Cognitions: Issue 3, 2010
Random thoughts from the Northeast Area Director
by Steven Smith #3184
The Northeast Area staff and members have a lot to say this issue, so I will be briefer than usual. Thanks to Jason & Terry and all other that helped in any capacity to make the “Spring Fling” a terrific success. I would really like to thank all the attendees that helped fund the banquet hall fee incurred due to lower than anticipated attendance. Despite this and a bit of wet weather the reports indicate the rally was a success and everyone had a great time. I am sorry I missed it. I will however be eligible for vacation in time to attend the early August “Summer Bash” in Vermont. This will be a special event and I am very excited. Please take a look at the important rally update prepared by host Kevin Martin. Registration is a bit light for the rally at this time. If you are plan to attend PLEASE register early. Online registration is open now at the club web site www.cog-online.org. I am sorry to announce that J.R. Healy, our Western New York AAD, has decided to step down. J.R. has been an AAD since 2006, and was the camping coordinator for the 2007 national rally in WV. Thanks to J.R. for his service to COG. This leaves a vacancy for an enthusiastic member to take over as the western NY AAD. In fact, we are always looking for help from members around the Northeast Area. If you would like to get more involved with your club., hosting club activities or volunteering to be an AAD may be what you are looking for. Hosting an activity is simple and fun. Put as much effort in as you can and you will get back much more than you put in. Contact me for more information. Thanks to everyone who hosted a club activity over the past few months. The Monson, MA tech day has been a growing favorite of New England area members. Thanks to the Malloy’s and Habel’s for inviting COG over and providing a great venue for this event. Greg provided a great write up, but we ran out of space in this issue. The photos have been posted at the club’s Webshots account, and will also be posted on the web site soon. Look for the article in a future COG publication. COG Northeast has gained over 30 new members since the last newsletter 2 months ago. Please join me in welcoming our newest member listed later in the newsletter. If they are in your region please look them up and say ‘Hello.’ The newest members can be looked up online in the member only directory listing, or you may contact me or and AAD to get contact info Member use of your club’s web site is growing. More and more members are joining and renewing membership online. Please be sure to visit the “My Info” section and keep your member info up to date. Also, I strongly suggest checking the boxes that display your name in the Profile, instead of your alias. What you select to display is what is shown in the Member viewable listing that only COG member have access too. If you choose to display your alias instead of your name, then other members will have a difficult time looking you up. The online member list is another alternative to the hard copy member directory, and is most up to date with members who are registered to use the COG member online system (COGMOS). Be well and ride safe,
Summer Rally Update by Kevin Martin #145 I’d like to take the opportunity to talk about the Vermont summer rally that I’m hosting on August 5th thru the 8th at the Mt. Snow Resort in West Dover Vermont. This area is a great location to host a rally and an awesome area to ride motorcycles. The Mt. Snow Resort is right off of Rt-100, one of the best sport touring roads in Vermont, and which provides access to many of the famous Gaps, like the Brandon Gap, Middlebury Gap, Mad River Glen, and Smugglers Notch, just to mention a few. Full details are located online about the Rally so start booking your rooms now. I visited the Mt. Snow Resort the Friday before Memorial Day to finalize the rally details and to check on any changes, and there are a few changes that I need to mention. First, the Snow Lake Lodge renovation is behind schedule so that lodge won’t be available during the week of the summer rally. The Snow Lake Lodge was the facility that I negotiated the $49 per night lodging, so that rate and facility won’t be available as originally anticipated. To offset the disappointment of not having Snow Lake available to us, I’ve negotiated a rate of $69 per night for
one-bedroom Condos within a short drive from the resort. These Condo Units are much larger and have full kitchens and living rooms if someone wants to share expenses or intends to bring family members. All of the condo units are advertised as not being air conditioned however some owners have installed window AC units. The Resort doesn’t know which units might have AC so they consider them all without AC. Actually, air conditioning is generally not needed in the Green Mountains since it typically gets nice and cool at night. I also want to provide some lodging clarification that I didn’t define previously. The Resort rooms listed as Studio for $89/night are rooms with a small kitchen and sitting area and the bed is a pull down Murphy Bed which they say is very comfortable. The rooms listed as Standard Hotel Rooms come with either a single bed or 2 Queen beds with no kitchen. All Standard Rooms can be joined with the one-bedroom suites if someone wants to combine rooms to make a very large living area. The rooms listed as One Bedroom Suites, are fairly large rooms that have a separate bedroom plus have a Murphy bed in the wall and a large couch that converts to a bed. These Suites also have a small kitchen and eating area. I thought it would be helpful if I describe the rooms details
for the people planning on attending. I also requested permission for a small quantity of bikes to be able to park under the front over hang. The Resort will look into setting up a parking lane under the overhang for about 15 bikes. This area is fairly large but needs to also have an open fire lane. They will also look into setting up a large tent in the parking lot for motorcycle only parking so that bike will be under cover during our stay. I don’t personally recommend campers consider pitching their tents at the resort. The only area available for tenting is a flat open gravel lot and some small grassy areas around the base lodge, but there are no facilities available for campers at this time. The Base Lodge is used during ski season and shut down during the summer season and cannot be opened to accommodate the few people who may want to camp. If people prefer to camp for this rally, I suggest you make reservations at one of the many local campgrounds. Other than these two changes everything remains the same as originally published. I’ll be updating COG Online to include this new information as well. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Summer Rally at Mt. Snow or at one of our local events.
