complete laura ride

Laura OLPH 's post announcing the ride for today included the following:

Start: 9:00 a.m., Woodfield Park, Marshall Rd, off of Amwell Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ, 08844 Destination: Oldwick
Hills: Yeah
Scenery: Yup
Muffins: Uh huh
Distance: 51 miles
Elevation Gain: Whatever
GPS Route: Nuh uh
Cows: Maybe  

It turned out she provided all that stuff, and more; I think of today's as a complete Laura ride.

Six of us to start: Ricky, Prem, Andrew, Christina (whom I don't think I've met before, and who acquitted herself admirably in the hills), along with Laura and me.

Laura now has a GPS she trusts, and didn't give the route out to any of us. We started up into the hills and made a quick stop at Sohlberg Airport.

... and then proceeded northward and uphill*. Shortly, we came across some cows, where Laura took pictures, and scenery, where I took this excellent tree that reminds me of a Wyeth painting.

Before we got there, though, on Pulaski Rd, we ran across this:

A "Bridge Out" sign. This is no surprise on a Laura ride (nor is it a surprise on one of Tom H's rides); what WAS a surprise was the construction worker below, who told us yes, the bridge is really out, impassable even to bikes; we'd have to follow the "Detour" signs.

So we followed the detour signs. Laura cheered up remarkably when her GPS found the route again.

So we can add to Laura's list above: bridge out.

We went up Rockaway, past the dollhouse:

... and down Fox Hill, for some more excellent scenery:

Muffins were promised: they were available at the Oldwick General Store (as were riders from, oh, pretty much all over the area).

But on the way back, we came across this bit of Holland Brook:

That's not chipseal or milled surface. That's right down to the dirt and gravel beneath. So one more thing to add to the list: dirt road.

So, at the end of the ride, the score on the promised list is:

• Hills: check.
• Scenery: check (see below).
• Muffins: check.
• Distance: 51 miles. Actually, just below 54, with the detour.
• Elevation gain: Adequate. Different sources disagree, but they're close.
• Cows: check. Laura also got some sheep, but I didn't photograph those.

On the non-promised list:

• Bridge out sign, this time complete with detour: check.
• Picture stops: oh, many. See more when Laura puts up her post.
• Dirt road, barely passable: check.

 THIS was a complete Laura ride.

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*The Excellent Wife (TEW) will point out to me that northward AND uphill is a tautology. You can ask her to explain when you see her.