It’s Thanksgiving here in Vacationland, and there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that winter is fast approaching and it won’t be long until the snow arrives and buries us for many months. Now you might be wondering what optimist could see any good news in that? I’ll admit that the prospect of motorcycling in Maine is bleak, on the short term. However the good news is that many rural roads in Maine were repaved last summer. Great news in a state infamous for poor secondary road conditions. I don’t know if the money came from the Reinvestment and Recovery Act (putting America in debt) or not. In either case, provided that the winter isn’t too harsh, the new surfaces will make for some great riding next summer and I’m thankful for that.
Here’s one ride that I highly recommend, Winterport to Waldoboro on routes 139 and 220. It snakes through farmland and forests covering a total distance of about 55 miles each way. Much of route 139 got a new surface last summer and the part that didn’t, didn’t need it. Therefore the surfaces are almost ideal. I don’t know when route 220 was last paved, but it too is in great shape.
Like many rural Maine highways, both 220 and 139 are narrow but not so much so to cause a problem. I’d characterize the route as curvy, not twisty, but there are a few 90° turns at intersections that sometimes have some gravel cover, so mind the road conditions. The route starts and ends near sea level and rises to a maximum elevation of almost 800 feet along route 220, but the terrain is gently rolling with only a few steep grades. Hill crests are often blind which can be more than a little disconcerting if you are going a bit too fast. Forested tracks punctuate a journey passing mostly through farmland providing for numerous beautiful country scenes. However for the most part the road demands the full attention of the driver, so unless you’re riding pillion, you may not fully appreciated the scenery along the way.
The best opportunities for food, water and facilities are at the Freshies in Winterport or Moody’s Diner (or other numerous establishments) in Waldoboro. Brooks is probably your best bet for refreshments along the way as the little towns of Monroe and Thorndike have little to offer along these lines. Traffic is generally light and that’s good because there aren’t many good places to overtake. The only intersection of real concern is where routes 220 and 3 cross. Proceed with caution.
Enjoy Thanksgiving and when the effects of a large turkey dinner take control, dream of motorcycling in Maine next summer!

Misfortune Strikes

Well, it’s been a long time since I blogged. Does that make me a bad person? I have come to realize that during the summer, I find it much more fun to go motorcycling in Maine than posting to a blog called Motorcycling in Maine. My goal is to do a better job next summer. However I have a few things to say now.

This past weekend we had some great weather, considering it’s November, and I went for a ride with a few friends. We had a great plan. Our trip would entail a ride from Orono to Waldoboro for lunch at Moody’s Diner. The biggest restriction would be that it now gets dark, and cold, by about 4:30 PM.

We set out on our ride but some of us needed gas, so we stopped in Bangor where we all topped off or tanks. Then we headed down route 1A to Hampden. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature continued to rise. In Hampden, we cut across Kennebec Road to Back Winterport Road and headed south. That let us avoid the construction on 1A and it’s a pleasant road through farm country with little traffic. Very enjoyable! It joins route 139 in Winterport which we took back to 1A. In Frankfort, headed out to Belfast on back roads. We stopped briefly in Swanville to confirm our plans and verify that all was well. The above normal temperatures caused us all to shed layers before we set out for Belfast on route 141. However, we never made it. We really did make it eventually, but not according to plans.

One of our group lagged behind, so we returned to investigate. It turns out that he lost one of the bolts that holds the exhaust pipe to the engine. Dang it! We had no tools and no plan. It took a while before we accomplished anything, and this only happened after a clear-thinking, good Samaritan stopped to offer help. He knew the area and recommend the AutoZone in Belfast, a few miles away. He escorted us there, where we found everything we needed to get the bike back on the road.

The long delay led us to abandon our plans for lunch at Moody’s. Too bad! Two of our group went on to commitments in Rockland. I went on to Belfast with another rider where we grabbed a quick lunch before we headed home. We set out for Brooks on route 7 to Brooks, where we caught route 139 east towards Winterport via Monroe. When we met with Back Winterport Road we retraced our path home.

Though our journey didn’t work out as planned, it still made for an excellent adventure. It also illustrated the point that it would be a good idea to pack along a few tools on day trips. The good news is that the roads were all in good condition and we all returned safely.

A ride to Farmtown

I have a conundrum. Is it better to post when you feel you are over due and not say much, or to hold off until you really have something to talk about. I think I’ll compromise. I’ll post, but keep it short.

On Saturday Burgie and I went west. We have some friends in Farmington, Maine, the weather was spectacular, so we decide to pay them a visit, a pop in. Bright sun, temperatures in the middle 70’s, trees trying hard to pop out their leaves, and just a little breeze. It’s a simple straight shot on US 2, approximately 180 miles round trip. This was our farthest ride by about 50 miles. We are working up to a weekend ride to Quebec City and I’m beginning to believe we will be able to pull it off.

