Category: Litchfield County CT

Scouting: Mt Riga, Sunset Rock, and the Berkshires

My Saturday ride was *not* a GrNY group ride, but I thought I would share a scouting report for those who are interested in riding in this lovely region in the future. I don’t recommend taking my exact route (i.e. don’t do this: https://www.strava.com/activities/5681995427). But I have posted a revised version below.

The heart of my ride was Mark L’s 2021 Mt Riga route, which he has characterized in detail (https://www.cyclesnack.com/2021/07/annual-mt-riga-pilgrimage.html?m=1). Thank you Mark! In my infinite wisdom (i.e. foolishness) I decided that I wanted an extended version of Mark’s adventure. The version I rode ended up being 80 miles and ~7500′ of climbing.

Overall: It was an epic ride that included the ~1250′ climb up Mt Riga, the steeper ~1000′ climb up Sunset Rock, and the beautiful (flat) River Rd along the Housatonic River just north of West Cornwall. My version added a pleasant southern gravel loop in the Sharon, CT region, which could easily be extended by continuing in the southeast direction (see GravelMap.com if you are unfamiliar). I had originally mapped >90 miles before sanity kicked in and I cut it down to 80.

Interesting dirt/gravel sections (in order of appearance):

  • The Mt Riga climb (1250′) was not as tough as I had expected/feared. It was long, but the average grade was ~5% and the really steep sections were not too long.
  • Sunset Rock (1000′) was actually tougher with a much steeper average grade on the main climb.
  • Between the Lakes Rd (mostly flat) was a wonderful stretch of dirt between Washinee Lake and Twin Lakes. Great water views in both directions.
  • Wildcat Hollow Rd (mostly flat) was somewhat true to it’s name in that it was a minimally maintained, very rough section of dirt/gravel through the woods. A bit more technical than other roads mentioned thus far.
  • The section of River Rd (flat), just north of West Cornwall, was a lovely highlight. It was between a seemingly rarely-used train corridor and the impressive Housatonic River.
  • Mt Easter Rd and Clay Bed Road (skip it): I rode this 3.5 mile sand pit so you don’t have to! After climbing at 9% average grade for 1.1 miles in the afternoon sun (up Swaller Hill Rd) I entered Mt Easter “road”. I would characterize it as an unimproved jeep and ATV trail with big washouts and deep sand in many places. I continued for the complete distance, slowly fishtailing in the sand, bunny hopping over gulleys, and nearly toppling over a few times. If you are going to visit here, don’t do it on 38mm slicks like I did!
  • The southern gravel loop included Butter Rd, Bowne Rd, and Tichnor Rd. These were very pleasant forested gravel roads over rolling terrain. They were mostly well-maintained.

Mark’s 2021 Riga Route (67 miles, ~5700′): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36676051

Steve’s extended version (78 miles, ~7000′): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36928079
– This improved version removes the 3.5 mile Mt Easter Rd section of sandy jeep/ATV trails. By consequence, it also removes the Swaller Hill Rd climb.

Parking: Nobody gave me trouble for parking at the Sharon Audubon Center on a quiet Saturday, but there were tons of signs saying ‘no parking’ during morning and afternoon camp pickup hours (presumable on weekdays?). Mark’s ride starts at Housatonic High School, but I’m guessing that parking is only allowed on weekends when school is not in session? Maybe someone who is local can chime in.

-Steve

Race Track Rd (gravel) with mist rising in the morning air.
Race Track Rd (gravel) with mist rising in the morning air.
Gravel bike on dirt road
Dark Hollow Rd (lovely wooded section). I made use of a handy stick to serve as a kickstand.
Mt Riga Rd.
Mt Riga Rd. Blurry b/c I was climbing. I didn’t put a foot down until I got to the highest point of elevation.
Mt Washington Rd
Mt Washington Rd (after climbing Mt. Riga)
Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls (it’s a short walk to a very impressive waterfall)
Depot Deli just outside of Taconic State Park
Depot Deli just outside of Taconic State Park (where Kathy and I have camped a couple of times). There is a swimming area with water fountains and bathrooms in the campground across the street.
View from North Mountain Rd
View from North Mountain Rd (paved section on the way to the Sunset Rock climb)
Sunset Rock trailhead
Sunset Rock trailhead (near the top). 0.6 miles to the overlook.
Bow Wow and Giberson Rd
Bow Wow and Giberson Rd – pleasant country dirt.
Roberto's Pizza in Sheffield, MA.
Roberto’s Pizza in Sheffield, MA. Surprisingly good for not being in NY.
View from Barnum St
View from Barnum St (dirt segment).
Between the Lakes Rd
Between the Lakes Rd (using a stick kickstand again).
Wildcat Hollow.
Wildcat Hollow. Rougher than a lot of the other sections of dirt on this ride, but definitely rideable without too much trouble.
River Rd along the Housatonic River.
River Rd along the Housatonic River. Railroad tracks on the left, impressive river on the right. Very cool.
Mt Easter Rd and Clay Bed Rd.
Mt Easter Rd and Clay Bed Rd. Not recommended. Deep sand and lots of large washouts throughout.
More deep sand on Mt Easter Rd.
More deep sand on Mt Easter Rd.

Brewster To Wassaic Gravel Ride

This event was on July 5, 2021: Overall, it was a challenging, but very rewarding ride to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. The route included paved sections, gravel sections, a short section of forest trail (around mile 22), and several challenging climbs followed by memorable descents.

All riders started together in Brewster, tackled the wild Penny Lane forest trail, then continued to our lunch stop in Wingdale. We picked up an additional rider who took the same train to Brewster and was using our route as a jumping-off point for his bike trip to the Berkshires. Cousins Bakery/Pizzeria was closed for the holiday, so we had to make do with the deli/Dunkin Donuts/Mobile Station just down the road. Normally, Cousins provides some nice baked goods for bringing up the blood sugar! Around mile 28/29 our “extra” rider continued on his route, a second rider headed back towards Brewster to complete the 50 mile loop (and get home a bit earlier), while the rest of the group committed to the full 77 mile route.

RidewithGPS estimated the route at 6000’, but all of our devices registered well over 7000’ of total climbing on the day. Those climbs earned us some beautiful views and fun, roaring descents. Everybody survived the route, though some suffered a bit more than others on the climbs.

For future riders of this route: There are no stores of any kind from mile 26 to mile 69 (43 miles total), so we tried to fuel up during our pitstop in Wingdale. We used my portable water filter to top-off our water bottles around Macedonia Brook State Park, since it was a hot day. Come prepared with everything you need for that stretch of the ride!

MAIN ROUTE (77 miles, >7000’): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36622714
SOUTHERN LOOP (50 miles, 5000’): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32953734

[FYI: Strava removes all “events” from our feed once they have passed. I sometimes post “ride reports” so GrNY members can learn about past rides and hopefully try those routes themselves.]

-Steve