Berkshire Cycling Classic Cyclosportif: 100K Route

64 miles          Challenging         Paved Roads

Start: Lenox
Towns: Lenox, Stockbridge, Lee, Tyringham, Monterey, New Marlboro, Sheffield, Egremont, Alford, West Stockbridge






View to south from behind Tanglewood

Wind intimidates me. I don't like even to listen to it from snug inside my house. Don't like it when I'm hiking outside, or gardening, or cycling. Duly noted. Today I didn't actively dislike it, tried to note it and then let it go, but struggled with it almost the entire route of the 100K Berkshire Cyclosportif, coming up on May 6. The weather reporters tell me it was a fairly steady 20mph; I only know that I was working pretty hard to hold a cadence of 70 and it was energy-sapping.





South County landscape

The route itself is fabulous, very beautiful virtually all the time. It rolls from Lenox south, winding around the smaller towns of southern Berkshire County, passing through varied geography and offering the rider a fair sampling of the rural southern Berkshires. This is pretty terrain, frequently fairly manicured, in a prosperous New England kind of way. Further north, and in the hilltowns, there are wilder, less developed parts of the county, but this is the best known area.

Lenox, the start of the route, is home to Tanglewood, summer residence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which plays a big role in driving our tourist-based economy. Though it is  the most prominent of many cultural institutions in the area, there are many more,  mostly seasonal, and the economy and population are radically different summer to winter. Right now towns and roads are still quiet, and will be until June.

View of Stockbridge Bowl from near end of ride

After passing through Stockbridge, where there are plenty of stops for food or water, the route follows the beautiful Tyringham Valley before turning south and climbing over the hill to Monterey. There is a busy section of road on Rt. 23, but it isn't long, and I quickly turned south on Corashire Road, a beautiful short link to Route 57. From there it travels west to Sheffield, before turning back north on Route 41. It is generally flat and rural most of the way, with the only two real climbs: the first  between Tyringham and Monterey, and the second at the very end, from West Stockbridge into Lenox. That one goes past two Berkshire Natural Resources Council properties. You'll see if you click the route map below.

Old barn

In the end I finished with plenty of time to spare, and a new, more specific, goal for the May 6 event. Oh yes, when I learned about the 7-hour time limit to successfully complete the course, I changed my registration from the 138K to the 100K. There is no possibility that I will ride the 138K within that time limit. The 100K, about 64 miles, about 3700 feet climbing is doable for me. Perhaps more gracefully if there's less wind on the day of the event.

Shadbush is blooming, spring is here

Sportif or not, this route is another good addition to my list of County rides, one that I will be glad to ride again. To see a map of the route and cuesheet, click here to visit Ride with GPS.



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Berkshire Cycling Classic Cyclosportif: a ride on and off the route

55 miles         Challenging        Paved Roads

Start: Lee

Towns: Lee, Tyringham, Monterey, New Marlboro, Otis


 

Tyringham Valley

Today my car needed some work done, so I left it at Chuck Larson's shop, Larson Automotive. If you're visiting for the cyclosportif and for some reason need an auto mechanic, there's my suggestion. He's fabulous. But I digress. I mention that because  I rode south from there, using parts of the upcoming cyclosportif route. I'll tell you where I was on, and off, that route. As I understand it, the route includes a few sections of  roads that I have never ridden, and I wanted to try them. Today's discoveries were lovely rural roads perfect for cycling.

Tyringham Cobble

After leaving busy Route 20 and 102, my route first took me up pretty Tyringham Valley, which both the 100K and 138K will use. Immediately to the south  of the village itself is Tyringham Cobble, a Trustees of Reservations property, whose 2-mile hiking trail loops to the summit, with its spectacular views of the valley, then returns to the parking lot. The Trustees are a Massachusetts land conservancy organization, with beautiful sites all across the state. If you're visiting look for their properties. The road surface was good in Tyringham, less so in South Lee.

Lake Garfield in Monterey

I decided to follow the 100K route, turning south towards Monterey on Tyringham- Monterey Road, where the 138K continues straight. As best I remember, the road climbs for about 600 feet. I have ridden the other direction too, straight ahead on Tyringham Road. Both routes climb; my sense is that the 138K route is steeper, though I'm not sure. Today I'll return that way. But if you are following the 100K route, when you see the sign "Lake Garfield Watershed," you're at the top.




In Monterey, a pretty village, the route turns right onto Rt. 23 for several miles. There is occasionally a bit of shoulder, not much, on Rt. 23. This can be a busy road, particularly in the summer, when our seasonal residents have returned. Probably in early May it will be fairly quiet. Within less than 3 miles the cyclosportif route turns south onto Corashire  Road and so did I.

