Biking The Bay Circuit Trail - Boxford Forest to Ward Reservation (Day 3)

On Friday, I was back on the Bay Circuit Trail to continue my quest to cycle the entire trail. I arrived early at the J.C. Phillips Wildlife Sanctuary trailhead, but once again my friend Bill was already in the parking lot. He's definitely an early riser. Tony rolled into the lot shortly after, riding his bike the six miles from his house. It was funny to see him wearing an orange jacket. Bill and I were also sporting orange jackets! I was happy both decided to join me for a second ride. Perhaps they've been bitten by the BCT bug?

Overview of route - Red indicates paved, blue is unpaved.

As we started, we commented about how cold it was this morning, but we soon warmed up on the 7% climb up Moonpenny and Crooked Pond Drives. Bicycles are not allowed in the sanctuary, so we had to do a one-mile road ride to enter Boxford State Forest (BSF) by way of the North Loop trail. We rode in the direction of Bald Hill, but the BCT turned onto Thomas Road, and we avoided the 246-foot climb. The four miles of trails in Boxford Forest were generally easy biking but we did have to find our way around flooded sections a few times.

There have been many improvements to the trail since my last visit. These wet sections of trail were far less numerous than what I encountered on my 2011 run. 

He rides rough trails on skinny tires and he's still smiling. He's a sick puppy!

While in BSF, Bill spotted a stone chimney about 100 feet off trail. It was surrounded by heavy growth so we couldn't get a closer look. I researched online to see if I could find information about the chimney without success. While researching the history of BSF I learned that it was home to the first Sentinel Anti-Ballistic Missile site in the continental United States. The project was started in 1968 but never completed due to local opposition and a change in military defense strategy. 

This is not the only chimney I've seen in the middle of the woods.

Beavers are active in Pout Pond.

Leaving the forest, the BCT is on roads for one mile before entering Harold Parker State Forest (HPSF). The first 1.5 miles of single-track in HPSF were rough but rideable. This would change as soon as we exited the Leland Parcel section. Mountain biking trails have difficulty ratings similar to downhill ski runs. Easy trails are rated green, while blue is intermediate and black trails are considered very difficult. 

Up to this point we were on green trails but the next 3.5 miles of single-track were rated blue. The difficulty level was immediately evident. The trail was a minefield of rocks and roots of all sizes. The difficulty was compounded by the constant twists and turns, and ups and downs. There was very little level trail the entire way.

We were about halfway through HPSF when we crossed paths with two mountain bikers coming in the opposite direction. Tony knew them so we stopped and chatted awhile. When they heard we were riding the Bay Circuit Trail one said, "The BCT ahead of you is much harder than what you just rode". OH GREAT! She wasn't joking either. We got through it by riding slowly and walking when the trail got too technical. We're senior citizens after all, and prefer to remain upright. We don't bounce off the ground like we used to. 😆

Slow and steady. Live to ride another day.

No trail, no problem.

When I ran the BCT, I dreaded road sections. But now, I rejoiced when we finished the HPSF section and began a 1.5-mile paved section leading to Ward Reservation. When on foot, the BCT bypasses this road section, entering the Skug River Reservation and connecting to Mary French Reservation and Great Meadow Reservation on trails. These reservations are managed by The Andover Village Improvement Society and bicycles are not allowed on their properties. Today, I thanked them for that!

Entering Ward reservation, we were faced with our first substantial climb of the day, gaining 241 feet in .75 miles with a maximum grade of 17.2%. It began on rocky single-track, followed by a side hill carriage road and finished on a grassy meadow atop Holt Hill. At 423 feet, Holt Hill offered a 180-degree view with the tall buildings of downtown Boston in sight 15 miles south. After a brief rest, we made a fast descent off Holt Hill and ended our BCT ride at the intersection of Prospect Road and Route 125 in Andover.

The official summit.

View from Holt Hill.

My third ride is in the books and I'm about two miles behind my BCT run pace. The next couple of sections of the BCT have a greater percentage of roads than my last two rides so I should be able to jump ahead of my 2011 run schedule. Time will tell.

Total distance - 13.8 miles, 42.3 cumulative.

