1st Annual Skunk Run: July 26, 2003

CJ gets Sammie ready on the back of the Goldwing at about 8:30 in the morning. When we started out it was around 70 degrees.

We set out going north on Route 16, through a ton of early morning tourist traffic, to Conway, where we stayed straight-ahead, when 16 made a left...

... and crossed over into Maine. You can just about see the blue State Line sign in this photo. Check out the row of canoes headed for the Saco River on the roofs of the cars ahead of us. The Saco gets a lot of summer traffic on the weekends.

This is the State of Maine Information Booth. This is where all the lost people stop to find out where the hell they are. They get their little maps and get back in their cages and cruise on down the road...

The first town we pass through once we enter Maine is Fryeburg. It so happened that there was a craft fair going on that morning and the traffic delayed us a bit. A bunch of people pulling on and off without looking or signaling... What th...? We finally got by the craft fair safely and...

... passed by Fryeburg Academy. Founded in 1792 it boasts Daniel Webster as one of it's long line of illustrious headmasters. His picture is all over the walls of the place. I know... I went there for high school in the 60s. Cool school. Great campus. They're adding a new Library and Science wing this year.

Just at the east end of the campus we turned left onto Route 5, headed toward Lovell, ME.

On our way out of town we passed the Fryeburg Fairgrounds, home of the self-proclaimed 'Blue Ribbon Classic', the oldest agricultural fair in the state. It's a big carnival wrapped around a farm animal/crafts/homegrown stuff core of activities. The carnival comes to Fryeburg as part of their Fall circuit at the end of September each year.

After leaving Fryeburg we blasted northeast, crossing the Saco River. On the beach in this picture there were a bunch of campers who had spent the night. They were getting ready to set off for another day on the river. You can't really see them in this picture, but they were there... I swear... Honest!

After about another half hour of twisties around the lakes and ponds of southwestern Maine...

We arrived at the Skunk Run starting point on Gore Road in Locke Mills, ME. They were just beginning the raffle...

So I grabbed a couple of Skunk Run t-shirts and a copule of tickets...

While CJ meandered about taking some pictures of the people there.

And boy, were there people there! We expected a good turnout, but found that there were 107 bikes pre-registered and at least another 100 signed up onsite. Great turnout for a first annual event. The organizers did a great job of getting the word out.

Here you see Melissa Morgan and her Dad Mark, calling out raffle numbers and handing out the winnings.

They gave out over 20 prizes in a half-hour before the ride began. Helmets, gloves, etc.

You can imagine the sound of 200+ bikes starting up at once. Everyone was polite. Nobody pushed or shoved and everyone got away clean. An auspicious start.

We headed out Gore Road. This is a very nice piece of riding, with smooth corners and clear pavement.

CJ got a great shot of the folks behind us.

The road went on for miles like this.

I recommend this route - Gore Road to Route 232 to Rumford Point - as a good lead in for many a ride thru the region. CJ and I will hit some others later on this season and write about them in a future ride report.

Meanwhile, enjoy a few more pictures of this part of the run...

When we passed thru towns people all came out and waved as we went by. Everyone seemed excited and happy to see us ride by.

Here we are on Route 232 headed toward Rumford Point. Notice how the Oaks and Maples have given way to more Pine trees alongside the roads. Maine is known as 'The Pine Tree State'.

Realxing ride...

Across the Androscoggin River.



Coming into Rumford CJ and I had to stop for gas, so we ended up dropping to the back of the pack. In fact, we dropped so far back that we had to pass the following support vehicle to get back into the ride. Here it is behind us as we leave Rumford, headed north out of town on the Height of Land road toward Oquossoc, ME.

After a few miles we caught up with the tail of the ride. In fact, we passed others who had stopped for a minute here and there, so we ended up with a different group behind us than the one with which we had begun the ride.

The skys were not cloud free, but they displayed incredible variety in texture and hue as the day went on.

Here we are beginning to rise above the mountains where we could see the eastern ranges of New Hampshire in the distance.

Then, Lake Mooselookmeguntic hove into view...

The whole ride came to a halt at this grand spot while everyone took pictures and looked at eachother's bikes. You can see them curving out of sight around the bend in this picture. We kind of took over the road.

In fact, with the help of local authorities we did just that... took over the road at key intersections so the ride could stay together and not cause a huge, and potentially dangerous, snarlup of cages and bikes together.

We got to Errol, NH after a good ride down the back side of the Height of Land. Here we stopped just long enough for CJ and I to wather the dog and snap this single picture of a very clean ride.

Then we mounted up and rode another 20 miles to this recently-bush-hogged field. The grass was a good foot deep and all those hot pipes in the green grass created a sweet smell that took hold across the whole field.

The lunch wagon was here ahead of us, handing out free sandwiches [Egg, tuna, or roast beef]. We all stood around and gabbed...

And looked at more bikes This on caught my eye. Huge tire. Nice British Racing Green paint job. Corbin seat. Very simple. Very clean. I'll bet its very fast, too.

A well done 'Captain America' paint job.

A bright yellow custom.

Some real oldies, too.

Sport bikes new bikes, classic bikes, rat bikes... you name it - it was here.

The people were great, the scenery was perfect, but CJ and I still had 75 miles to go to get home...

... so we saddled up and left around 3, headed south on 16, through Pinkham Notch and home. See you at next year's Skunk Run!

Total miles ridden: 254

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