NE Area STAFF
Hudson Valley northwest News
Area Director Steven Smith, #3184 203-720-7575 nead @ cog-online.org Newsletter Editor Neil Baldwin, #5762 905-875-8607 hikerboy @ sympatico.ca Web Editor David Geyer, #8542 Merrimack, NH
By Bob Barbanti #7143
Assistant Area Directors: Massachusetts (VT, NH, ME) Kevin Martin, #145 Dracut, MA 978-459-6275 cog145 @ verizon.net Connecticut (RI) Norm & Lorie Walton, #7011 Cromwell, CT 860-836-5162 ctaad @ live.com Metro NY/NJ Terry Faherty, #792 Staten Island, NY 718-227-2099 tmcefah @ aol.com NY Hudson Valley northwest Bob Barbanti, #7134 Wallkill, NY 845-895-1130 ny.neaad @ yahoo.com Western NY J.R. Healy, #6591 Hamburg, NY 716-648-6729 Dafonman52 @ yahoo.com Pittsburgh (Western PA) Joe Cyprych, #4665 McDonald, PA 724-796-1401 cyprych @ windstream.net DelMarVa & Philly burbs Bob Chappell, #1283 Claymont, DE 302-791-0582 cog1283 @ comcast.net Maryland/Southern PA Help needed—please inquire!! Virginia/West Virginia Kurt & Sue Nordstrom, #6049/A Spotsylvania, VA 540-582-9414 ironhorsefun @ mindspring.com Greater Toronto, Canada Dave Clancy, #5452 Hamilton, Ontario 905-389-7681 davecla2 @ sympatico.ca Eastern Ontario, Canada Ken Fader, #8534 Brockville, Ontario 613-865-7995 kensc14@g.mail.com Page 2
Since this is my first report for the NE area newsletter as the AAD for the New York Hudson Valley/Catskills area, I figured I would start off boring you with something about me. To start off with, I've been riding pretty much my whole life. Like a lot of people, I started off in the trails and dirt with off road bikes. I graduated to road bikes when I was old enough. I've pretty much had mainly Honda's through the first 25 years of street bikes. Then I switched to Kawasaki with my first 2003 Concours (RIP). I now have three Kawasaki's in the stable. The first is a 2003 Mean Streak. The second is the 2008 Concours14. And the newest addition and third is an original 1986 Concours with 11,616 miles on her. She is my restoration project. OK, enough boring y'all about me. May 8th was my second monthly (first as an AAD) meet & greet in Newburgh. I should have called it the monsoon & eat, because we were having major thunder storms through the night and morning hours. I figured I would be eating alone for sure. But a couple of people still said they were coming., so I brought my bride along as a date. It also gave me a lame excuse not the get the C14 dirty! Cindy and I had coffee and waited at the Gateway diner. Almost 30 minutes into the M&G, and we were still alone, so we go ahead and order lunch. About 11:30 Mike Aldea arrived, as promised, to try out his new riding jacket in the rain. We started eating and about noon, Steve Cerutti pulled in on his phantom C10, a phantom that actually does exist! So now there were four of us. About 1PM, as we were getting ready to leave, in comes our long distance traveler(s) and latest arrival for two months in a row, Brian Felice and his lovely wife Andrea. They both rode 170 miles through the monsoon to be there, so we had to stay another hour and enjoy their company! About 2PM and 3 hours into the Meet & Greet, we decided that taken up too much of the diner’s space and didn’t want to hold up the waitress longer so I made sure her tip was worthwhile. In the end, there was a grand total of six people at the M&G. Small, yes. But better than I expected with the weather. I want to thank those who braved the weather to come out! I just returned from the NE Spring Fling in Somerset, PA. Jason did a fine job with the event and a good time was had by all. I enjoyed the riding and was introduced to a little place called The Road Kill Cafe'. This was a truly unique experience with one of the best lunches I've had in a while. Of course Our ride home was again in the rain. But it wasn't bad and the ride went well. So kudos' for another fine rally! (Continued, including pictures, on page 6)
What’s up in Metro NY/NJ by Terry Faherty #792 Greetings again from Gotham! Just returned from the Spring Fling, and Jason did it again! Nice location, excellent roads, and a good time had by all. I finally got a chance to visit the Flight 93 Memorial (thanks for the ride Karl! And next time let me read the directions! =P) As a retired NYPD Sergeant who worked that day, I found it personally powerful. When they finish construction it will be a fitting tribute to all those who perished on that day. We must never forget. Mother nature gave us two good days but Saturday was a bust with day long rain. Still some of the diehards still went out there...I wasn't one of ‘em....but more power to em! I still got wet going home so I guess we're all even. Next on the agenda is Americade, which will probably be done with by the time you get this. I had to skip last year completely due to my new full time employment but this year I'll be back in the game. Hopefully I saw you up there! July is family trip month so ole Terry is gonna be scarce but I will definitely be going to the Summer Rally in Vermont in August. If the vacation day gods are merciful I'll be heading up on Friday morning bright and early and enjoying the backroads. Otherwise It'll be on the bike after work at 3:30 and burnin’ slab. If anyone local is an early bird like me you're welcome to join up. Just drop me an e-mail or post on the forum when the rally thread cranks up and we'll see what we can do. As it stands now I'll be passing on the Fall Foliage run in Natural Bridge only because I was just there last year and I'll be joining the Backroads Magazine crew in Vermont for their Fall Fiesta up in Vermont. They're a fun bunch and it's been a dog's age since I rode with them. Family allowing, I'll try to get a ride or two together over the summer. There's a certain BBQ joint known to Steve Smith that might just have to be raided for tasty smoked vittles. Speaking of which....after the debacle at the Javitz show this year I have decided to lock on dinner ahead of time. It will be at Blue Smoke on E27 St and Lexington, great BBQ! I will be posting details well in advance and taking reservations. If ya don't confirm and pay in advance ya don't eat! Depending on the interest I will look into possible transportation to the restaurant, IF it is financially possible otherwise cabs are it!
