Impromptu Carriage Ride

This week, after the rainstorm had washed away all the snow and before the nor'easter dumped 6 more inches upon us, I decided to make the most of my opportunity and take a quick trip down to Acadia to mountain bike on some of the Carriage Roads there.

57 miles of Carriage Roads (and 17 stone bridges) in Acadia were built by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., between 1913 and 1940 - for hikers, bikers, horseback riders and horse drawn carriages. They have been painstaking laid out to follow the natural contours of the landscape, rather than disturb it, and are carefully maintained to a near pristine condition. Traveling on them by foot, bike, or horse is like taking a step back into a quieter and more genteel time & place. They are truly a delight!

This was my second time riding the Carriage Roads. The first came in August when Johanne and I made the trip for her initial job interviews. I started early in the morning and biked for four and a half hours from Bar Harbor to Northeast Harbor (and back) and barely saw a soul, let alone a car. This time was no different... except for the 50 degree drop in temperature!

I suspect, now that winter finally seems to be taking hold, that this will be my last bike ride in Acadia until April, or May. But, with the way things have been going so far, who knows. I maybe out there again in March. In shorts!