The Eastern Trail - Southern Maine Ride

I've recently been tossing around the idea of doing a short bike tour (not sure where, when or how long), but getting some time in the saddle made sense. I got on the bike to explore a little of southern Maine along The Eastern Trail. The trail, which runs 65 miles from Kittery to South Portland, is just a small section of the much larger 2900 mile East Coast Greenway which travels from Calais, Maine to Key West, Florida. After reaching the northern (eastern?) terminus of the Eastern Trail I crossed over the Fore River into Portland for a coastline route on the Eastern Promenade Trail. I had planned to loop around on the Back Cove Trail but It was getting late in the afternoon and I needed to return to my starring location. Back Cove will have to wait for another day.

Crossing a landfill (believe it or not) in Scarborough.

A nice wooded section along Barberry Creek in Scarborough.

An active rail line in Scarborough.

Fore River in South Portland at low tide. It was high tide by the time I returned.

Mill Creek Park in South Portland.

A war memorial near Mill Creek Park.

Approaching Cushing Point in South Portland. This was the site of an active shipyard during WWII employing 30,000 people building Liberty Ships.

Partial hull of a Liberty ship.

View of Fort Gorges from Cushing Point. Due to advances in "modern" explosives, the fort was obsolete by the time it was completed in 1865.

Bug Light on Cushing Point. 

Crossing over the Fore River into Portland.

 View from the bridge.

Downtown Portland. My least favorite part of the ride.

Tourists taking a spin in an old fire engine.

View of Caso Bay from the Eastern Promenade Trail.

Another nice view of the bay.

Chasing down a train on the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Trail-side refreshments.

I was tempted!

Ride on!

Just Maybe....

For those who follow this blog (is there anyone left?) you know I've haven't been running for over three years due to a number of skeletal-muscular issues. During the past few months I've been slowly, carefully, quietly, and (surprisingly) patiently easing myself back into running. It wasn't a planned thing, it just sort of happened.

It all started when I decided to jog (more like shuffle) a short section of smooth trail while out on a hike. From there I began mixing in 10- 30 second jogs throughout all my hikes. There wasn't any structure to my "Jikes" (Jog/Hikes), I let the terrain dictate whether I waked or jogged. Over time I cautiously increased the duration of the jogging segments and found for the majority of time I didn't have any increase in pain/discomfort.

I'm current running 45 - 90 minutes, 2-3 days per week. I still mix in walking breaks, mainly on inclines, but manage to run about 80% of the time. It's been a difficult 3+ years and I anticipate setbacks, but I'm pleased with my progress so far. For now, I'm taking one day at a time and not planning ahead. Given my history, it's the wise thing to do. Perhaps the trail gods will be kind to me and I'll see some of you on the trail this autumn.

Just maybe....

Shining Sea Bikeway Ride

The Shining Sea Bikeway is a 10.7 mile paved path that winds along the Vineyard Sound shoreline from Woods Hole to North Falmouth. The scenery is diverse and includes dense woods, cranberry bogs, ponds, salt marshes and ocean views. I added some miles to the ride by detouring onto Surf Drive for a view of Martha's Vineyard and venturing into busy downtown Falmouth. Once in Woods Hole I explored some of the coastal back roads before enjoying lunch at Pie In The Sky. Great sandwiches and desserts!

Wooded section in North Falmouth

Cranberry bog

Cold looking Snug Harbor in West Falmouth.

No turtle sightings today.

Great Sippewissett Marsh

   

A nice half mile stretch along the beach.                          

A good place to refuel in Woods Hole.

Woods Hole Lobster art.

A quiet, hidden beach off a back road in Woods Hole.

Hanging out in Little Harbor.

I love these old diners. Too bad Betsy's was closed. I was planning to eat heavy!

Trail-side art.

If it said Old Buzzard's Nest I would have moved in.

Northern terminus in North Falmouth.

Ride on!