Pittsburgh (Western PA) Greetings by Joe Cyprych #4665 Hello fellow Coggers. We’re into our riding season now and already have a couple weekenders under our belts with plenty more to come... so get on the web, check the newsletters etc., and try to make plans to attend some of these rides and events that are coming up. We are having our Cook Forest ride and campout July 23-25. All the details are on the home page and newsletters. They also have a cabin and rental rooms for those not wishing to camp. This has turned into a well attended event and if you need more details feel free to contact me. Our Sunday rides will still continue but contact me beforehand if you plan on attending one. I see we have some new members in our area and I believe I’ve contacted you all but if not, look me up! NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Happenings from Virginia & West Virginia
What’s Online now at www.cog-online.org
by Kurt & Sue Nordstrum #6049+6049A Neil’s at it again… where are my newsletter submissions? Second and final notice, I need your submissions by “X” date, yah, yah, yah. Get in line Bud my 5 acres need to be mowed, its unseasonably hot, we have had lots of rain in VA & WV and the weeds are growing faster than I can type. Did I mention I hate the spring and summer? Everything grows and you have to take the time to cut the crap which also cuts into motorcycle riding time, then the newsletter editor starts chewing on my butt for a submission and that cuts into motorcycle riding time, Oh well, if Neil wasn’t chewing on my butt, Sue would be…so here goes! April brought us the Tax Relief Ride in our part of the world! We Coggers did our due diligence and prepared our taxes, waiting until the final moments to pay Uncle Sam and were really down in the dumps. Jim Sparkman came to our rescue with excellent weather and fantastic ride route and two great places to eat. About 15 of us started off at Horne’s Restaurant in King George County, VA at the intersection of routes 301 & 17 for breakfast. Why did I make a point to give the location of Horne’s??? Look at the picture of my breakfast, that’s what $7 will buy you at this place and that included the coffee, more food than I can eat, plus I got a doggy bag for the pooch at home, who likes cold pancakes. After stuffing ourselves over breakfast, Jim handed out the route sheets and we all headed off across the Northern Neck of VA. What the Northern Neck lacks in elevation changes it more than makes up for in twisties and off camber turns. After about 60+ miles of exhilarating riding Jim had a rest stop scheduled just to make sure everyone was still on two wheels and there were no mishaps. We gathered together for a short while and a few had to head out to return home because of kid’s sports and the like. We said our goodbyes, vowed to see one another soon, and headed off in different directions. (Continued, including pictures, on page 5)
Info and countdown: National Rally Jul 12-16 in Tomah, Wisconsin! Discussion Forums with over 300 active discussions on tech, accessories, riding gear, safety, and much more. The Esteemed Connie Dropper s Anonymous (CDA) forum. Event Calendar Vendors COG Online Store PLUS renew your membership online!
Greetings New England Coggers! by Kevin Martin #145 Our area event schedule is in full force with several local rides being executed including the Berkshire camping weekend hosted by Greg & Tracy Habel and Pat & Sherry Mulloy. What an awesome event. The weather was great the entire weekend although a bit cold overnight, but nice and warm during the day, and the hosts brought everything but the kitchen sink, including grills, cookers, coffee pots and plenty of food including pasta, deserts, and pastries…..unbelievable. Greg Habel has a special article about the event in this Newsletter that will provide more details of their event. All I can say is that when the Habel’s and the Mulloy’s join forces to plan an event it’s always a great time. Greg, Tracy, Pat and Sherry, thanks again for all you do to support Northeast COG. Unfortunately I had to cancel my plans to attend the Spring Fling, the day before leaving, due to a death in my immediate family. I heard from a few folks that although the weather was a little damp, they had a great time attending the Spring Fling. Hopefully I’ll be able to make it next year. We have a few other events scheduled between now and the August Summer Rally. Coming up in just a couple of weeks is my overnight ride to Americade in Lake George NY. We’ll be riding up to Brandon VT, staying overnight at the Brandon Motor Lodge, then riding up to Larrabees Point to take the Ticonderoga Ferry across Lake Champlain for the 1 hour ride down 9n to Lake George and Americade 2010. In early July I’m planning on hosting a day ride to several Mass State Parks, including the Hoosac Tunnel Museum, Mt. Greylock Summit, and the Natural Bridge State Park. At the end of July I’ll be hosting a day ride to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. There is also an overnight ride being hosted by member Mike Benham. Mike is planning a ride out to Rangeley Lakes in Maine on August 20. Because this will be a fairly long ride, Mike opted to postpone the original June ride date and make it a 2-day event rather than trying to make this long ride in a single day. Check COGMOS for full details for this ride. So as you can see we’ve got another full schedule again this year and hopefully something for everyone.
