D2G2: Dirty Dover Gravel Grinder, Wassaic Edition

First Dirt on Lambert Road

Will and I decided this year we would ride the 180K D2R2 course and to get ready for it we rode the Wassaic Edition of the Dirty Dover Gravel Grinder, which is 100+ mile course encompassing the dirt roads of Dutchess County, NY and Skiff Mountain in Connecticut.  This course covers most of the original D2G2 course that Will and I road last fall only in the opposite direction.  It also has what I would call some signature climbs that are extremely challenging.

 

I had seen a few tracks on Strava recently, that showed people were riding through on Lambert Road even though most maps show that this road doesn't go through.  Turns out its a seasonally maintained road and since it runs from NY into CT one or the other state doesn't recognize it as a through road. We rode the entire length of it and it's challenging climb, as well.

Once at the top we descended through Macedonia State Park and then back up to the top Skiff Mountain on Fuller Mountain Road, which is paved but it's the best way over to River Road because you guessed it, it's another steep climb.  At the top, Fuller Mountain ends at Skiff Mountain Road which is yet another challenging climb, only in the other direction, and popular with conventional road cyclists.

After bombing down Skiff Mountain Road and hitting speeds of 45 mph we turned down River Road in Kent.  This is a two mile road that parallels bot the Housatonic River and the Appalachian Trail but the please be wary of the hikers because you will see a lot of them on this road.

Turning north on the only road coming off of River Rd is North Kent Road No 1.  It's a loosely maintained gravel road with some incredibly steep sections and that go on and on and on. According to Strava it's a 579' climb at an average grade of 11% for a mile.  It is surely a challenge to be reckoned with in this part of the state.  Due to the lose surface, combined with the steepest sections both Will and I had to walk parts of it!

You come out on the lower section of Skiff Mountain Road and start climbing yet again until you come to Modley Road, which starts at the Sharon Town line, and is dirt.  There is a sign warning of you of a horse and buggy using this road and the three times I have ridden through here, now, I have always seen it.

Westwoods Rd No 2 is a wonderful dirt road that I have never ridden before but have wanted to.  It starts out flat and goes by some wetlands and a pond and then starts to climb again.  Then there is a fast descent into a paved intersection and then you turn north on Westwoods Rd No 1 which quickly turns to dirt again.  

This is a four mile descent down the backside of Skiff Mountain and eventually you wind up back in NY. 

To get back to Amenia and the first food stop at the Cumberland Farms we took the Harlem Valley Rail Trail for a few miles.

We had a lunch at the Cumberland Farms in Amenia which has a full range of food including deli items, perfect to recharge after 36 miles of riding and 1/3 of the course completed.  From here, we headed over to Cascade Road, which is another climb that I have been wanting to ride for some time now but just never figured out how to include it in a ride.  Starting this ride from Wassaic really was key.

Cascade Mountain Road is a nearly 600 foot elevation change over 1.5 miles and an average grade of 8%.  On the other side you descend into some farm lands that open up to a great view of the Catskills to the west.

From here we rode dirt on Pugsley Hill, Fraleigh Hill, and then down Kennels Road where they actually still do Fox Hunting on horseback wearing the whole red coat get up.  Last fall, Will and came across of group coming back from the hunt.

We continued to work our way west towards the Taconic Parkway and most of the route was strangely familiar because we rode it last fall, only in the other direction.  It's funny how you remember some sections and not others, especially the really steep climbs that you bombed down and never gave any thought of what it would be like to ride back up them.  Now, those thoughts were coming in.

By midday it was also noticeably hotter and appeared to be taking it's toll on Will.  After what happened at Greylock and my cramping, I wasn't taking any chances.  I was drinking Poweraide the whole time, every hour having a Slim Jim, and even brought pickles with me.

As we were riding down from Woodstock Road we found that one of the roads on the route wasn't dirt and led into some institute that we ended up by passing and heading down to Rt 44 where we road down to the intersection with Route 82 and found Quik Mart! 

Time to fill up our bottles and recharge with calories for the next 40+ miles to go on the ride.

 

I broke out the pickles and also got a bag of Salt & Vinegar potato chips to ensure I didn't have a electrolyte deficiency.  We were parked in the sun and while it would have been nice to be sitting in the shade the hot sun actually felt good.

