Exploring on the Fargo

December 11, 2011

For the first weekend in a while it actually felt like December.  We’ve been lucky lately and have had temps in the 50’s and even 60’s for several weekends now.  This week has brought back reality though.  Heavy rains on Wednesday has led to very wet trails.  I can attest to the fact that not only is there a lot of water in the woods right now, but some of it is crazy deep.
On our Thursday night ride I took a very unfortunate tumble into a very deep “puddle” only 8 minutes into our ride.  I basically ended up soaking both my feet and pretty much all of my left side.  Freestyle was kind enough to lend me a new glove for my left hand and we did manage to get in 80 minutes of riding.  I was pretty cold and miserable by the time we got back to Paul’s house though.
Saturday I went out for another Fargo exploration ride and again ended up getting soaked when crossing a small amount of water on some powerlines.  The puddle I was attempting to cross was maybe 3 feet across, but it was well over 2 feet deep.  I was walking across a snowmobile bridge that had seen better days and just as I got to the end and was about to leap the final few inches to dry land, the whole thing submerged and I ended up standing in water up to mid-thigh.
I continued that ride for another 45-50 minutes before calling it a day.  I wasn’t having much luck on this exploration ride anyways.  The woods off Sanborn Rd were disgustingly wet and the above soaking incident just added to feet and tights that were soaked anyways.  Thank God for wool socks!

My Salsa Fargo

So finally Sunday I went out again for another Fargo Exploration ride.  This time the goal was to explore snowmobile trails towards Tooky.  I was curious to see what I could link together out that way and how far I could get without riding too much pavement.
I like doing these types of rides this time of year.  I’m not trying to do any specific training and I just want to get out and find new stuff.  Using the Salsa Fargo allows me to link together pavement, trails and anything in between.  It’s a nice change of pace.
I had some luck today.  My first try at a new trail looked promising by eventually ended at the backside of the Contoocook Creamery.  I am pretty positive that there are snowmobile trails here in the winter, but crossing over frozen cow fields with no snow cover was not my idea of fun.

New trails was the idea for today.

The next section I explored further down Dustin Road ended at a pond in the middle of the woods.  This is very common on NH snowmobile trails.  You can easily cross in the winter, but no such luck when it isn’t frozen.

The trail dead ended at a pond.

I then headed over to “downtown” Tooky proper and went up Pine St.  I had an idea of some trails over there that I wanted to check out.  I have passed them dozens of times on the road bike, but finally got out this way with the Fargo.
Turns out it hooks right up with an abandoned railroad bed and heads towards Route 202 and Elm Brook Park.

Old railbed. I never knew this was here.

By the time I hit the end of this section it was time to start heading home.  I did not bring enough food for an all day adventure.  Though Mia made some mini cranberry breads Sunday morning and I had taken one of those with me.  It beats the heck out of your typical biking food!  Thanks Mia!!!

This beats normal biking food!

When I hit the end of the railbed I could have kept going straight, which I definitely intend to do one of these days, but it was now time to start heading back.  I did have to stop and take one last shot of this covered bridge.  This is one of the things I like about living in New England.

Covered Bridge near Elm Brook Park.

I ended up with only one of three trails leading some place worthwhile.  It’s always fun to go exploring though.  Hopefully I can get in a few more of these rides before the snow really starts to fly.
The other big bonus of today’s ride was that I actually stayed dry.  It probably helped that most of the water was frozen today.
Thanks for reading.

-Pete