Dover, Denville & Mt Tabor, 03/12/09

  An open day, at last!   But first, a half-hour raking up leaves, then several hours of paperwork (cleaning up after finishing and mailing my income tax returns).  Lunch, then I finally get the bike out of the garage.

  I get out at 1:55 pm.  Dover is the first stop, walking around part of town.

   2:55 – Train 6650 backs from the yard and departs two minutes later; multilevels 7006, 7221, 7563, 7613, 7265, 7218, 7560, 7549, 7283, ALP 4625.

   3:15 – Train 6631; ALP 4613, multilevel 7580, 7544, 7571, 7271, 7540, 7515, 7566, 7558, 7020.  A train in the yard has multilevels 7000, 7256, 7222, 7238, 7276, 7602, 7603, 7576, ALP 4606.

   3:19 – Train 877; F40PH-2 4119, 4 Comets.

   3:28 – The 7000 set heads east, train 6654, as I cross the railroad on Dover Rockaway Rd.

   3:56 – Train 6635; ALP, Comets, at Denville as I arrive.

   4:09 – Train 6658; equipment from train 6631.

   4:24 – Yard move, MP20GP 100x, multilevel, Comet V, eastbound at Mt Tabor.  I head home.
  19.02 miles today, 68.3 for the year.  My shoulders are sore - why?

  I'm considering the Five Boro Bike Ride on May 3.  My problem: it starts in Battery Park at 6:30-7:45 am.  I CAN take the first train from Denville to Hoboken, PATH to WTC, then a short ride downtown - but the train is at 4:30 am.  I have done that in the past for steam trains from Hoboken, but I was nearly 15 years younger then.  Overnight lodging is available; I have to consider that.

Dover, Denville & Mt Tabor cycling, 02/08/09

  Perry has a project due tomorrow so decides to skip Hebrew High.  I plunge into paperwork.

   11:30 – It’s 55F and I need to ride.  I get out 14 minutes later, heading for Dover.  There’s a head wind and I ride slower than I’d like.

   12:11 – I take a short break at ShopRite.  The self-service car wash is very busy.

   12:30 – Dover NJT.  I wander through town.

    1:01 – Head for Denville.  The wind is mostly behind me or from my right.

    1:38 – A westbound train has just left the station.  I wander around for a while, then go to Mt Tabor and wander there as well.

    2:00 – I see Don Winship as I leave.  We chat briefly, as he has seen my recent reports and I have nothing to add.

    3:00 – I get home after fighting more headwinds and riding up Sanders Rd.  20.05 miles, 40.00 for the year.

Time to start cycling in the new year, 01/04/09
  With the temperature reaching 40F, I went out for a few hours.  I intended to ride to Dover and Denville, but spent too much time walking around in Dover and decided it would be dark before I finished.  First ride of the year, 10.00 miles in two lazy hours.

Cycling season isn't over yet - 12/25
  My wife went to Long Island for folk dancing, followed by dinner with her Mom.  My daughter, her boy friend and my son went to the movies.  I'm HOME ALONE on Christmas afternoon.  The weather is decent - 43F and clear - so I stuff the bike into the minivan and head for the Savage Rd parking lot in Denville.  I get on the road at 2:15 for a leisurely ride.  I have two letters to mail, so I stop at the Denville Post Office and put them into a mail box.  Next I head for the train station.  The sidewalks crossing under US 46, I 80 and the Boonton Line have not been plowed and have at least an inch of solid ice on them.
  Train 6925 arrives at 2:38, a minute late; ALP 4622, multilevels 7579, 7200, 7543, 7546, 7249, 7247, 7533, 7556, 7027.  The crew opens only three doors, reflecting light ridership.  About eight people leave the train.  I continue to Mount Tabor, then turn back and go east on US 46.  I turn left onto the Boulevard and go through Mountain Lakes to Boonton.  I reach the train station there at 3:30 and take a five minute break for granola bars and water.  I turn on my lights to improve my visibility as the sun sets.
  I return by the same route except for the side trip to Mount Tabor; I'm back at the car at 4:30 as it begins to get dark; 38F.  At home, I take a 15 minute soak in the Jacuzzi tub, put on pajamas and a warm robe, and have a cup of hot chocolate.  Dinner will wait...

Stats: 15.35 miles today, 1325.7 for the year.

Mission accomplished!

  My wife's car needs some front-end work and the shop is a mile from Dover's NJT station.  I load my bike into the car and set off.  After checking that the parts needed were on hand, I go to the waiting area to briefly check a few things.  The westbound train I want is in more than an hour, so I leave at 8:20 for a leisurely 10 minute ride in 32F temps.

   8:35 – Train 6607; Comets 6049, 5543, 6514, 6555, 6203, 5515, 5256, 6591, ALP 4421, three early, track 2.

