Day one September 30, 2026
Debbie and I loaded the car with our gear and bicycles. We are off on another short tour. We drove to Dalton and parked the car at friend Bill’s house. After a short visit, we clip in and ride off to October Mountain Campground. This will be a 20-mile ride; we stop on the way at Lenoxdale at a grocery store and deli. We pick up supplies, lasagna for dinner, breakfast foods, and a sandwich to have for lunch in the chairs in front of the store. We have a wonderful visit with a local woman.
We have 2 miles to the entrance of the campground. We are in no hurry after checking in. We unload our bikes, pick the spots where we will sleep: Debbie in her tent and me in the hammock.
After dinner, I built a fire. We sit in the glow of the flames and watch a preview of this summer’s tour movies. It’s now 8:30 and we’re ready for bed.
Tomorrow is a 35-mile day, maybe 36. We will go into Connecticut for our next campground. It is a beautiful, cool night, perfect for sleeping. I hear an owl in the distance. Now I’m ready to drift off to sleep.
Day two October 1, 2026
It is a cold morning; I step onto the ground, leaving the comfortable hammock. I’m dressed in pants and a down jacket. My breakfast is hard-boiled eggs with bacon, cooked and packed for this tour. Debbie is enjoying warm oatmeal. I finish my coffee and begin breaking camp and loading my bike for a hilly 34-mile day.
As much as I try for an early start, it is 10:33. Off we ride to Austin Hawes Campground on the West Branch Farmington River in Barkhamsted, Connecticut.
It’s not long, maybe five miles, and we are on a long, steep climb. This is the first of several.
We are now on the summit of the last monster climb. The last twelve miles are downhill to a great market and deli; with the help of gravity, we arrive fifteen minutes before the grill closes. We enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, baked foods, and hand-scooped ice cream. Cookies and pastries are leaving with us for breakfast tomorrow morning.
Austin Hawes is a nice campground with large, secluded sites. We sit by the fire and watch the second video of this year’s tour.
Time for bed: I head for the hammock, Debbie to her tent. I drift off to sleep.
Day three October 2, 2026
We are breaking camp at 7:00, it is a damp and cloudy day. The clouds are gone, the sun is here.
We pack and leave, heading back to the deli for breakfast. We order sandwiches to go to eat along the way. We are taking an alternate route back to October Mountain State Park. This is a 36-mile day. Different hills, different views.
One third is moderate climbs, the second third is long, steep climbs, the last third is mostly descending with some screaming downhills. With three miles to the campground, we stop at a BigY for ice cream to power us up the last short, steep grade.
It has been a long, hard day. We arrive around 5:00 and settle into the campsite. First, while it’s light, we set up camp. With a fire burning in the darkness, we eat our sandwiches. It is time for bed. The flames are dying down, and so are we.
Day four October 4, 2026
It is 40° as we get ready to eat and pack up to head back to Dalton, MA. This is a short 16-mile day with a few hard hills. Debbie hopes to get back to her car around noon. We are clipped in and riding. It is a cool day with full sun.
In Dalton, a donut shop is too tempting, so we stop for donuts and coffee with only a handful of miles to the car. We have the time, so why not?
It is noon, and the car is loaded with bikes and gear. We are off to Cummington for lunch at the Creamery.
Back home, I have everything in the house. Debbie gets ready to head home; it is a three-hour drive. I clean the bike and hang my sleeping bag on the clothesline to air out. I shower and settle in to being home again.