60 On The Circuit
The last couple weekends Mickey Spades and I have resumed our travels on the Bay Circuit Trail. One Saturday we rode a 40-mile lollipop loop, beginning in Hanson and then looping through Pembroke, Kingston, and Duxbury. The next Saturday we rode “Map 9” through Sherborn and Medfield, which offered 20 miles of almost continuous riding on single and double track—the best riding we’ve found on the BCT yet! Here’s the story of the two rides in eight pictures.
Picture 1: Alton Smith Reserve
This one is of Mickey early in the first ride, cruising through one of the numerous abandoned cranberry bogs that dot the southern end of the Bay Circuit. The riding through here was smooth, easy, and pleasant and the scenery was unexpectedly great. Mickey was also psyched because a fox had just crossed our track as we entered the Alton Smith Reserve, hustling into the bushes when it saw us approaching. It turned out to be the first of several foxes we saw during the ride.
Picture 2: Lady Slippers
Even though we were on bikes, it was hard to miss the Lady Slippers that were out in force along the trail. One of my Mom’s favorite wildflowers, we paused at this patch near Little Sandy Bottom Pond to get a closer look (and couple pics). Mickey even did an Instagram “story” about them that Tim undoubtedly got some amusement from.
A short time later we rode through Tubbs Meadow, an area of old cranberry bogs and ponds. It was one of my favorite sections of the BCT so far. It’s definitely worth an outing.
Picture 3: Mickey Falls
The BCT splits in two just after Tubbs Meadow, with the northern branch snaking through Duxbury and the southern branch circling through Kingston. The two branches meet again at the BCT’s southern terminus at Bay Farm on Duxbury Bay. On our loop, we rode clockwise, riding the northern branch to the bay and looping back on the southern branch.
While we were riding through a very rooty section in Duxbury, Mickey got a little too excited, tried to hop a large log, and took a tumble. It’s so rare for Mickey to have a miscue on the bike that I just had to get a pic. I wisely carried my bike over the obstacle.
Picture 4: The Southern Terminus
A highlight of the 40-mile lollipop ride was reaching the Bay Circuit’s Southern Terminus on Duxbury Bay. About the halfway point of our ride that day, we lounged here for a bit, snacking and rehydrating in preparation for the 20 miles back to the car. The cool breeze was welcome and a couple of toddlers frolicking on the beach provided some humor.
From here, we begin riding back via the BCT’s southern branch. The riding along here wasn’t as well marked and some sections of the trail were not often frequented. Later we got hopelessly lost along a cranberry bog and had to resort to some road riding to get us back on track. At the end of the ride even Mickey was wiped.
Picture 5: Trustees
We started our “Map 9” ride in a small lot off Western Ave in Sherborn. After a couple of minutes riding on side streets, we headed into the woods and spent the next few hours almost entirely on dirt. Near the end of our first hour—after we’d ridden through Brush Hill Reservation, Sherborn Town Forest, and some other woodland—we cruised through a meadow in Rocky Narrow Reservation. Since the side streets, the ride had been almost entirely on solid single track, with Spades even comparing it favorably to Kingdom Trails at several points.
Picture 6: The First Overlook
Not long after the meadow, the BCT climbs a steep, rocky trail that drops of precipitously to rider’s left. While we had to hike-a-bike through here, there’s a couple of awesome overlooks. Spades had me take this pic to be his new profile pic on the dating apps. (While Mickey’s run hot and cold on the viability of the dating apps the last few months, during this ride he was pretty psyched to be receiving messages from a very special somebody he’d just met on Hinge).
Picture 7: The Second Overlook
Soon after the short section of hike-a-bike ended, we started biking again and came across this overlook. Spades was captivated by the remote control airplane flying in the field below (so much so that he’ll probably have another toy the next time I see him). I was captivated by the awesome of view of the Charles River to looker’s right.
Picture 8: Noon Hill Overlook
This was the last hill on the ride and we really had to earn it. Although the riding was moderate, the trail climbed considerably and was rocky enough that you had to pay attention. From the summit, there were great views of Moose Hill, with Gillette Stadium looming in the distance.
From the summit, we followed a techy downhill to 10 more minutes of fun riding before popping out at our car. While that marked the end of our ride, we’re pretty fired up to get out and finish up the trail. Next up is the section of the BCT through Callahan State Park.
By: Doug Martland