I’ve reported on road conditions on US 2 out as far as Skowhegan. From there to Farmington the road is in great condition and as long as you don’t wind up behind a logging truck it’s easy going. We had a tasty lunch at Java Joe’s on Main Street in Farmington before the pop in. After a pleasant visit we headed home. As I entered Norridgewock and looked in the mirror, Burgie was nowhere to be seen. Yikes! That isn’t what I really said, I was a bit more explicit. I pulled a U-turn as quickly as I could and went looking for her. She was about a half mile back at an ice cream store fastening the strap on her helmet. Turns out she forgot about the strap as we left Farmtown. I think this finally pushed me over the edge. She might get a set of Cardo Scala Rider 4 bluetooth headsets for Mother’s Day. I definitely see the benefit of better communication during long rides, as long as conversation isn’t taken to an extreme. If she gets them, I’ll report on their effectiveness in a later post.

The remainder of the trip was uneventful. We had a coffee at the Tim Horton’s in Newport where we met Jim from Dexter, a rider of about 40 years and a member of the United Bikers of Maine. He admired my Shadow and expounded on the benefits of UBM. Although there are some good things that come out of that group, it’s going to take a better sales pitch before I join. The only other thing of note was that fact that I was tired as we approached the end of the ride and I was getting a little absent minded. That isn’t much fun, and I’ll try to be better rested before the next long ride.

Easter Weekend Rides

The ridiculously warm temperatures continue. Temperatures were summer-like, or at least like late May in Maine topping out in the lower 70’s on Saturday April 3. It felt very strange to have these temperatures with very little green to be seen. Only the grass is greening up and there are a few flowers.
Yesterday my soul mate, riding partner and wife (if you didn’t get that, she's all one person) went for a ride. We headed west out of Bangor on US Route 2 all the way to Skowhegan, then turned south on Route 201, went east on Route 139 out of Fairfield, and finally picked up Route 202 in Unity which we took back to Bangor for a total of about 120 miles.
We had coffee and a donut at Tim Hortons in Skowhegan to break up the ride. I can confirm that the apple fritter was delicious. As my readers already know, I am not a very experienced motorcyclist, but Burgie (nickname for reasons that will become obvious later in this blog) has even less time in the saddle. When we ride, I worry. Probably more than I should. I spend a lot of time looking in my mirrors, but today I found that my glances per minute diminished as the ride continued. I almost forgot about her during the last quarter of the ride. It could be that I was tired, but I hope that it was because I had become more confident in her abilities.

Now I would like to report on the quality of the various roads we traversed. Keep in mind that these grades are relative to Maine highways, not highways in other parts of the country. If you visit Maine, particularly in the spring, you’ll see what I mean. I’ll go by sections, as road quality varied greatly. Section 1, Bangor to Herman on Route 2. I’d give this section a B+. It was pretty solid with few areas of concern. Section 2, Hermon to Newport on Route 2, C-. This section was pretty bad. Watch for cracks and potholes in this section. There isn’t much of a shoulder at all. Be careful. Section 3, Newport to Skowhegan on Route 2, A-. This was the best stretch by far. Much of this segment should be rated A, with wide, smooth road surfaces and broad shoulders. However, there are a few short stretches with minor issues. Section 4, Skowhegan to Fairfield on Route 201, B. I enjoyed the wide road surfaces and generous shoulders, but winter has taken it’s toll and there are some pot holes. Section 5, Fairfield to Unity on Route 139, D. Avoid this section of road. Enough said. Section 6, Unity to Bangor on Route 202, B+. This road is a joy with plenty of hills and valleys. The road is wide, and for the most part the surface is smooth. It’s a great alternative to taking I-95, much more interesting.

Easter Sunday set record high temperatures, shattering the old record. The thermometer crested out at 77°F. This is an absolutely unbelievable temperature for early April in central Maine. The vegetation is easily two weeks ahead of schedule.
Today Burgie and I went for a 50 mile ride, south out of Bangor on Route 1A, though Hamden, Winterport and Frankfort, to Prospect where we turned east on route 174. When we reached the Penobscot River we visited Fort Knox, no not the one with the gold, the other one. Henry Knox was a revolutionary war general, and a dang good one at that. Good enough that they named a couple of forts after him. I’m pretty sure that artillery was his thing, but this is a good example of why you should take information found on the internet with a grain of salt. I am sure that road was good, no reason to complain.
Why would Fort Knox, with all of it’s cannon be perched on banks of the Penobscot River. It turns out that in about 1839 Maine had a border dispute with Canada, which time was a part of Britain. The good citizens of central Maine envisioned the British Navy sailing up the Penobscot to sack Bangor. So in 1844 they set out to build a fort to prohibit that from happening. The dispute was settled before the fort was finished so it sat uncompleted. Then the Civil War broke out and the good citizens of Bangor envisioned the Confederate Navy sailing up the Penobscot to sack their fair city. By the time it was completed, engineers had discovered how to rifle cannons barrels to improve their accuracy and effectiveness and the Civil War was over anyway. The beautiful fort, built of Mt Waldo granite, was rendered obsolete. However it still makes for a great state park, a wonderful place for a picnic or the destination of a motorcycle ride.
We crossed the Penobscot Narrows bridge to Bucksport where I treated Burgie to a senior coffee at McDonalds. Burgie complains that all she ever gets on our excursions is a senior coffee. Sometime I’ll have to spring for a happy meal or something.
We returned to Bangor via Orrington and Brewer on route 15. Also a good road but there are a few spots where Old Man Winter took his toll. Are Mother Nature and Old Man Winter an item? For some unknown reason I enjoy the ride from Buckport to Brewer much more than the opposite direction, Brewer to Bucksport. Burgie agrees. That seems kind of strange, why would that be?