Winding our way through Millbrook and picking up the route again, we began a 10 mile climb with another 1000 foot elevation change up to the top of Hammond Hill.  Six to seven miles of this route is dirt but it's not insanely steep so it's one of the those sections where you are JRA on dirt.  The descent down the east side of Hammond Hill is extremely fast and I would recommend not going too fast because there is a hard, 90 degree turn in the middle of one of the really steep descents.  It was scary.

Dropping back down into Dover Plains we hit the last rest/food stop at Rennys to rest and recharge before hitting Butts Hollow.  The initial climb is a 13% wall but it's paved and while it looks steep, its short and easy.  Climbing the Butt is challenging, though, and really long.  When we rode here last we came down through Butts Hollow and climbing back up was a whole new experience.

Butts Hollow spills out back in Mabbettsville and from there we rode along Route 44 a bit with some more fantastic views of the Catskills and then we turned onto Tower Hill Road.

Tower Hill is the Dirt Road from Hell.  In either direction, it's a climb but coming from Route 22 it's a really tough climb.  It still gave us a run for our money because by this point, at 90+ miles, we weren't bonking but thought of yet another 20 more miles was really pushing the needle of my Give-a-Shit meter into the red zone.  I figured we could skip the climb up Dark Hollow and ride back to the Wassaic Train Station and still get 100 miles done for the day.

A train had just rolled into the station as we arrived and since the locomotive was in the New Haven Railroad paint schema I rode up the railtrail to get a picture of it and coincidentally broke 100 miles of riding!  Afterwards, we went to the Four Brothers Pizza Restaurant in Amenia for beers and pizza. I was dismayed when they didn't have Chatham Brewing on tap.  Might have to do a little more research on this area to see if there is a restaurant that has a better beer selection.

All in all, it was a great day of riding and an awesome route to prepare you for 100 miles of riding at D2R2!

D2R2 180K: A Long Day on Dirt

Will and I spent the night before in Amherst because if you are going to spend 10+ hours on a bike you need to get an early start.  We got to the starting point at 6 AM and the sun was still below the horizon but the activity at Mill Village Road was in high gear! 

D2R2 is the biggest and best Gravel Event in the Northeastern United States by my recollection.  But don't take my word for it, here is the testimonial from thousands of riders over the years:

The Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnee was conceived in the 1990's as just a favorite dirt-road loop in the hilltowns of Franklin County, Massachusetts. Since its birth as an organized event in 2005, many have hailed D2R2 as the hardest, most beautiful, most fun, most traffic-free, most unique, and overall best ride that they have ever done.  

And the Date has been set for next year and I already have it on my calendar!

D2R2 - THE DEERFIELD DIRT ROAD RANDONNÉE:  AUGUST 20, 2016

Here is my ride report:

After registering and picking up swag it was time to get to pedaling.  Will and I rolled through the starting gate a little after 6:30 and you couldn't ask for a more perfect morning.  Just warm enough so that arm warmers were unnecessary and not really foggy either.

First Dirt

It seemed for ever until we hit some dirt, however, riding on the pavement made for a nice warm up. With the exception of one big climb up to Steady Lane Farm and the first rest stop, the first 30 miles felt like a gradual climb in elevation.

Along the way we met other groups of riders and rode with them for bit and further in to the course we found others that were more our speed and hung together a bit, too. I met one guy from Brattleboro named Bernd and it turned out that we has originally from Germany. Knowing a little German myself I think I was able to hold a pretty good conversation with him.  We crossed paths many times throughout the entire ride.

The first 30 miles of the 180K is the Honeymoon

Following the first rest stop did it start get really interesting.  We were still climbing gradually into Hawley knowing full well that the first major descent would be E Road. One the reasons Will and I decided to do the 180K Route was because we already road up E Road on the Greylock Gravel Grinder in June and going up that hill once in one year suited me just fine. Descending E Road down into Charlemont was a blast.  I don't think I have ever descended in the dirt that fast before.

Steady Lane Farm

The first signature climb on the 180K route is Harris Mountain Road heading up into Heath from Charlemont. Pedaling up that will was incredible and I felt guilty saying to myself that I was thankful that it was paved.  In some sections the grade hit 19% but it was the sustained length at these extreme grades that made it so painful.  At the top was the second rest stop and we caught up with some of Will's friends from the NYC cycling club that I had met the week prior on my own solo Dirt Century training ride in Dutchess County, NY. 

Heading into Archambo Road

The real fun began with the Archambo Road climb, which is nicknamed The Wall. Although minuscule in terms of elevation the fact it has a max grade of 27% was an eye opener. There was a big group of riders ahead of us and by the time we hit the steepest part it was total debauchery. People were tacking side to side really slowly and others were jumping off their bikes and walking. 

