The latest from the Gang ... 

As the tire commercials say, “it was a scorcher!”  Seven of us gathered on the hottest day of the year so far to ride from Salem NH to Derry NH, about 20 mikes round trip. Fortunately this trail is mostly shaded which drops the temperature and we also biked through some rock cuts in Windham NH which drops the temperature about 10 degrees or more. The trail wasn’t very busy which made for an enjoyable ride. Reaching Hood Park in Derry we stopped for a picnic lunch before returning to Salem. And an additional bonus is that there’s a mostly downward gradient on the return making for an easy ride. 

Alan U

Cape Cod Canal

Cape Cod Rail Trail

Thursday - Cape Cod Canal - About a dozen TOHG members met for lunch at Seafood Sam’s.  Watching radar weather it looked like the rain would miss us so we decided to set off on our Cape Cod Canal ride. As luck would have it, no sooner had we set off than it started to sprinkle. Thinking it would soon pass we continued on. Wrong choice! Sprinkles turned to mist which turned to showers which turned to steady drizzle and a strong headwind on our return. Finally returning to our starting point we were soaked to the bone but glad we got our ride in. 

Friday - Shining Sea Falmouth to Woods Hole - Our pick of the weekend. A couple dozen or more members set off from Falmouth on Friday morning. The Shining Sea Trail is a New England gem and one of the most beautiful trails in all New England. The skies were rain-free, gentle breezes accompanied us as we rode past marshes, cranberry bogs and white sand beaches. Many of us lunched at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute cafeteria before our return ride. 

Saturday - Cape Cod / Old Colony Rail Trails: Dennis to Chatham - this was the ride that tested us most. Very strong winds tried our souls as we fought strong headwinds. But it was a beautiful ride past glacial or kettle ponds, through the woods and skirting Chatham Airport. We stopped just outside downtown Chatham at a French cafe for a delightful al fresco lunch before returning to our start. 

Alan U

Once again the 3 Musketeers (Jan, Merle and Peg) enjoyed our monthly Hub Mystery.

As we entered the Davis Museum at Wellesley College we were greeted by our docent, Semente, who presented us with a museum souvenir bag. Then she led us to one of the current exhibitions, “Nevers in the World.” This is a collection of French ceramics that shows how artistic innovation can flourish through exchange with different cultures. During the 17th and 18th centuries artisans in Nevers, France created extraordinary ceramic vessels using a technique called faience. Invented in 8th century Iraq, craftspeople discovered that adding tin to ceramic glaze produced an opaque, white surface suitable for colorful decoration. This method spread across Asia and Europe, becoming known as maiolica in Italy and as faience in France. By the 17th century, European demand for Chinese porcelain led artisans in Nevers to create imitations in faience. They developed a distinctive style which became very popular during the reign of Louis XIV.

As we viewed the collection at the Davis, which began with very plain, simple pieces, our docent encouraged us to notice how later created pieces became much more elaborate. The number of colors increased as more dyes were discovered and symbols relative to the era and country of origin indicated who made and used these pieces. It was fascinating to see how these pieces became more colorful, refined and diversified as knowledge and techniques advanced.

Our amazing docent encouraged us to tell her what we especially noticed in the pieces and she provided historical background, so we had a very interactive, informative morning. We then adjourned for a buffet lunch at the Wang Campus Center.

Peg T

We enjoyed a delicious brunch at Parker's Maple Barn and got caught up on everyone's latest news.

Jane P

It was the “pick of the week” weather wise as 9 TOHG members gathered in Newburyport to ride on the Clipper City Rail Trail. This is a Class A trail, fully paved, with beautiful views of the Merrimack River and numerous sculptures, gardens, and art work along the 6 mile length. 

We stopped for a group photo appropriately enough at a child sized train locomotive along the trail before finishing our ride and going for coffee at a riverside cafe.

Alan

A group of eight hikers visited the Lynn Reservation and hiked just under four miles.  We explored Dungeon Rock where a pirate is reputed to have hidden some silver in the mid 1600s and a whealthy local person spent years trying to find the treasure in the 1800s.  It is still there if it ever existed.  We also climbed Boulder Path to the Old Stone Tower with its view of the surrounding countryside. The trails were well marked but rocky and hilly though very scenic. 

Neal

The hiking group walked about four miles in Mary Cummings Park in Burlington, MA.  The hike was a moderate hike with some small hills, and rocky paths with a boardwalk going into a swamp.  Fourteen people and several dogs joined the hike and eight of us ate lunch later at Potbelly's restaurant.  The first skunk cabbage and pussy willows were out. The weather gave us a brief respite from the rain and proved to be comfortable.

Neal S

Thirty-nine members of the Top of the Hill Gang visited the Big Sky resort in Montana. After a ski season when most New England venues seemed to be under cloudy skies, the mostly blue sky of Montana was a welcome change.

TOHG members enjoyed a welcome dinner Sunday night consisting of traditional pizza and salad, with cookies for dessert.

Many of the group had 5 days of skiing on their IKON passes, and several intrepid groups of friends visited Yellowstone National Park, an all-day trip that was described as a tiring, but very enjoyable encounter with nature in the Yellowstone area.

Other members took part in a nighttime walk in the woods to view a light show called the Big Sky Enchanted Forest.

The mountains near our village were a magnificent sight throughout all of the days we spent at Big Sky. Several of our members took the tram to the very top of Lone Mountain. The summit, Lone Peak, reaches an elevation of 11,166 feet, and offers stunning views and challenging big-mountain terrain.

Additionally, we all benefited from 10 inches of snow Thursday night which led to a glorious skiing experience on Friday.

Several members sustained minor injuries and needed assistance on the way back to Boston. Our Gang responded with assistance and good cheer for these members, demonstrating that we help each other both on the trails and in life.

Also, wayward luggage and a lost cell phone were resolved successfully for the members involved.

The trip ended with an appetizer event on Friday night at the Carabiner Lounge at the Summit Hotel. Skiers agreed that Big Sky is such a large ski resort that we didn’t come close to skiing all of the mountain and look forward to the next Big Sky trip!

Bruce W

With temperatures forecasted to be in the 60s it was too good an opportunity to pass up a bike ride. 

Seven TOHG members gathered at trail head in Methuen to ride the 4 mile round trip Methuen Rail Trail. The weather brought out a number of walkers we passed on the trail as we passed Nevins MSPCA farm, poets wall, and several other landmarks. 

Finishing this trail we decided to pick up the trail in Salem NH and ride to Windham NH. We set off again, passing a good number of people walking along the trail. Unfortunately we were thwarted just a very short distance into our ride by a long stretch of snow on the trail making for impossible biking. Admitting defeat we paused for a group photo before turning around and settling for coffee and conversation at a local coffee shop. Hopefully our next ride will bring smooth sailing and warm temps.

Alan U