Pedaling With Mickey: A Day on the Bay Circuit Trail
Less than 15 minutes from Mickey’s house and we’re already lost. The directions made this intersection seem easy: exit Borderland State Park on the Rockland Street Trail, turn left onto “Rockland St. for 0.1 miles,” and then take a right onto “a woodland trail.” A Bay Circuit Trail marker, designating the turn from the road into the woods, was supposed to be right there. Unfortunately, it’s not.
After pedaling a lot more than 0.1 miles in both directions, we backtrack and, on second glance, Mickey discovers a path of sorts. It doesn’t really fit the description of a “woodland trail,” but it appears to be our passageway. He stumbles forward, walking his mountain bike over a series of rock walls. I’m following behind, already cursing Mickey’s enthusiasm for this project—scouting the Bay Circuit Trail’s mountain bike-ability.
Pedaling again, it’s clear that we’re on the right track, as we’ve intersected with the power lines that our turn-by-turn directions explain we’ll riding under on and off for portions of today’s ride. The cross-country riding here is fun. But it’s also slow, as we’re trying not to blow by “utility tower 249,” where the BCT exits the power line to the right to a trail through the Fox Mountain Lot.
Despite our caution, we still blow by tower 249. Eventually, we realize our mistake, backtrack (again), and find the trail into Fox Mountain Lot without too much more difficulty. In the Lot, the riding remains confusing, with trails branching off every which way. But at least it’s fun. The forest of towering, mature beech trees that surrounds us is awesome. We cruise along.
A mile later, the trail spills out into a narrow grassy path squeezed between two residences. Mickey proceeds ahead cautiously. I lag behind, hoping that we’re not about to get yelled at for riding through somebody’s backyard (or attacked by the vicious looking dog). Nothing happens and we’re soon following the BCT along a series of side streets in search of the next off-road segment.
Although at this point our navigational miscues have left us far behind Mickey’s ideal pace—5 miles every 30 minutes—we’re getting used to following the BCT’s white blazes and easily find the overgrown entrance to the next wooded trail. The riding here is awkward. It’s also supposedly historic, but with sweat pouring down on this hot July day it’s hard identifying the “overgrown earthen berm” that once served as a cannonball barrier for a nearby foundry. Before we find it, we spill out at Old Pond Dam, a local place where Mickey might once have taken a girl on a date. What’s it say about me that I find Mickey’s soliloquy about this spot just as interesting?
A few side streets later, we’re pulling into Wheaton Farm. Mickey’s been here before too, possibly picking pumpkins when he was younger. I’m psyched that he seems to know the way and let him charge ahead on the farm’s dirt roads and into a wooded conservation area until the search for the “100-year-old cart path” slows us down. After riding in a few directions looking for an associated landmark—Ward’s Pond and Fuller Hammond Reservoir—we find the path and continue. Soon we’re exiting the farm, headed on side streets to reconnect with the power lines.
The power lines prove easy to find, but the area proves surreal. As soon as the houses along the last road fade out of sight, it feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere. Passing some locals who are shooting at targets tacked near the utility poles reinforces the feeling. Some are using rifles. Another has a bow. They’re friendly enough, but it’s not what you’d expect in suburban Massachusetts. Of course, we probably look just as out-of-place to them. Seriously, who’d expect to see a somebody like Mickey, all kitted-up in spandex, pedaling along these power lines?
Finally, the power lines intersect with Route 138, the road that marks our ride’s turnaround point. It’s taken us way longer than expected to cover our route’s 10.5 miles (although in our defense, we’ve probably ridden 15+). Despite our slow pace, Mickey’s still psyched. As we begin to retrace our ride—much faster now that we know the way—he’s bubbling about the new trails he’s discovered, how there’s so much more open space near his home than he knew, and how he’s looking forward to tackling another segment of the BCT. And while I wholeheartedly agree, I’m mostly looking forward to the Crescent Ridge ice-cream that I’ll be ordering on the drive home from Mickey’s house—a large sundae with hot fudge, peanut butter sauce, and Oreo ice-cream. Didn’t I earn it?