Eastern Ontario Report By Ken Fader, #8534 The season is off to a great start! Last weekend (May16th ) we did a day trip to Lake Placid and smiles-per-gallon were plenty. We had 2-C14‘s, ST1300, R1 and a Suzuki 750. The day of twisties was just what the doctor ordered. We left from Tim Horton’s in Brockville at 9am, and after a short visit at Customs we were on our way. It ended up being one of the nicest days for a ride yet this year, and hopefully weather this year will be a little more co-operative on the weekends. It’s always fun running the Lake Placid and Elizabethtown area, the roads are in good shape, and it gives you a chance to sharpen up your skills, and of course enjoy good places to eat. I hope some of those who could not make it that day will be able to the next time, hopefully in a month or so. See below for some pictures from our ride to tease you into coming out next time.
Northeast Area NEWS is a bi-monthly publication for Northeast Area members of the Concours Owners Group. Submissions are welcomed and members are encouraged to share their COG experiences. Please send submissions to: Neil Baldwin RR3, 821717 Sideroad 1 Chatsworth ON N0H 1G0 Canada hikerboy @ sympatico.ca Submissions by email are ideal to cut down on retyping but frankly we’ll take it any way we can get it. If you snailmail something (e.g, picture) please clearly state if you want it returned. Submissions may be edited to fit space. Many of the opinions stated in this publication may make no sense to those sound of mind and may just be conveniently ignored. If you use any of the information in this rag to incur damage to yourself, your motor or any innocent or not so innocent bystanders it is you own fault...you were warned! ©2010 Concours Owners Group
(Continued, including pictures, on page 6) ISSUE 3, 2010
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MA Berkshires Camping Weekend 5/14/10 – 5/16/10 by Greg Habel #7010, pictures by Sherry Mulloy Thanks to Mother Nature, co-hosts Greg & Tracey Habel, Pat & Sher Mulloy, and the company of 14 COGers, we had another memorable camping weekend; this time in the beautiful Berkshires. Last year we enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to make it an annual event. Learning from last year we made some changes to the location, route choices, and handout materials. Tracey and I had scouted out the October Mountain State Campground in Lee, MA a few years earlier on a family camping trip. On Friday morning Tracey and I finished packing up the camping kitchen and tenting gear into our mini-van while Pat and Sher loaded the Road Trek camper with their equipment. Arriving at the campground just around check-in at 1:00 pm, we found that Karl Schenkel and Tom Kerrigan had decided to extend the weekend having arrived the night before. It turns out they were already enjoying the local roads and had the pleasure of taking “the short cut” over October Mountain via the challenging and rutted dirt road on their Triumph Sprint ST and C14 respectively. The hosts quickly established the COG host site which included canopies, signs, tables, chairs, coolers, and cooking equipment. . As the evening drew closer we decided to pitch in for some pizzas. Tom (our fire master) started up the campfire as we basked in each other’s company. It was good to be camping again with COG. Saturday morning, waking up at 6:30 am I was surprised to see so many bodies already in motion; but then again at 44 I’m still a youngster in the COG crowd! After a ride briefing, the 9 bikes we were off and joined at the campground entrance by Dave Fazzuoli. Traffic was light, the morning breeze cool but just right to start our day. Bearing right onto the less traveled route 23 but paralleling 7 we continued south then onto route 41 south subsequently hitting CT route 44. Heading west towards NY State we shortly arrived at our tourist destination. Prior to the planned stop we had just crested a hill on a back road only to surprise a wild turkey sitting on a branch just a few feet above the road. As you may know, wild turkeys are quite large and have great difficulty in gaining height. As the lead I ducked only to have the bird miss my head by a couple of feet. He seemed to leap out of the tree, drop a few feet and then attempt to gain altitude. Tracey, riding on the back of my bike just heard me yell “S@%&”, saw me duck and wondered what was wrong having just been out of her line of sight. A few folks behind me got into the excitement as he did a fly by. We road past the famed sight of the 1853 championship bare-fisted fight which ultimately lead to the town of Boston Corners becoming a former town of MA, and then taken on by the state of NY. You see the town was almost inaccessible from MA law enforcement because there were no roads leading from MA into the town. It had become one of the most lawless areas in the northeast because of its law inaccessibility. Members of the town eventually petitioned to NY and MA to have it protected by NY law enforcement. Take a look on the map and you will see a strange triangle cut-out in the south-west corner of MA. After a quick rest stop, pictures, etc, we headed north on route 22 on the west side of the mountain ridge. I sure do love riding in and around the mountains; their beauty is always stunning to me. As a sci-fi fan I wasn’t bothered by the new immense wind turbines going up on part of the ridge. Bill Hamilton had to continue to remind me “wind turbines” not “windmills”. Thanks Bill J. We crossed the MA border; taking route 43 north in the valley all the way to route 2 east to North Adams for our lunch stop at the historic freight yard called The Freight Yard Pub and Restaurant. The restaurant graciously reserved the whole upstairs dining area for our group. Prior to a make-over in the 80’s the freight yard was just an old run down yard. It was beautifully renovated, adding the restaurant, some shops and cobble stone walkway; a great way to preserve the rail yard history. Here we were joined by Brian Kellett and his girlfriend Andrea for lunch and the ride back to the campground. Our bellies more than filled from huge sandwiches and burgers we headed out back onto route 2 east. Continuing on route 2 east we went through Florida (MA that is) before turning south on route 8A. Traffic was very light so it gave us the opportunity for more ‘spirited’ riding. Somewhere along route 8A or route 8 I had a groundhog attempt to take a bite out of my front tire. Fortunately we stayed upright however he did not fare so well. Looking in my side mirrors to see what hit me, I saw the poor thing spinning around on the pavement. According to ride reports he had “ceased to be” by the time the end of our group passed him by. Sorry Phil! Continuing on route 8 south then south on Yokum Pond road we rode past the “alternative” road Karl and Tom had experienced the previous day. Note, if your GPS is set to avoid non paved roads, this does not take into consideration when the road turns from paved to unpaved. I’ve learned that at least once myself! Eventually we intersected with route 20 west and headed back to the campground. A dinner was prepared by the hosts which included salad, pasta with Alfredo or red sauce, bread, veggies, and a scrumptious selection of desserts. We recounted the day’s fun with laughter, smiles, and assorted libations. Tom once again got the campfire started so we could continue the camaraderie late into the night. Brisk temperatures Sunday morning made the fresh brewed coffee even that much better. More bagels, breads, and orange juice were the accompaniment. Soon it was time to pack up and say our goodbyes. Time sure flies when you are having so much fun. We’re looking forward to doing it again next spring.
