The Essex National Heritage Area includes most of the North Shore and includes all of the historical and environmental sites. Things like Salem, Gloucester, Crane's Beach, the salt marshes, and so on. It's really quite pretty.

The forcast for the day was all over the map during the previous week. Sunny, then pouring rain, then chance of rain, then chance of showers. One thing held constant, and that was the cold. It was cold. Here it is, June, and I think it barely got to 65. It remained overcast all day, but the sun did peak out about twice for a minute or two. But the rain held off until I got on the train back home when it started pouring just as I got to North Station, so rather than ride home in it, I took the Orange Line the rest of the way home.

I took the commuter rail to Beverly, where the ride started. The ride was supposed to start at 9am, but the train didn't get there until 9:03. I rode into the registration area just as the 60 milers were leaving, so the registrar said it would be okay to ride the 60 as I wasn't that far behind. But that still meant I did most of the ride by myself. Maybe it was the rushing around, but I really didn't have the energy I would have liked to, as you can tell by the average speed (although at the end of the ride, it was 15.2, the walk home through the subway brought the average down below 15; it doesn't take much). I got some good speed up after the first 30 miles, but it really didn't last long. My knee started talking to me around mile 62, but it was cold so I really couldn't tell what the story is with that.

This was a very pretty ride, nicely organized although there were two places where there could have been better markings. I don't have many pictures of the route as salt marshes, while quite beautiful in person, don't really photograph that well which goes double since it was so overcast and I still don't have the knack with the new camera. But here they are anyway. Some of the ride was on very small town streets winding around some of the most amazing mansions and estates I've seen outside of Gross Point, MI.

Statisics:

Date:

06-June-04

Type

Road

Miles:

67.10

Time:

4:37:04

Avg:

14.87

Max:

32.8

65.69 miles. There were a few more added on the walk home, but, basically, 100k.