Bicycle Tour: Otter River State Forest, Day Three

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, I enjoyed a rest day at Otter River State Forest by exploring the area on foot. (For the second day of this tour, see Otter River, Day Two).

I slept well and woke up at 5:00 a.m. It was cold, maybe in the high 40s. There were no bears in the nighttime.

After sleeping some more, in the morning I walked one and a half miles to the Cumberland Farms store in Baldwinville for fruit, snacks, and a sandwich. There are some beautiful old houses along U.S. 202 in Baldwinville.

A beautiful old house in Baldwinville

Otter River State Forest entrance sign

Otter River State Forest entrance road

Ferns growing in Otter River State Forest

Later in the morning I explored the park’s roads and trails. The park was about 10% occupied. Sites in the 70s got a lot of highway noise, and the nearby restrooms were closed.

Pine trees growing in Otter River State Forest

Beaman Pond

Near Beaman Pond, I found a brick patio commemorating the North American Family Campers Association.

North American Family Campters Association brick patio

The Wilder McKenzie Nature Trail, which starts between sites 55 and 56, is a two-mile hike to Lake Dennison, a state park with another campground. I walked about a quarter mile and turned back because I was not a prepared for hiking.

Wilder McKenzie Nature Trail to Lake Dennison

I took a nap from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In the very warm afternoon, I began striking camp, and at about 3:00 p.m. the AMC tour leader found me and told me the tour group had arrived at Group Site B. I finished packing, rode over to the group site, set up my tent, and joined the everyone for dinner.

Conversation included talking about black bears and the bear box at the group site (which we all used); when in the life of a tree does it sequester the most carbon (old trees have the highest rate, and if we stop cutting down old trees, we can avoid 1.5 degrees, although I think we’re beyond that point); new and existing bicycle trails and how long it takes to build one; bad drivers; nip bottles by the road; and advocacy groups like AMC, MassBike, and local advocates in various regions, cities, and towns in New England.

Since I had trouble texting even via satellite, I walked to the parking lot where there was open sky for getting a satellite link.

Everyone went to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. I got up at 2:45 a.m. to use the restroom. Vega was right overhead. Even here there was noticeable light pollution. The park buildings were lit brightly with indiscriminate floodlights.

My phone drained its battery fairly quickly unless I put it into airplane mode. The battery on my watch had the same problem. I depleted one of my 10k power banks.

For the fourth day of this tour, see Otter River State Forest, Day Four.