Top of Sugarloaf

Fourth ride: 37.5 miles at 12.7. But that does include the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain.

View from Mt Sugarloaf

Aside from the steep ascent up Sugarloaf Mountain, and my failure to manage a half century, the most significant part of this ride is the little notch right about where the word “Hadley” appears in the map.

I abandoned the rail trail in favor of route 9, a crowded, busy commercial thoroughfare. Yes, the corrugated surface of the rail trail in disrepair is really that bad. So sad.

I'm kind of sad about the half century too. I thought about veering off down Bay Road and making the loop through Belchertown center. That would have made 50, I'm pretty sure. I was pretty sure my legs wouldn't do it, either.