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NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
(Virginia & West Virginia report, from page 3)
Southern Mid Coast Maine Peninsulas
After another 3+ hours of riding we ended up at a nice little cozy Italian Restaurant (Vinnys) for lunch in the town of King George. We got a table for eleven; we ordered up some real good food and enjoyed what is known within COG as COG Camaraderie. Well, all-good things had to come to an end, at 4 PM we split up and headed for the barn, I got great reports back from everyone that attended, they said we need to explore the Northern Neck more in 2011.
by Mike Benham, #6309 On Saturday, 24 April 2010, a very clear and mild day, Kevin Martin, Stan Baker, Dave Fazzuoli, Dave Rouleau and Bob Watkins joined me for breakfast at Becky's Diner, on the waterfront at Hobsons Wharf in Portland, ME. Our coastal ride proceeded north on Commercial St. in the Olde Porte and up through Fort Allen Park and along the Eastern Promenade, for Portland Harbor and Casco Bay views, before leaving Portland. Hugging the coast on ME 88, we rode through the very well to do coastal communities of Falmouth Foreside and Cumberland Foreside before rejoining U.S. 1 in Yarmouth. The summer shopping hoards were not present in Freeport, home of LL Bean and dozens of outlet stores, so traffic was light up to Brunswick.
May brought us the Spring Fling Rally in Somerset, PA. Jason Kaplitz was the official Rallymiester and as usual Jason or GSJay as he is known out did himself again. Attendance was down because of the economy but we still had a wonderful time. When I say it was attendance was down; we still had 71 pre-registered participants!
South of Brunswick we explored the Harpswell Peninsula. This long narrow peninsula juts into the sea by about fifteen miles. High Head, Allen Point, Basin Point and Pott's Point were all visited. At the boatyard at Basin Point far fewer boats were still in the yard than there had been on a scouting ride in early April. One passes saltwater farms, quiet coves, lobsterman's homes with stacks of pots and summer cottage colonies, with the ever present sea never far from sight.
Anyone that has attended a COG Rally in the Northeast and is familiar with Jason knows he likes to eat and ride, well he didn’t disappoint. Even though rally central was right on top of the PA Turnpike, just a few miles out of town brought you through some beautiful dairy farm country and state parks / wildlife management areas. On a scale of 1 – 10 the riding was a 15, the weather was…well Jason can’t control everything.
Crossing over from North Harpswell to Great Island we proceeded to island hop from Great Island to Orr's Island to Bailey Island. The famed granite cribstone bridge from Orr's to Bailey Island has been under reconstruction since 2009. This bridge has survived very violent storms, for many decades, by simply passing storm tides through the granite cribbing. The Great, Orr's & Bailey Is. Peninsula projects about sixteen miles into the sea.
Friday Sue and I headed out on a ride that brought us to the Road Kill Café, in the middle of “nowhere PA (Artemas, PA).” The route Jason plotted out was one of the best 160 +/- miles I have ever traveled in PA and the food? The food was GREAT. Jason had a cup of soup that looked more like a 4 quart mixing bowl, others had Mamas hamburgers that was more like a ½ a cow for like $3/ea. All I know was lunch, drinks and deserts for Sue and I, including tip was less than $14 and they needed a wheel barrow to get me out of the place…so much for my weight management program.
At Land's End on Bailey Island, the views of several islands offshore were enjoyed as well as the statue of the lobsterman. From Stan Baker's many years of sailing these waters, he regaled us with much lore on offshore points and navigation through these tricky, rocky waters. He told of the many inlets and coves where one could put in and anchor for the night. Though seeing these peninsulas on a motorcycle is very enjoyable, sailing about in these waters must give some of the most stunning views.
Well Friday night the weather Gods decided we Coggers were having way too much fun. The heavens opened up and dropped 3” of rain on us in a 24-hour period. Saturday about 50% of the group ventured out on rides and sightseeing. Shanksville, PA where Flight 93 had its tragic ending on 9/11 was within 10 miles of rally central. Sue and I ventured to the make shift memorial run by the US Park Service to pay our respects. The Park Ranger gave the group a 10minute talk on what happened that day, including pictures of the site right after the incident. Working in Washington, DC and seeing the giant hole in the Pentagon brought back not so pleasant memories of that day. What the US Park Service has planned for that site in Shanksville, PA will be a beautiful and fitting memorial for the 43 people that lost their lives that day; it was a real tear jerking experience. This site needs to be on everyone’s bucket list.
A shore lunch was on everyone's mind so we swung downeast from Cooks Corner in Brunswick towards Bath, the City of Ships. Crossing the new high level bridge from Bath to Woolwich afforded grand views of the tidal Kennebec R. and busy Bath Iron Works, a builder of navy ships. The Taste of Maine served the freshest of seafood and all were satiated for the long ride home.