   8:40 – Train 1074; Comets 6017, 6510, 5396, GP40PH-2B 4208, one late, track 1.  Nearly everyone gets off for train 6628, which will use the equipment from 6607.

   8:44 – NS GP 3002 pulls six freight cars east, probably for the Boonton Line, following 1074.

   8:51 – Train 6628 goes.

   9:19 – Train 6611; Comets 6024, 5370, 5385, 5443, 5357, 5418, 5439, 5415, ALP 4400 – eight cars with one toilet!  Six minutes late on track 2.

   9:28 – My train 873; Metro-North F40PH-2 4193, Comets 6577, 6543, 6502, 5381, 6013, six late.  Train 6611 pulls to the yard as 873 arrives.

   9:35 – I notice a long-abandoned right of way running northeast from the railroad just east of Mount Arlington station.  No idea what it was.

   9:43 – Port Morris yard is empty, as it should be.

  10:04 – Hackettstown, only four late on pad.

  There are more passengers than I expect, including two Centenary College students walking two blocks to campus.

  I ride east through town on US 46 and turn left on Willow Grove Street.  This avoids several long steep hills (both up and down) with no shoulders as well as lots of traffic.  The road becomes Waterloo Road and passes Waterloo Village.  I turn onto Continental Drive through the Free Trade Zone, heading south.  It becomes Love Lane, emerging onto US 46 in Netcong.  I walk through the Netcong Circle for safety.  There are more hills, but only Kingtown Mountain forces me to walk up a quarter mile.  It's STEEP.

  Payback - it's also steep down, and I coast for two miles at speeds up to 33 mph.  At Ledgewood, I turn left to stay on US 46, looking for a place to get lunch.  At noon, I find China King in Kenvil and get veggie lo mein and hot tea.  I unwind for a while as the sun breaks through the cloud cover.  It must be nearly 50F!

  After 25 minutes, I head out.  I turn left onto Berkshire Valley Road to avoid going over Mine Hill, another steep one with no shoulders.  The road follows (or runs on) the Morris Canal route and is flat, for a change.  I head into Wharton on West Dewey Ave, then Central Avenue, and take South Main Street (former Morris County Traction route) back to US 46.  Just before I get there, the shop calls: the car is done.

  A left has me heading into Dover, then I bear right onto Blackwell Street.  I reach the shop at 1:10, pay, load the bike, and head home to soak in the hot tub.  Mileage for today: 25.0, for the year: 1310.3.  I reached my 1300 mile goal just before lunch...

Cardiologist Chase, 12/04

  I have my annual checkup and the weather is tolerable, so I cycle to Morristown, 13.03 miles.  I stop at the NJT stations on the way home and do 13.22 miles.  Totals: 26.25 for the day, 1271.7 for the year.

Here and There, 12/02/08

  Alice’s car is in the shop since yesterday.  I cycle to work in the morning, 3 miles round trip.  I leave home about 12:30 to get the car and rack up 5.3 miles more for a total of 8.3 for the day and 1245.3 for the year.

Morristown 11/23

  Perry opts out of Hebrew High, but I ride anyway.  I park at Savage Road and head for Morristown, visiting the NJT stations along the way.  I stop at Barnes & Noble on the way back to get Enya’s AND WINTER CAME on a coupon.  I take a bit under three hours to do 21 miles, including stops.  For the year, 1237.0 miles.

Whippany to West Caldwell, 11/16

  Perry has Hebrew High and the weather is better than yesterday – partly cloudy, though 45F and windy.  I bring the bike and find the parking lot busier than usual.  I call Mom first, otherwise she will call me when I’m riding.

  I get out about 9:55 and head east, the wind looks south to north.  I take a right onto the side road opposite Home Depot and turn left at River Road.  I turn right at Eagle Rock Ave and left on Passaic Ave.  I reach 10.60 miles at Bloomfield Ave and turn back at 10:55.

  Perry wants lunch from Subway and I oblige; I have a free sandwich coupon for myself and the foot-longs are $5.  I’m there from 11:39 to 11:56; I eat my Veggie Max and carry his back to the car, arriving about 12:25, 21.07 miles today and 1216.0 for the year.

  The parking lot is FULL – a ‘senior citizens’ services fair is underway.  The consolation is some free food, which I enjoy.  Hot coffee helps too.

After the Storm, 10/26/08

  It was a dark and stormy night – rain, wind, thunder, but no power loss.  This morning has a blue sky but is chilly.

  I take Perry to Hebrew High, then cycle to the home of a local Tupperware dealer to get a lid, 1.9 miles per google maps.  I left the cycle computer home, so I decide to get it, another 11.1 miles.  While home, I have lunch.