Will salmoned his way through the tackers and walkers and tore up the hill.  I dropped to my lowest gear, scrunched up in the saddle to keep my center of gravity between the wheels and slowly but surely, ground my way up. At various times I was pedaling along side some people walking just as fast. I made it without walking.  Now I need to head back to North Kent Rd No. 1 and try that hill again! 

At the top of Hillman Road

The next big climb was Hillman Road. According to the cue sheet it is purported to be the hardest climb course on 180K and I think I would agree.  Again, Will powered his way up and I did what worked for me and got it done but it was indeed brutal, Some say it's the hardest climb on the 180K course but others contend its Patten Hill.

Will at the border with Vermont

The last climb before lunch is Franklin Hill and it's a climb that I have done before when I did my first D2R2 two years ago. After 50 miles, its the first time you start seeing riders from another course. According to Strava, the first part of the climb tops out with a max grade of 17% but after the switchback, which provides a brief respite in the middle of the hill there is another insanely steep section with a max grade of 19%.  Then, it's a long 6 mile descent down to the Green River Covered Bridge and lunch! 

The lunch line was huge! Apparently, there were individually made wraps which was slowing things down quite a bit.  There were no pickles to be had at this point and the pickle brine jug was almost empty but I did get a cupful which hit the spot.  Next time I bringing my own pickles! You were able to jump ahead to get sodas and other self serve items but if you really wanted a wrap, you had to wait.  

I think it would be been better served if the wraps were made ahead of time and there should have been a separate line for special orders and such. I did run into Andy Engle, who I have crossed paths with before riding around my neck of the woods in Newtown, Roxbury and New Milford, he was on the 180K course, as well and like me had GPS issues later down the road.  There were quite a few people riding today that I knew through various social media venues, including a guy that lives around the corner from me and holds just about all the KOMs in my area.  I think I saw Chris heading out around 6 AM.  I also saw some of the Rad & Gnar riding team from the Vision Quest Gravel Grinder I rode in Eastern Connecticut earlier this year.  They were riding the 100K route. After lunch, there is a really steep climb up from the Covered Bridge and with a full belly and a lot warmer temperatures made for a really slow grind.

The route after lunch took us on a reverse of course of what we rode last year on the 150K and when we turned right onto Simon Keets I was immediately reminded of the descent on that Jeep Trail down to the road in which it was mountain biking 101 where you just have to hang your fourth point of contact off the back of the saddle and roll it.  Only, we passed by and climbed Alexander Road. 

We met up with the group of riders at the covered bridge on Lyonsville Road that passed us right after lunch.  Someone in their group had to change a flat.  We found that nearly all the water that was left was almost gone but if it was out I am sure someone along the road would let us fill our bottles. Will and I drank and ate up knowing full well what lie ahead, the last big climb of the day, Patten Hill Road.

Mike Robinson

The first 100 meters of Patten Hill was newly paved but it was still really steep and the higher you went, the steeper it got, upwards of 13 to 14%.  Looking at Strava it averages out to 8% over the segment distance and while Hillman Road, on average is steeper, Patten Hill is almost twice as long and I can see why some think it's the toughest climb of D2R2.  While I was grinding my way up the hill I recognized Mike Robinson from Bethel, CT with whom I have communicated before through various social media outlets but never face to face.  Of course it had to be on Patten Hill after nearly 100 miles of cycling that we meet!

Scott Misage

What an irony it was to meet two readers of my blog on one the toughest climbs in Massachusetts. At the top of Patten Hill was the last rest stop and the water was cold, the M&Ms were outstanding, I passed on the watermelon due to food allergies but dove into the Pickle Brine! 

After the rest stop the route seemed to follow the reverse of the 100K route from 2013 when I did my first ride at D2R2.  At the bottom of Cooper Lane is when my Garmin died!  No low battery warning this time, it just up and died on me.  I turned on my Strava and continued riding but all of sudden realized that I was riding blind, so to speak.  That's why I always bring the cue sheet, however, without knowing the distance I had to rely on signs and read ahead for the turns.  Fortunately, Will's Garmin was still working and had the route in it.  

I vividly remembered Hawks Hill Road and it was just as rough as it was 3 years ago but with my 700x40c Schwalbe Land Cruiser tires I was still able to bomb through it.  Finally we were on Upper Road and picked up the pace and finished the ride in 12 hours and 12 minutes!  That was a long day on dirt!