Before leaving Bailey Is., views of Mackerel Cove, with its numerous lobster and fishing boats, were enjoyed. Before leaving Great Is. we rode down to Cundy's Harbor for views of this even more busy lobster and fishing harbor.
Saturday night brought us the rally banquet; Jason had a smorgasbord of vittles fit for a King. After dinner the Rallymiester had a few kind words of thanks for the volunteers that helped him pull this event off. Steve Smith our Northeast Area Director; though not there in person was there in spirit with door prizes, Jim Miller (Millerized) donated a set of his highway pegs for a C-10 and the drawing was held. There were many happy recipients!
ISSUE 3, 2010
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(Continued from page 7) and we will provide you with information. COG Contacts: Russell W Fleming 410.374.9687 fleming@qis.net or Greg Puterbaugh 717-632-3324 pbaugh1@comcast.net (ME) Rangeley Lakes Region Weekend 08/20/10 - 08/22/10 - Join Mike Benham for a weekend of riding in the scenic Rangeley Lakes Region of Maine. Make your own way to the Rangeley Inn Friday evening, 08/20/10, and join the group for an evening meal and conversation. Following breakfast on Saturday, 08/21/10, join Mike Benham for a scenic ride of the Rangeley Lakes Region (there are two ride options - Mike will lead on the Chain of Ponds - Coburn Gore route). Following breakfast on Sunday, 08/22/10, join Mike Benham for a scenic ride leading south from Rangeley. Call Mike Benham, 603742-3707, if interested. This Rangeley Lakes Region is serious Moose country - avoid riding in the dark, or proceed cautiously at least ten mph under the speed limit! (MA) Vanilla Bean Café Ride 09/11/10 – Join us for a wonderful day of country roads riding in south central MA,
northeast CT, and northwest RI. Meet at the famous Lowell’s Restaurant on Rt 140 (75 Cape Road) in Mendon, MA for breakfast at 8:00 am with the ride departing promptly at 9:00 am. We’ll make our way through some nice MA back roads while we head south into CT. Next we’ll wander through the twisties and hit the “rollercoaster” on Rt 320 in CT and bend back for our lunch stop at the biker friendly Vanilla Bean Café (their chili is excellent). Our bellies satisfied we’ll head out for some more spirited riding. The final part of the ride takes us through northwest RI as we make our way back to Lowell’s for ice cream and farewells. If interested, please contact me so I can get a head count. Hope to see you there! Contact Pat Mulloy sniper64@aol.com 413.267.9462 or Greg Habel habels65@verizon.net or 508.473.2257 (ME) Northeast Harbor & Acadia Weekend 09/17/10 – 09/19/10 - We’re going back to Northeast Harbor and Acadia for a weekend blast. This will be a 3-day event staying at the Kimball Terrance Inn where we had the 2008 Fall Rally. The plan is to spend the day riding up to Northeast Harbor on Friday and possibly take a ride around Acadia Park in the late afternoon. On Saturday if the weather is good, I’m going to try to view the
sunrise on top of Cadillac Mountain before breakfast. After breakfast in Bar Harbor, I’m going to ride north to have lunch in Lubec ME at the little Pub I found overlooking the Bay then visit Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the eastern most point in the US, on the way back. Sunday will be a leisurely ride back home. Kimball Terrance, 10 Huntington Rd, Northeast Harbor, ME. 800.454.6225 (www.kimballterraceinn.com) Host: Kevin Martin cog145@verizon.net or 978.459.6275 (VA) Mr. B’s BBQ 9/18/10 - Ride to eat, eat to ride, repeat! Plan your own route, enter it in your GPS and don’t be late for some of the best BBQ in the state of VA. Join your fellow VA & WV Coggers for lunch ride to Mr. B’s BBQ. Plan on meeting at Mr. B’s BBQ on Route 340, in White Post, VA around noon. Mr. B’s BBQ is located next to the White Post Post Office on Route 340. Contact: Kurt & Sue Nordstrom: ironhorsefun@mindspring.com or 540.582.9414
Check the www.cog-online.org Event Calendar for complete and up to date activities listing.
(Eastern Ontario Report, from page 3)
(Hudson Valley northwest Report, from page 2)
On a closing note, just came home from the Kingston Ride For Dad and hopefully next year we can get some members to attend and show that Members of COG are out there supporting this fine and important ride, this year there was 889 bikes registered, and it was a great day. Of the lunch stop town, live band, good food and nice people. So any area members that would like to attend this next year contact me and we will make arrangements to meet and show our support. On closing Any members from the area that would be interest in a monthly meeting for dinner let me know and we will try to pick a place good for all.
