Bicycle Tour: Otter River, Day One

On Thursday, May 30, 2024, I rode the first segment of a tour to Otter River State Park, where I planned to camp with fellow members of the Appalachian Mountain Club from the Worcester area.

I left my house at 12:20 p.m. and arrived at Spacious Skies Minute Man Campground near Littleton, Massachusetts, at 3:50 p.m., taking three and a half hours to ride 31.76 miles. Since I had printed cue sheets and was careful to follow them, I didn’t make any wrong turns on this trip, unlike on my ride to this campground on May 19. The route I had planned was nearly identical to the Boston Spur of the Adventure Cycling Association Atlantic Coast Bicycle Route, Map #1. Because of recent rain, I didn’t take the unpaved Reformatory Branch Trail from Bedford to Concord, riding on Route 62 instead.

I had a nice site on the east side of the campground, #61. But at night, the trailer across the street from my site had fairly bright LED lights on all night, spoiling my view of the stars.

My Campsite at Spacious Skies Minute-Man Campground

My Neighbor’s Overnight Trailer Illumination

Once again, I pushed myself too hard on this ride. My riding effort was 13% Zone 1, 35% Zone 2, 43% Zone 3, and 9% Zone 4. I need to slow down to avoid overtiring myself.