2nd Farmer's Daughter

Will & Nigel

I missed the 2017 & 2018 Farmer's Daughter rides because they were scheduled on the same day as the Bloomin' Metric and I try to ride that event every year with my father.  This year, the Bloomin Metric moved to June, thus opening up an opportunity for me to ride the Farmer's Daughter again. 

This year, the ride changed start locations. In the past it started from the Columbia County Fairgrounds and this year it was starting from Crellin Community Park on the north side of Chatham.

It was a mass start on a day that started out cloudy but was supposed to clear up later in the day and warm up a bit, too.

Announcements were made and then we were off

There was a short jaunt on some pavement

And first dirt occurred on an infrequently used section of the Chatham Division of the Rutland Railroad

This line was also called the Corkscrew Division because of the many turns the line had to make

But from Chatham to Brainard the line is pretty straight

and this is probably first time so many cyclists have been on the tail at once

Last winter we visited Will and his family in Spencertown. One of the family activities was to Geocache on this section of the old railroad bed

The first dirt road we encountered on the route was Thomas Road

and then there was this awesome descent down Highland Road

The first rest stop had Pickle Juice!

There was a lot of climbing

and more climbing before lunch

To get to lunch we had to ride singletrack, not Will's favorite

My gravel machine, REI ADV 3.1 aka the Sex Machine

There was an Ice Cream Stop after the big climb up Dean Hill

Here we caught up with Will's friend Nigel

Nigel (l), Will (c), Me (r)

More climbing up Red Rocks Road and the temperature was getting hot

Last time Will and I roade this section of the BeeBee Hill Singletrack he cleaned it

I think the heat was getting to him

It was getting to me because even though I was drinking a lot I still cramped a few times

Cows were making a good show

but with them all laying down like that means some weather is coming

More climbing up to Ooms Pond

Final descent into Chatham

on the other side of Highland Road

I was toast, cramping and hurting at the end of the ride