Corashire Road

New to me, Corashire was a pretty, if short, section of the ride. It descends gradually from Route 23 to Route 57, linking these two major east-west thoroughfares. But keep in mind, a major road here might be far quieter than in more developed parts of the US. To those of us accustomed to March in this part of the world something is missing in this photo: maple syrup buckets. The winter has been so abnormally warm that there has been essentially no syrup season.






 

Intersection of County and GB-Mill River Road

A couple quick turns brought me to Great Barrington-Mill River Road. At the intersection with County Road I left the cyclosportif route (or at least my understanding of it.) I believe the route, which both the shorter and longer versions will ride, follows County Road, either going straight, or bearing right, depending on how you think about it. But I wanted to continue south to Mill River, so I took the left fork. From Mill River I continued to Southfield, where I turned back north to Rt.57 east, which I rode last week (for details in the proper direction see the post Route 57.) This put me back on the 138K route, although riding in the opposite direction. See Route 57 post for a description of the ride in the proper direction.

Farmington River next to Route 8

After crossing Rt. 57 from west to east, with (in this direction) a delightful long descent, I turned north on Rt. 8 to Cold Spring Rd. The 138K ride will use this road but travelling south on Rt. 8. The road follows the Farmington River, but riding it today was a drag, because the road was milled in preparation for resurfacing. However, the new surface should make a good ride in May, and the ride in that direction is a long gentle downhill.









 

Fence

I turned left onto Cold Spring Road, which I've never ridden before. It was pretty, very rural, with virtually no traffic. Next to the road was the oddest fence I've ever seen, made of sections that looked like mattress innersprings, but shorter. The fence was long, looked old, and I wondered about its history.

Beaver lodge.

The road is flat on the top, higher than both Rt. 8 and Rt. 23, which it links, and passes through extensive swampland, created by the beaver population. For the first time ever, I saw one sunning itself, I guess, on top of a smallish lodge. If you look very carefully you'll see it. Today there were a pair of common mergansers swimming nearby on the beaver pond. This is also good moose habitat, I see them from time to time.

Before descending to Rt. 23, I passed Lower Spectacle Pond, a lovely small lake that Mass Audubon was key to protecting. The acres protected around the pond contain rare old growth forest, particularly hemlock, some of which is said to predate European settlers arrival.

Lower Spectacle Pond

Descending to Rt. 23, I turned left, then immediately right onto Tyringham-Monterey Road, still following the 138K route backwards. Throughout the Berkshires, and on today's ride, road surface quality varies greatly from town to town. When you see a sign marking town boundaries, watch for changes in the road surfaces. This part of the route has a great hill, which today I was riding down, and the road surface was smooth and fast. It was fun, partly because I more frequently ride up this hill.  I continued straight back down the Tyringham valley, retracing my pedals.

Cold Spring Road

My brand new bike computer records altitude and temperature, as well as cadence, distance, etc. It confirmed that it was cold, which my numb fingers had told me, particularly at the start of the day...30F. We have had a stretch of very warm weather, and somehow I no longer expect it to be cold, though it usually is this time of year. By May, it should be considerably warmer, with trees and bushes in bloom. I finished the ride back at Larson's, with an even 55 miles and 4283 feet of climbing. All in all, this is a good addition to my collection of Berkshires cycling routes.





Other Berkshire Classic Cyclosportif posts include:

• Route 57
• Berkshire Classic Cyclosportif 
• 100K Route

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Berkshire Cycling: Around Beartown State Forest

31 miles Paved and dirt roads
Towns: Lee, Tyringham, Otis, Monterey, Great Barrington, Stockbridge,

Parking: Rt. 102 and Tyringham Rd., Lee

The wide Tyringham Valley

There were two reasons I chose to ride this route: to see what Tyringham Road offers after it passes my usual turn to Monterey, and predictably, to ride down Blue Hill Road, one of the most enjoyable descents in this part of the Berkshires. The route is mostly a pretty ride, provided some nice climbing and a gorgeous descent, with a few sections of highway and enough traffic to prove that it is summer in the Berkshires and Tanglewood has opened. There are many reasons to visit here, cultural as well as the beautiful natural world, but Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home, drives the number of visitors.

Which direction are those horses going?

From Lee, I rode out Tyringham Road, a long, pretty valley, with open fields, surrounding ridges, some remaining old farm houses, and a number of horses. The signs on the road reminded me of my friend Larry. “Horse back riding on road.” Guess they don’t know which direction the people on horseback will be going. See his blog birds and words for more great signs.  

