A preponderance if not an actual plethora of Blue Triumph Sprint Triples
The original plan was to ride up to Mt Greylock in North Adams, MA, (highest point in Massachusetts) to spend the night in Bascom Lodge and see what the two year make-over of the lodge and park facilities looked like. We had stayed in bunk room of the lodge a couple of times before and wanted to be sure they hadn’t wrecked the charm with renovation. But it was not to be due to a weekend reservation for a wedding party booking the entire facility. We wound up making our way to the Econo Lodge on Rt 4 outside of Killington, VT. Well it never really matters where you wind up as long as there are good roads on the way.
As usual, we formed up at the Redners Quick Stop to gas up and get moving. Navigator Tim took us slabbing up Rt 33 across the Lehigh Valley to make a little time, with a stop at the Waffle Diner in Stroudsburg for breakfast (very important!), then up over the Pocono plateau to cross the Delaware into NY at Narrowsburg. The Beemer turned 10 just minutes before our first gas stop outside of Narrowsburg, then off across the Catskills.
From the department of ironic signage, we rode past the Neversink Reservoir with its sign advertising the former site of the town of Neversink. Maybe they should have renamed it “Well, Hardly Ever Sink”, or possibly “Mighta Sunk Once” since it’s now at the bottom of 200 ft of water waiting to make the trip to NYC.
A short slab up the NY Thruway took us to Albany and our crossing of the Hudson, then off on Rt 2 across the Taconics and Berkshires thru Petersburg, teeing into Rt 7 just south of Williamstown, MA. This is a great stretch of road with one of my favorite signs, “Warning! STOP 4 mi Ahead”, on the downside swing heading into the tee at Rt 7.
Rt 7 took us thru the north end of the Housatonic valley into Vermont at Pownal, thru Bennington, up the Otter Creek Valley to Rutland, then just five miles east of Rutland on Rt 4 to the Econo Lodge Killington where we put up for the night. A quick run into Rutland left us full of dead cow with a quick late evening run home up the hill on a full stomach. A short relax and recap of the day’s events by the pool put a wrap on the day: the guy who tried to pump gas from the 87 octane hose while Dave was filling up with the 93 octane hose from the same pump – “Well, they have three hoses…” “Sure, buddy. Here’s your sign,”; and the chick on the pink Harley in Rutland complete with pink leathers, pink helmet, and a pink stuffed bear on the luggage rack – How much Mary Kay do you have sell (and to whom???) to get one of those?).
Sunday morning we got up early and on the road before 8 for a brisk hour riding across Rt 4 to Killington, then south on Rt 100 for breakfast at Dot’s of Dover where the Big Breakfast really is big and the Little Breakfast is half of the Big Breakfast (one egg, one pancake, one bacon, one sausage… you get the picture).
About 11:30, we rolled up to the top of Mt.Greylock, the high point of Massachusetts. Aside from fixing the roads up and down the mountain and posting a ranger to collect $2 apiece parking fee, the place didn’t look much different. We grabbed a cup of joe in the dining hall and took the time to climb up to the top of the obelisk on the summit to see the view. Bascom Lodge looked about the same as before (except they refinished to floor in the main room and seem to be sensitive about shoes with cleats). Another time when it’s not so crowded, it will probably be worth the $35 per night for a space in the bunkroom with family style breakfast in the morning.
We crossed the Hudson at Kingston and stopped to gear up. It had been spitting light rain off and on for a while, but was starting to get serious. This time, we remembered to bring the gear and we took the time to put it on right. I added the impervious one piece Triumph rain suit over my normal Revit riding suit with liners in. The temperature had dropped to about 68 degrees, so it wasn’t too warm when moving. By this time, it was about 3:00 in the afternoon with 200+ miles still to go to get home. The rain was coming down like it meant it and the weather was turning dark gray. We decided to beat it home the fast way and jumped on the thruway meaning to slab it all the way to Emaus via I 87 to I 287 to I 78 – just a fast run around the corner in NJ to get home. Ha! It was a Sunday afternoon in August and that road connects the Catskills and points North with NYC. The road barely moved. Crawling in stop-and-go traffic in rain with falling light is definitely a low point in motorcycling. At least it wasn’t cold. We deeked off onto I 84 at Newburgh and headed west towards Scranton. The traffic was light, the rain came and went, the new tires held steady and we made good time. Heading south on I 380 is supposed to be a 20 minute jaunt from I 84 to I 80. Once again, I 80 goes into NYC and it was still an August Sunday afternoon, so traffic was backed up several miles onto I 380. We jumped off onto 611 and slowly made our way to the north end of Rt 33, from which it was a quick ride, now with failing light and limited visibility, down to I 78 at Easton. Traffic was backed up on I 78 East – NYC again, but we, luckily, were heading west. In 20 minutes we were sitting in Yacco’s in Emaus with a couple of dogs recapping the ride.
So here is a learning: I had tried sticking the new EZpass on the Beemer windshield before we went and it didn’t make it to the end of the driveway. But it was very happy to reside in the top pocket of the new tank bag from where it worked perfectly every time we hit the thruway. Even of you plan to never slab a mile, get one of these. As far as I am concerned, just one pass through a toll booth while wearing a rain suit makes it worthwhile.
usual, we formed up at the Redners Quick Stop to gas up and get moving. Navigator Tim took us slabbing up Rt 33 across the Lehigh Valley to make a little time, with a stop at the Waffle Diner in Stroudsburg for breakfast (very important!), then up over the Pocono plateau to cross the Delaware into NY at Narrowsburg. The Beemer turned 10 just minutes before our first gas stop outside of Narrowsburg, then off across the Catskills.
Sunday morning we got up early and on the road before 8 for a brisk hour riding across Rt 4 to Killington, then south on Rt 100 for breakfast at Dot’s of Dover where the Big Breakfast really is big and the Little Breakfast is half of the Big Breakfast (one egg, one pancake, one bacon, one sausage… you get the picture).
We grabbed a cup of joe in the dining hall and took the time to climb up to the top of the obelisk on the summit to see the view. Bascom Lodge looked about the same as before (except they refinished to floor in the main room and seem to be sensitive about shoes with cleats). Another time when it’s not so crowded, it will probably be worth the $35 per night for a space in the bunkroom with family style breakfast in the morning.
We crossed the 
Any chance of getting a glossary on here of the motorcycling verbs? I'm starting to get the context for 'deek' and 'slab' but could use a primer!
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