A spring ride to Kenduskeag

Well, the above average temperatures have continued for another week. Instead of highs in the 40’s they’ve been in the 50’s and 60‘s, but unfortunately it looks like things are back to normal for the next week or so. The other day I took the back roads out to Kenduskeag, a small town that is most famous for the canoe race held every April. The road that crosses the bridge splits into three roads on the west side. The southern one, Kenduskeag Road, goes to Levant. About a quarter mile down this road is a small cemetery on a low hill.

I’ve enjoyed visiting cemeteries ever since I was in high school and discovered the grave of John McTammany, inventor of the player piano. The Kunduskeag cemetery is similar to many old village cemeteries in Maine. A short iron fence with small gates separates it from the road. A large civil war era cannon stands guard. Many graves date to the nineteenth century, and some are more recent. Most of the older tombstones are made of marble and slate. Marble is largely composed of the mineral calcite which is soluble in dilute acid, and they have not held up well in the New England rain. Some names and dates have literally dissolved away. Slate tombstones look much like they did when they were first put in the ground, except for the lichens that now decorate them.

The stone carver who did the slate tombstones was highly skilled, many of them are exquisite. As tombstones are locally carved today, I assume he was also from the area. Names, birthdays, loved ones and so on are dutifully recored. Some have decorative carvings, and weeping willow trees are a pattern common to many. An urn is included with the willow trees on some headstones. I can’t say that had ever noticed this pattern before.

A little searching on the internet turned up some useful information. The weeping willow tree was one of the most popular headstone images of the nineteenth century up until about 1860. A willow tree indicates the extreme mourning and sadness of those left behind. An explanation for the urn and willow ties it to Greek mythology. The urn was to hold the ashes of the dead, and the willow was the symbol of Underworld goddesses, like Persephone. Finally the willow is the symbol or unrequited love, as in the bluegrass standard “Bury Me Beneath the Willow”. I’m afraid that if any of these explanations applies to these headstones is now lost to history.
In the meantime, slow down a little, stay alert and enjoy the ride.

As it’s been almost three months since my last contribution, it’s time for a new blog! I pretty much forgot what to do! There hasn’t been much to write about during the long, cold, Maine winter. I guess I really didn’t choose a good time to start a blog called Motorcycling in Maine.
For the last month or so, we’ve been getting quite a few abnormally warm days where riding is possible, and I’ve be out a half dozen times or so. It’s not summer riding, but it’s riding. Some days the temperatures have been in the upper forties, so I was able to ride once in January, three times in February, and a handful of times in March.
I was still able to improve my riding skills in spite of frigid temperatures and falling snow. As a relatively new rider I have plenty of room for improvement. You might ask how did I do it? Well, I’ve discovered some extremely useful literature that I heartily recommend. David L. Hough has written a number of books that I believe all riders should read. I’ve read two of his books; Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well and More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride. I bought my copies at the Borders in Bangor, and I’ve seen Proficient Motorcycling at Stanley Scooters in Trenton. Both books are about a lot more than just motorcycle safety. Proficient Motorcycling starts with crash statistics and things you can do to minimize your chances of becoming involved in a crash. He goes on to discuss how motorcycles work, why they handle the way they do, and how counter steering works. Some of this is a little heavy and I have to admit that I had to read it several times to really comprehend it. Hough goes on to discuss other diverse topics including how to avoid heat exhaustion and hypothermia (perhaps a more useful chapter for those of us in Maine). What I found most useful in both books were the chapters dealing with road hazards and defensive driving strategies, including extensive discussions about efficient cornering. I encourage you to pick up either or both of these books and spend some quality time reading, then go out and practice what you’ve learned.
Today I was able to get out for a little longer ride as the temperatures pushed 50°F. I went from Veazie to Hermon, down Horseback Road. It’s built on top of a geological feature called an esker. Eskers form from meltwater rivers beneath glaciers, that deposit sand and gravel. This long winding ridge, with adjacent farmland, provided great views and is a fun ride.
There were two real concerns on the ride; potholes and frost heaves. Most readers are familiar with potholes. These deep holes form rapidly due to the action of traffic and the daily freeze-thaw cycle at this time of year. The good news is that if you are paying attention, they’re relatively easy to spot and avoid. Frost heaves are much worse and can really jar you if you go over them too fast. They are toughs or ridges in the road related to the differential thawing of frost in the ground and often occur in shaded areas. With no leaves, the shadows of the tree trunks form lines on the pavement, often parallel to the frost heaves, making them nearly invisible. The good news is that road crews will eventually fill the potholes, and the frost heaves will disappear when the ground fully thaws. In the meantime, slow down a little, stay alert and enjoy the ride.