Paved - 3.5 miles, 14.2 cumulative.

Unpaved - 10.3 miles, 28.1 cumulative.

Elevation gain - 1360 feet, 3422 cumulative.

Max grade - 17.2%

High point - Holt Hill, 423 feet

Towns traversed - Boxford, Middleton, North Andover, Andover,

Green spaces visited - Boxford State Forest, Harold Parker State Forest, Ward Reservation

Back to Day 2

Biking The Bay Circuit Trail - Prospect Hill to Boxford State Forest (Day 2)

Similar to my 2011 run, I was joined by two friends for section 2 of the BCT. The forecast called for unseasonably warm weather with a high temperature into the 80s. This would become a factor in the latter stages of the ride. We met at the Prospect Hill trailhead with an eclectic mix of bicycles. Tony had a gravel bike with skinny tires, Bill had a hardtail mountain bike, and I brought my very heavy fat bike. I had to give Bill the "Goldilocks Award" for picking the bike that was "just right" for the trail conditions.

Overview of route - Red indicates paved, blue is unpaved.

There was no time to warm up the legs as we were immediately faced with a steep climb up Prospect Hill. Prospect Hill is a glacial drumlin rising 268 feet above sea level and was the high point for the day. The climb was about a half-mile long with occasional blowdowns to make things interesting.  I was struggling with the weight of my bike, and I think Tony was having some difficulty getting traction with his smooth tires. Bill was ahead and quickly out of sight. Unfortunately, the hard effort to the summit was not rewarded with any views. 

The descent down the other side of the hill and through Dow Brook Reservation was slow and tedious. The trail off the backside of the hill was twisty, steep and rocky and the single-track in Dow Brook was blocked by numerous blowdowns. It required dismounting the bike, lifting the bike over the fallen tree and getting back on the bike. In some cases, we only rode a few hundred feet before repeating this process. Bill helped me get my bike over one of the blowdowns that was waist high. He commented on the weight of the bike. I don't think he believed it was as heavy as I told him it was until he actually had to lift it!

Numerous blowdowns large and small blocked our path.

I was happy to see Willowdale State Forest ahead as we sped downhill though Marini Farm. The BCT though the Pine Swamp section of Willowdale is mainly on easy trails and old carriage roads. Other than the short road sections late in the ride, this was the easiest riding of the day and our pace quickened. That didn't prevent me from being passed by a solo mountain biker. He was the only one we saw all day.

Smooth and easy trail in Willowdale was appreciated.

Crossing Route 1 into the Hood Pond section of Willowdale, the riding remained relatively easily before Linebrook Road. From here, the BCT runs mostly on top of an esker for the next two miles. There were points where the trail ran very close to the edge of the steep-sided esker. A fall here could have been serious.  In mountain biking lingo "babyheads" refer to rocks the size of a baby's head. The esker trail had its share of babyheads which slowed my progress. That and the short, punching climbs at times.

Frankly, I was happy as heck to get off that esker when we reached Georgetown-Rowley State Forest. We made a short detour to avoid a flooded section of trail only to be greeted by another section of flooded trail. I had a moment of deja vu as the same thing happened to me when I ran this trail in 2011. We managed to keep our feet dry by walking on a stone wall while pushing our bikes through the deep water. Three miles later we were out of the woods and onto our first stretch of pavement. To me, it was a welcomed sight!

Wet and wild in Georgetown-Rowley State Forest.

Bill had been taking the lead most of the day, so when Tony and I exited the French Family Woodlot and didn't see him, I assumed he missed a turn. My phone rang about five minutes later and Bill confirmed my assumption. When Bill met back up with us, we took a much-needed break at the Boxford Community Kitchen on Elm Street. Tony was having some cramping due to the heat and Bill and I were out of water. We hoped a cold coke and some salty chips would breathe new life into us. It did the trick, at least temporarily.

Boxford Community Kitchen was a welcomed oasis.

We were on our way again and after one mile of road riding we turned into Lockwood Forest. One more mile of single-track dumped us out onto Middleton Road where we ended the ride at the entrance to the J.C. Phillips Sanctuary. Tony had 1400+ feet of elevation gain on his Wahoo while I showed 1300+ feet on my Garmin which was acting wonky on the climb up Prospect Hill. That's a fair amount of gain for a 18.2-mile ride. This ride was a challenge for me, maybe even more than I anticipated, but I'm looking forward to my next ride on the BCT. 