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There won't be a June meet & greet. I have previously scheduled a ride for that day. By the time you read this it will have already taken place anyway! So June 12th is/was a ride to Rhinebeck, NY. The plan is to go to the NY Antique Motorcycle & Antique Machinery show, at the Rhinebeck fair ground. From there were headed to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, to check out the World War one aircraft show. I'll hopefully will have more details in the next news letter. The next Meet & Greet will again take place at the Gateway Diner in Newburgh, NY. It will again be on the second Saturday of the month (July 10th). The meet time is 11AM at the Gateway Diner. You can contact me at ny.neaad@yahoo.com
NORTHEAST AREA NEWS
Northeast Activity Schedule - continued from back page (Continued from back page) for the air show (show is at 2:00 PM) But I would like to be there earlier to see the museum. (www.oldrhinebeck.org) Event: ‘Air Show Season Opening’ Special air shows, Unique events. Our 51st air show season begins this weekend. Also this weekend (Friday through Sunday) is the Antique Motorcycle Club of America national event at the Rhinebeck Fairgrounds. Show your ticket from either event to the other and get $5 off admission. Contact Bob Barbanti rbarbanti@hvc.rr.com 845.895.1130 (ME) Rangeley Lakes 06/19/10 - postponed to 8/20/10 (see new posting). (MD) North & South 12 Get-Together 06/25/10 – 06/26/10 - Location: Martha & Russell Fleming's House, 2610 Old Fort Schoolhouse RD, Hampstead MD 21074. Friday June 26 for camping, come and setup your tent and have a cookout in the evening. Camping in the back yard at the Fleming's on Friday and Saturday night. Please give me a call if you plan on coming so that I know how much food to fix. Saturday June 27 Breakfast, Ride and Cookout. Breakfast will be held in the driveway. Serving Bacon and Eggs, Juice and Coffee. Starting at 8:00 am then you can leave at your free will on one of many route that could take you in PA, VA, WV and MD of 260 miles or 1 of 2 short routes of 100 miles or a DUAL Sport Ride that Jay Schaffer has laid out and end back here for a cookout that will start about 6:30 pm. Sunday June 28 Breakfast will be held one more time in the driveway. Starting 8:00 am with a guided ride there after. Lodging in Westminster, MD: Boston Inn, 533 Baltimore Blvd 800.634.0846; Days Inn, 25 South Cranberry Rd, 800.329.7466; Best Western, 451 WMC Drive, 800.528.1234. Lodging in Hanover, PA: Hampton Inn, 800.426.7866; Super 8, 40 Wetzel St, 800.800.8000; Clearview Motor Inn, 901 Carlisle St, 717.637.3701. Directions From Westminster to the Fleming's: Route 140 to Route 27 North 6 miles, Right on Old Fort Schoolhouse Rd. Fleming's is 1 mile on left at top of hill. Directions from Hanover to the Fleming's: Take PA 94 south into MD where it becomes MD 30. Continue to Manchester. Turn right at MD 27 (Sheetz store on left) 2.4 miles. Then a left onto Old Fort Schoolhouse Rd. Fleming's is 1 mile on left at top of hill. Please give me a call if you plan on coming so that I know how much food to fix. Contact Russell Fleming fleming@qis.net or 410.374.9687. (NY) Newburgh Meet & Greet 07/10/10 - Come join me for a meet and greet lunch. It's a chance to meet some COG friends.We’ll meet 11am at the Gateway diner in Newburgh, NY and have lunch with the possibility of a short ride afterwards. The Gateway is in the Town of Newburgh, NY, located seconds from exit 17 on I-87 or exit 7S of I-84, adjacent to the Hampton Inn on RT 300. Tentative future date is 8/14. If these work out will add more! Contact Bob Barbanti: ny.neaad@yahoo.com 845.895.1130 ISSUE 3, 2010
(MA) Mass State Parks Ride 07/10/10 - Join me for a ride out to western Massachusetts to the town of North Adams to visit 3 Mass State Parks: The 1st stop will be the Western Gateway Heritage State Park to visit the Hoosac Tunnel Visitors Museum, one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. Parking and admission is free. There is a 30 minute documentary film and exhibits. (www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/western/ wghp.htm). The 2nd stop will be a ride up to the summit of Mt. Greylock for a view of North Adams and surrounding areas. A $2 State Parking fee per vehicle is required to view the summit. (www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/ mtGreylock). The 3rd stop will be Natural Bridge State Park to view the only naturally formed white marble arch and man-made white marble dam in North America. The "natural bridge" for which the park is named is 550 million year old bedrock marble that was carved into an arch by the force of glacialy melt water over 13,000 years ago. A $2 State Park parking fee per vehicle is required to visit the quarry. (www.mass.gov/ dcr/parks/western/nbdg.htm) Meet at Bickfords Restaurant, 526 N. Main St (Rt 12) Leominster MA. GPS: N42 32.985 W71 45.754. Ride leaves at 8:30 am. If anyone wants to ride to Leominster with me, I’ll be at the I-495 South Rest Stop in Chelmsford, leaving around 7:15 am. The rest stop is just south of exit 34 on I-495. Host: Kevin Martin cog145@verizon.net or 978.459.6275 (WI) COG National Rally 07/12/10 – 08/18/10 – Rally HQ: Cranberry Country Lodge, Tomah WI. For reservations call 608.374.2801 and reference either Account # 5147 or Concours Owners Group. www.cranberrycountrylodge.com. More details can be found at www.cog-online.org or Concourier magazine. (PA) Cook Forest Camp and Ride Weekend 07/23/10 – 07/25/10 – Please join us for the now annual COG Northeast event. This is a great area to ride and relax in with fantastic roads and plenty of attractions to explore like the Kinzu Dam and bridge, Zippo