Mount Equinox

During the past couple of riding seasons, Andy and I found ourselves climbing to mountain summits on our motorcycles. We found this activity exhilarating, not for the mere challenge, but for the reward in the views from the top. Some of our conquests include Mount Washington in New Hampshire (6288 ft), Whiteface in New York (4867 ft) and Mount Greylock in Massachusetts (3491 ft). We’ve ridden as high as you can travel for Jay Peak in Vermont, and then taken the tram to the summit (3858 ft.) All of these left us wanting more, and so began my quest for mountain peaks to visit in the Northeast.

The result of my research gave me a handful of destinations for our wish list. They are as follows: Equinox (VT) 3882 ft., Burke (VT) 3267 ft, Ludlow Mt (Okemo) (VT) 3343 ft, Bolton (VT) 3680 ft, Ascutney (VT) 3150 ft, Kearsarge (NH) 2937 ft. and last but not least Cadillac Mountain in ME. This last, although only reaching to a height of 1532 feet, boasts at being the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and is the first place to view the sunrise in the United States from October 7 through March 6. Cadillac ranks in the top five along with Washington, Greylock, Equinox, and Ascutney as being the best ride-to mountain tops in the Northeast.

With a long holiday weekend ahead of us, I toss Mount Equinox on the table for our group to consider as a possible destination. To my delight, it gets a nod of approval. With Mount Monadnock in our rear view mirrors we head up route 12 from Keene. The day unfolds into a delightfully sunny day, with comfortable temperatures for riding. We cross into Vermont at Bellows Falls and make our way to route 11 via route 5 then 103. The ride is pleasant and we soon find ourselves on route 7A in Sunderland and at the entrance to Skyline Drive.

Skyline Drive is a 5.2 mile road to the summit of Equinox. As with any mountain climb, there are switchbacks that challenge, overlooks with breathtaking views, and danger of on-coming cars. One must be cautious of animals such as deer that leap from the underbrush and threaten one’s safety. On this day the challenge is in the switchbacks only and soon we are at the summit. The Green Mountains, the valley of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire may be seen to the east. The Adirondack Mountains of New York provide the backdrop to the west, and the Taconic and Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts to the south. The breeze is refreshing and we take in the 360 degree view until fully satisfied.

Each peak that we have mastered has its own unique quality. Our perceptions are challenged as we look across the tree tops below us. We step gingerly along the exposed weather beaten rocky surface and we marvel at the survival of flora between the crevasses. The hair is tousled in the breath of wind that sweeps across the summit driven by the currents of the valleys below. And yet, a creature as delicate as the Monarch butterfly lazily flutters by. It is soon evident what inspires the souls of prophets, and why they seek the mountain tops. We are keenly aware of our smallness in the scheme of life, and yet privileged to have arrived at this spot to witness the splendor of the earth.

Unsung HeroesA Memorial Day Tribute to VeteransIncluding my Dad, a Veteran of WWII

I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but until I began motorcycling, I had never heard of Rolling Thunder. Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a non-profit organization. Many of their members ride motorcycles but you don’t have to ride a motorcycle to be a member. Their mission statement reads:

The major function of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is to publicize POW-MIA issues: To educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action.
We are also committed to helping American veterans from all wars. http://www.rollingthunder1.com/

My introduction to Rolling Thunder came as a direct result of my association with the New England Riders, and meeting Pat McGhie. Last June, I discovered that Pat worked right across the street from where I work. This led us to lifting our hand in a friendly wave anytime we spot each other. On many occasions, as I took my 3:30 stroll around the block, I would see Pat leaving the lot next door. At first I though he had bankers hours. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Pat volunteers his time each week to the veterans of this state. When I see him leaving the lot at 3:30, it’s because he’s on to phase two of his day. In addition to his work with veterans and for veterans’ issues here in NH, Pat is also a member of Rolling Thunder and continues his work here as the webmaster for the local chapter and as the NE States Director. http://www.rolling-thunder-nh1.org/

On May 10th, Pat took time out of his busy schedule to participate in an event in honor of two soldiers missing in action in Iraq, Byron Fouty of Michigan and Alex Jimenez of Lawrence MA. Pat works tirelessly to make sure that our POW and MIA military personnel are never forgotten. To this end, Pat is off to Washington DC with his wife Lynn and member friends, Doc and Quinn to participate in the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally in Washington DC. The rally is held each year to keep the public aware our POW/MIA. You can be sure that Pat will be working at this event and not just another body in the crowd. http://www.rollingthundermotorcyclerally.com/

To Pat and all the other unsung heroes in our midst, I salute you this Memorial Day. I encourage you all to take a few moments to read some of the content at the links I’ve provided. This weekend, take time out to remember those closest to you, and if you are as blessed as I to have a veteran to hug this weekend, be sure to do so. For those who don’t I will have a moment of silence to remember their sacrifice.


Still Unaccounted For
WWI 3,350
WWII 78,753
Korea 8,170
Vietnam 1, 980
Persian Gulf 41

Can You Hear Me Now?

One maneuver I have learned how to do well on a motorcycle is the U turn. This can be tricky for a lot of folks, especially if the area doesn’t allow much room to maneuver. My skills increased as a direct result of following my husband, whose curiosity leads us down many a dead end road. Sometimes he doesn’t notice the sign indicating it’s not a through street, other times he claims to have seen it, but is just “curious.” I think he just tries to save face.

On other occasions we might be traveling to a particular destination which neither of us has been to before. Sometimes I see the sign for a turn, sometimes he does. To prevent us from making a wrong turn, should I see that he is about to do so, he gave me instructions to “toot” my horn. This would seem the logical thing to do since we do not have bike-to-bike communications. However, I discovered two flaws with this plan. The first is that when motorcycling, a person can get into a Zen like state. The motion of the bike, the scenery flowing past, the dappling sunlight, all of it putting the soul in such a state of reverie that listening for a “toot” is far from one’s mind.

The second flaw is that Jade has a very delicate and refined “toot.” In fact, it’s more of a “beep.” We’ll be riding along and “BEEP BEEP!” Jade will exclaim just to watch us zip past our turn. This happened so often that I began to pay attention to the horn conversations taking place on the motorcycle forum. Then, when out on a ride with the group ask to listen to what their horn actually sounds like. This lead to my discovery of the air horns made by Stebel.

Last Christmas when my daughter asked me what I would like, I sent the link to the Stebel Horn website. The specific model is the Nautilus Compact Series. To my delight, I found the horn under the tree. Although I’ve had it in my possession for five months, it wasn’t until Sunday, that we were able to take the time for installation. Andy had to fabricate a bracket to relocate the horn, and we used extra patience when working out the wiring to avoid any more electrical issues. All went well, and at the end of the day, Jade had a new horn that commands attention. “Honk” and “Beep” do not define this horn. One thing is for sure however, the question “can you hear me now?” is definitely rhetorical!