Appalachian Trail hiker

Close to the village of Tyringham I met a hiker who began in May at the south end of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, and is hiking through to Maine. We were just below Tyringham Cobble, first protected in the 1930s, and in the 1960s donated to the Trustees of Reservations. Its two miles of trail link with the AT, and provide stunningly beautiful views of the valley. I’ve found wild asparagus growing in the field on the top, left I think, from the Shakers who once lived here. A great walk.

 

The road climbs up into Otis, with some typical Berkshires high swamps, then continues bearing south until it ends at Rt. 23 in Monterey.  Once there, I turned west, towards Monterey, and passed the sign for Bob’s Way, another Berkshire Natural Resources Council property. I’ve heard it’s about 2-1/2 miles of nice looped walking, but haven’t yet hiked it. 

High swampland on the Otis border

Turning right onto Hupi Road, the surface is dirt, the road is  quiet and provides a few views of Lake Garfield from above. At the intersection with Monterey Road, I turned left  went back to Rt. 23 in the village of Monterey, but you could continue straight on Hupi and avoid more of busy Rt. 23.

Lake Garfield from Hupi Road

Before too long a right again took me onto Blue Hill Road, the second main reason I’m here today. This was a fine ride, up for a bit, then down to intersect with Monument Valley Road and Route 7.  Its curving downhills were sometimes fast and reminded me of riding in France. It was fun. I guess it was such fun that I didn’t stop to take photos. The quiet sections of the trip made it well worth the traffic on the two ends, Rts. 23 and Rt. 7.

 

Monument Mountain

At Rt. 7 I turned north, just under Monument Mountain, another Trustees of Reservation property.  Trustees are a big, effective player in land preservation in our area. I have hiked up that mountain many times and it is either a steep rocky climb up with a gentle, wide path descent … or vice versa.

Follow Rt. 7 through busy Stockbridge to Rt. 102 and back to South Lee.

Roads: From Rt. 102 in Lee, Tyringham Road to Rt. 23, to Blue Hill Road, which intersects with Monument Valley Rd to Rt. 7 north. Follow it to Rt. 102 back to Lee. Click here for Map My Ride link to this route, it will have cue sheets, map and climb info.

BERKSHIRE COUNTY RIDES LIST

Berkshire Cycling: South Lee Loop 1 (part 2)

The road starts an easy climb up at and I quickly reach Fernside, on the side of Mt. Horeb. This was once a Shaker colony, dating I think from 1792.  The views down to the Tyringham valley are beautiful. The valley below is wide, long, straight and home to several beautiful farms many quite old. Its road is a good ride in its own right. It is always difficult for me to decide which route to take, the high road or the low road. If you’re looking for a shorter ride, take both: go one direction to Monterey Road and then return the other direction.

Where Jerusalem Road bears left and McCarty Road goes off almost straight, I could follow Jerusalem down to Tyringham Cobble, a Trustees of Reservations property that offers some of the best walking, and most beautiful views, in this part of the county. But my map shows that I can continue straight on McCarty to reach Monterey Road. It is a pleasant ride, past pastures between areas of woods, with no traffic. When I reach Monterey Road I turn right, heading south, and the road climbs up, its surface wider and smoother until reaching Monterey. The descent is fun, with protected land to my right. It is fast and chilly enough that I zip up my jacket and put my headband back on. And I remember about last Thursday, which I spent indoors at work, with sunny blue skies, only the mildest of breezes and 70 degree temperatures outside. Why is it always like that? How often do you hear someone say: “All week I worked inside while it was grey, cold and rainy outside only to get to my time off and have the weather blue, gorgeous and wonderful?” It doesn’t happen.

Before reaching Lake Garfield I noticed a sign to the Bidwell House Museum, but didn’t follow it today. I had thought it was located elsewhere in Monterey, and am intrigued, but rain threatens, and I don’t take the time. There is a flock of Canada geese on Lake Garfield, and some gulls. On the beach, I read a sign telling me that “Water rights purchased and given to the town of Monterey by the summer and town’s people 1913.”  I am sure that everyone in town has been eternally grateful for this clear, long-sighted thinking. It is a beautiful resource and always crowded when I ride by in warmer weather. Shortly past the lake, I reach Rt. 23 and turn right, west, and ride past the Monterey General Store, town hall and United Church of Christ. Rt. 23 is a decent road, but there is no shoulder at all to speak of. This time of the year there is not much traffic, but it could be quite busy in July or August.

