Salt Marsh Tour

Start: Aug 8 2010 9:00 am

Ride leader: Gordon Harris (978) 979-6598 gordonharris2@yahoo.com

Start: Ipswich , downtown central parking lot on Hammatt St. behind Market Street and Central Street map to start

Directions: From I-95, take Rt. 133 east to the center of Ipswich. Turn right one block before downtown center. Hammatt St. parking lot will be on your left.
From Rt. 1, take Ipswich Rd. from Topsfield. Cross tracks and turn left at the Ipswich Cooperative Bank, and bear right. Parking lot will be on your right.

Time Sunday, August 08, 2010 , 9 AM for 28, 37, 48 or 61 miles

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge What to expect: The Salt Marsh Tour passes through some of the most outstanding scenery in our area and offers the rare opportunity to cycle primarily on wide flat roads with just a few very short climbs. We take Rt. 1A north through Rowley and through the Salt marsh in Newbury. The shortest version turns back at Newbury Green, while the medium and long routes continue to Plum Island with an out and back 8 mile ride to the Hellcat Trail parking lot on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge park road(restroom at the beginning of the trail). Make sure to bring $2 for the entrance fee. Also on the bike lane that runs between Newbury and Plum Island is the Joppa flats Audubon Center, with modern facilities and perhaps the only opportunity to refill water bottles.

I've made an effort this year to minimize turns while maximizing the cycling along the Great Salt Marsh. After Plum Island, the long version goes past Newburyport to the Artichoke Reservoirs for an extra 7 miles before rejoining the short and medium routes along wooded local roads to Rowley, where you may wish to stop at White Farms Ice Cream on the way back to Ipswich. The first couple of miles of raod heading out Cycling along the Artichoke Reservoir from and back to Ipswich are in somewhat rough condition, but after that you'll have many miles for safe drafting and worry-free cycling. An extra 12 mile option along Argilla Rd. to Crane Beach is offered once you return to the Hammatt St. start location, for a maximum total ride of 59 miles. The route is marked with a yellow "Dan Henry" (circle and arrow), freshened up or redrawn this year at the turns, with occasional arrowing before and after the turns.

Please download cue sheets and maps below and familiarize yourself with the route. Only a limited number of handouts will be available. On the ride, make sure to follow or ride with someone who knows the route, as some arrows may not be easily visible and some turns are only marked once. Scenic Rt. 1A goes from Ipswich to Newburyport and is an excellent return option if you'd rather not have to think about cue sheets and arrows, following the "Easy Simple 37 miles" cue sheet. Distances are from Google maps, and may vary from the readings on your computer.

Please join Gordon and Deb at an after-the-ride pool party and cookout, starting about 11 am and continuing into the afternoon . Bring a salad, dessert or $5 contribution, plus your swimsuit, towel and folding lawn chair. The address is 17 Mill Rd. in Ipswich, just 1.5 miles from the start location. Map and directions