riding south will beat you up.  Riding north, as we were doing, is primo.  You gradually descend into the Beanblossom valley down a great section of wooded county road – see photo.  At Anderson Road a few riders headed back west following the 27 miler.  Most headed east on Anderson following the Day 2 Hilly Hundred route to take on the Bleanblossom Hill up to the Forest Road.

We regrouped again at the Forest Road and Old 37.  Here, and ran into Clair M and Dana M who were creating yet another version of the ride and own epic ride north on Old 37 (46 miles, as it turned out).  I got a little behind helping fix a flat near Dolan but soon caught up with the waiting group at the top of Fire Station Hill – pleasant surprise Number 4.  We proceeded back into town opting for North College and the B-Line Trail back to the park.  I think it noteworthy that a pack of maybe 20 riders rode North College together.  Touring rides usually get pretty strung out at the end, but this group was riding at pretty much the same pace – pleasant surprise Number 5.

Overall, this was a very good day for a ride.  I was impressed by the overall conditioning of our riders.  Maybe all the winter riding, mountain biking, and stair climbing paid off.