Saturday the
Baltimore Bicycling Club (BCC) hosted
an unsupported version of the
MontgomeryCounty Farm Tour (and picnic) that Potomac Pedalers puts on in September. I
had missed the ride in September so I made it a point to make it this time. And
a great time it was.
The weather was uncharacteristically warm and sunny, so
the riding was especially pleasant out in
MontgomeryCounty’s Agricultural Reserve. Leaves are just starting to turn and you can
smell the smoke of fireplaces and brush piles as you roll along the rural roads
past horse and dairy farms, around the base of
Sugarloaf Mountain, right past the
winery at its base, filled this weekend with the
hoi polloi sipping wine in the autumn air. A really special opportunity, given that it’s only
about forty minutes from the DC line.
I did the 55 mile route, though 75
and 35 mile variants were also available. BCC seems to have a lot of tandem
riders, and they were out in force on Saturday. I'm not entirely sure why any able bodied person would want to ride such a contraption, but to each their own, I guess. I suppose it helps husbands and wives avoid the inevitable grumbling. I can't help but think that the site of my ass cleavage would overcome any perceived advantage The Managing Partner might derive from going the same speed all day, but again, who am I to say?
There were opportunities for
rest stops at
Homestead Farm in
Poolesville and
Kingsbury’s Orchard
in Dickerson, Md., both of which had shelves brimming with freshly picked fruit
straight out of the trees. Apples always taste best at mile fifty.
Now
the hurricane
is blowing in and it’s time to hide down in the root cellar for a couple of days
before coming up to survey the devastation. Keep your heads down and stay safe.