Crossing Fish Brook in Lockwood Forest.

(A note regarding the above photos: Although these photos are from my 2011 run, they depict the conditions we encountered on the trail. I felt I was the weak link on this ride, and I did not want to delay the group further by stopping to snap pictures.)

Total distance - 18.2 miles, 28.5 cumulative.

Paved - 2.9 miles, 10.7 cumulative.

Unpaved - 15.3 miles, 17.8 cumulative.

Elevation gain - 1400 feet, 2062 cumulative.

Max grade - 32.8%

High point - Prospect Hill, 268 feet

Towns traversed - Rowley, Georgetown, Boxford

Green spaces visited - Prospect Hill, Dow Brook Reservoir Lands, Linebrook Woods Conservation Area, Willowdate State Forest, Cleveland Farm State Forest, Georgetown-Rowley State Forest, French Family Woodlot, Lockwood Forest

Go to Day 3

Back to Day 1

Biking The Bay Circuit Trail - Northern Terminus to Prospect Hill (Day 1)

It’s been nearly twelve years to the day when I started my journey to run the length of the 230-mile Bay Circuit Trail (BCT). The adventure didn’t go exactly to plan, but I eventually completed the entire trail. Now, here I stand at the northern terminus of the BCT at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, about to attempt my second end-to-end adventure from Newburyport to Kingston. Unlike last time, I will not be traveling by foot, but instead by bicycle. With practically zero mountain biking experience, this will be a challenging ride (also because I don’t own a mountain bike 😳).

The official northern terminus of the Bay Circuit Trail

Overview of route - Red indicates paved, blue is unpaved

There is conflicting information on the BCT website with regards to the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm. The interactive map shows the bike route passing through the farm, but the trail description indicates "bicycles not allowed." I choose to bypass the farm, departing the visitor center parking lot onto Ocean Avenue. It wasn't long before I was passing Tendercrop Farm on busy Route 1A. Tendercrop Farm was once home to the only buffalo on the BCT. Buffy the buffalo passed about four months after I visited her on my 2011 run of the BCT. 

 Buffy is now grazing on the big prairie in the sky (photo from 2011 run)

When I saw a domed house mentioned in the trail guide, I knew it was just a matter of feet before I would turn left into Old Town Hill Reservation. Little's Trail in the reservation would have been ridable even for me but I was on my Trek 7000 with road touring tires and was concerned I could slip when cornering as the trail was covered with dry leaves. I decided to hike-a-bike for the 0.8 miles through the woods. I felt it was good practice for all the future hike-a-bikes I would be doing over the next 200 miles.

The not-so-famous domed house on the BCT

It was dry in Old Town Reservation 

The 35 mph wind gusts slowed my progress as I peddled through the open expanse of the Newbury Salt Marsh and over a bridge spanning the Little River. The salt hay here is harvested year-round and is used as mulch for landscapers and gardeners throughout New England. After crossing Little River a second time, I began the steep climb up Old Town Hill. I was able to ride some of the approach to the summit but had to walk once the grade hit 14%. Once I reached the summit, I rode a short distance on the Ridge Trail before dismounting again for the -22% descent down Switchback Trail. Yes, I was getting really good at this hike-a-bike thing!

Little River and the salt marsh beyond

The only view of the day. Atop Old Town Hill with the town of Newburyport and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.

Coming down Switchback Trail with a blowdown ahead. There was no way around it, so I had to lift my bike over one limb and under the other.

The remainder of the ride was uninspiring to say the least; a 5.5-mile ride on Route 1A south to Prospect Hill in Rowley. At least there was a one-foot-wide shoulder to give me a false sense of safety.

Total distance - 10.3 miles

Paved - 7.8 miles

Unpaved - 2.5 miles

Elevation gain - 662 feet

Max grade - 14.2%

High point - Old Town Hill, 162 feet

Towns traversed - Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley

Green spaces visited - Old Town Hill Reservation

Go to Day 2