 

 At about 12 miles, I turn back north (right) on Blue Hill Road towards Beartown State Forest. It goes uphill, providing good riding. Soon I turn right again on Beartown Rd. This state forest protects about 11,000 acres, and is the third largest in Massachusetts, with a campground and hiking trails. The road surface on this side of the park is good, there is no traffic and I stop for a few minutes at Benedict Pond. The pond is pretty, about 40 acres in size, with the hills beyond it showing off the colors of the oaks. There are a few people around, hiking on the roads and trails. I’ve heard many chickadees, seen crows, juncos, bluejays, cardinals, those geese and gulls on the lake, and unnamed sparrows. It is late fall here, and the chipmunks are busy storing food for the winter before they dig deep into the earth to hibernate. Most every rustling noise that I hear is made by a chipmunk.

The road surface on the descent into Lee is very broken up. I am a cautious rider, and wouldn’t want to hit that section of road fast. But, like most descents, it is fun. The ride remains pretty, following a beautiful, bigger stream down into the valley. I am quickly back in South Lee, and just as it starts raining I am back in my car headed north.  

Click here to see the route, with map, cue sheet and climbing details, on Map My Ride.

Berkshire Rides List

Berkshire Cycling: South Lee Loop 1 (part 1)

24 miles                Paved and Dirt
Towns: South Lee, Tyringham, Monterey, Great Barrington

Parking: Post Office or Park, South Lee

Housatonic River

This is a pretty ride, probably would be at any time of the year, with little traffic. It starts at Meadow Street and Rt. 102, where Meadow Street turns off to the east, crossing the Housatonic River. The bridge was built in 1954 and  offers good views downriver. When my friend Larry visits, he knows that he can announce with confidence virtually every river he sees in our part of the Berkshires, no matter how geographically improbable it seems, as the Housatonic. It doesn’t matter whether the water is flowing north, south, east or west. The river starts at Muddy Pond, in my town of Washington, flows north to Dalton; then west to Pittsfield: then south, and meanders its way to Connecticut. It’s frequently pretty, especially where General Electric and its PCBs haven’t been near.  

Past Oak and Spruce Resort (don’t look left or right, just ride through it) Meadow Street is quiet, sometimes in the woods, sometimes between open fields. At about 1-1/2 miles I turned right onto Fernside. After a bit the surface becomes hard gravel. The oaks in the forest are holding their color, a rich, reddish- or orangish-brown, depending on the variety. Their color, leaf shape and bark announce several varieties. I think they may be red oak, black oak, white oak and perhaps chestnut oak. There are a lot more oaks here than in my home woods, only about 10 miles northeast as the crow flies. Some people say the oaks never flourished there, that the glacier, higher altitudes and subsequent colder temperatures made a dividing line. Other people say that the oaks were all cut for ties when the Boston – Chicago rail line was built through town, and that they never regrew. In any case, I have never seen a mature oak in the woods near home; it is a beech-birch-maple forest with hemlock stands in cold areas.

After the droughty summer, the recent rains have filled the streams coming down the side of the hill to my right, and they are moving quickly now.  On the forest floor the Christmas ferns are evident, growing in healthy stands. Named Christmas fern because their leathery fronds are evergreen, they grow in rocky, shaded, moist, woods and are fun to watch until winter snows bury them. Less happily, there are large stands of coltsfoot at the edge of the road, a plant brought to this country as a medicinal herb by English colonists. It may be a good medicinal, but it drives out native plants, dominating the area where it grows. Soon I cross the Appalachian Trail, which comes from Maine, entering the county in Clarksburg, just east of Williamstown, and continuing south until it exits Massachusetts in Mount Washington, on its way to Georgia.

I pass a wooden trough that offers water to the passing public. There is no sign, but I imagine that it is potable water, something that in our litigious society no one would ever say, must less write. In the photo you can (barely) see the springhouse at the top, and if you look carefully you’ll see the beer can discarded next to the bucket. What kind of person throws away cans, bottles, other garbage? And why is it so frequent in our culture? I could guess: someone in a car, drinking, who knows it’s dangerous and illegal, so gets rid of the evidence. And, why then, do I see Vitamin Water bottles littered on the side of the road? I don’t imagine cyclists or hikers throwing them away; perhaps I am wrong, but even my cynical self hopes not.  And why do I see cigarette packages? And fast food packaging? How stupidly unnecessary is this? Why don’t we as a culture respect and take care of our surroundings? In any case, it’s a sad juxtaposition, the fresh, clear water and the discarded, empty aluminum can.

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