lighter, Case knife museum and store, Cook Forest park, and plenty of wineries. This is a great area to hold a ride in and it has always been well attended. The campground is first class and they are very motorcycle friendly. They allow two tents per site, so you can share the cost if you wish to do so. They also have sleeping rooms and a cabin on site for those who don’t care to tent it. Reserve early because they go fast. Contact the campground for more info. They will be holding a area for us, so mention you’re with COG when calling for a reservation. Come on out and join the gang for a great weekend. Hope to see you all there. Campground info: Kalyumet Campground 8630 Miola Rd Lucinda PA 16235 814.744.9622 Host: Joe Cyprych cyprych@windstream.net or 724.796.1401 (MA/NH) White Mountains Day Ride 7/24/2010 - Plan for a full day to be able to ride up through the White Mountain National Forest and back again. Because of the
distance to reach the White Mountains, this will be a mix of State roads and Interstate Highways and may even require going through tolls on the the way home to make up travel time. The ride will end with a gas stop at the Londonderry NH Mobil Station at the Jct of Rts. 28 and 128, a mile away from I-93, where I’ll break off for home. A GPS file will be posted on masscog.org for download. Meet at the Acton Bickfords, Nagog Park on Rt 119. Ride leaves at 7:30 am for the ride north up through the NH Lakes Region. Please gas up before the ride to minimize delays. 1st Rest Stop is planned to be the Mobil On The Run at the junction of Rts 125 & US-4 in Lee NH. We’ll gas up around the 100 mile mark at the Mobil On the Run at the junction of Rts 109 & 16 in Sanbornville about 10 miles East of Wolfeboro Center. After going through North Conway we’ll pick up US-302 and ride through Crawford Notch into Twin Mountains and down Rt 3 into Lincoln NH were we’ll stop for lunch and gas before heading back. The planned lunch stop is Peg’s Place, 97 Main St (Rt-3) North Woodstock, NH, on the Lincoln town line. Host: Kevin Martin cog145@verizon.net or 978.459.6275 (VT) Summer Rally 08/05/10 – 08/08/10 – We are headed to Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont. This is a great riding area and there are many things to see and do. Kevin Martin is the host and always provides some great riding. It has been many years since hosting a rally in this area. Details online or in this and future newsletters. Contact: Kevin Martin cog145@verizon.net or 978.459.6275. (WV) Dog Days Campout 08/13/2010 - 08/15/10 – Boyer Station is located in beautiful Pocahontas County surrounded by the Monongahela National Forest. Home base will be the Boyer Motel, Restaurant and Campground, located near the confluence of Routes 28 & 92. The campground has water and electric hookups, picnic tables at each site, hot showers with private dressing rooms, flush toilets (with privacy), sewer hookups for those with a land yacht, dump station, playground and more. The motel has about 20 very rustic rooms. Grocery stores, gas and restaurants are nearby. Contact: Kurt & Sue Nordstrom: ironhorsefun@mindspring.com or 540.582.9414. (PA) Sport Touring Camaraderie Ride 2 08/15/10 – Organized and members of by COG and other sport-touring clubs (FJR, BMW). All makes and brands motorcycles welcome. Meet for Breakfast at 9:00 am at the Iron Skillet restaurant at the Petro Truck Stop in Carlisle PA, 1201 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle PA, GPS Coordinates N 40-13.903 W 077-08.551. There will be 6 rides to choose from between 140 to 200 miles long. One of the rides will be a mix of paved and unpaved roads. All rides are self-guided and end at the Middlesex Diner in Carlisle PA. For lodging information please contact one of us (Continued on page 6) Page 7
Welcome to Our Newest Northeast Area Members! (since the last newsletter) Windsor Locks CT - David Dimick #9049 Hyde Park NY - Harrison Losey #9050 Marlboro NY - Steven Brody #9053 Oaklyn NJ - Jim Mayhew #9055 East Williston NY - Jim Hanel #9056 Waterford CT - Bruce Jansen #9058 Riner VA - John Harkness #9074 Harrisville NH - David Webb #9075 Clear Spring MD - Philip Andrews #9087 Mechanicsburg PA - Ken Hartmoyer #9089 North East MD - Ronald Pistor #9090 Rochester NH - Steven Tuttle #9091 Milroy PA - David Boyer #9097 Edgewood MD - Dave Tritt #9100 Pittsburgh PA - Fred Zinger #9104
Bay Village OH - M Zborowski #9110 Lancaster PA - Dave Boston #9112 Little Egg Harbor NJ - Ken Ford #9116 Endicott NY - Bill Dawson #9118 Coventry RI - Brian Felice #9125 West Winfield NY - Robert Chapman #9130 Johnstown PA - David Rogerson #9132 Coram NY - Kenneth Leak #9137 Upper Sandusky OH - Paul Huffman #9157 Waterbury CT - Richard Bartkus #9158 Charlton MA - Joe Boisclair #9160 Mount Pearl NF - Brian Goldsworthy #9161 Alexandria VA - Ralph Shepperson Jr #9169 Waltham MA - Geof Delaney #9179 Salisbury MD - Robin Mutchler #9181
Windham NH - Donald Moser #9188 Mill Hall PA - Duane Shaffer #9189 Wellsville PA - Cameron McGinnis #9190 Concord NH - John Richmond #9192 Neptune NJ - Peter Demaree #9200
Northeast Activity Schedule - View the most up to date info on the online Event Calendar at: www.cog-online.org Recurring Events
Calendar of Events
(ON) S. Central Ontario Get-Together. Monthly Dinner Gathering: Meet at 6:30 pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Mohawk Inn, located on the northwest corner of Hwy. 401 at Guelph Line, Exit 312, next to the Mohawk Raceway & Slots. 9230 Guelph Line, Campbellville. (www.mohawkinn.com) 905-854-2277 Join us for dinner and socializing. All Welcome. Dave Clancy, davecla2@sympatico.ca or 905-389-7681.
(MA/NY) Visit to Americade 2010
(PA) Meet Greet and Ride Sundays. Meet Sundays at 10:00 am at Kings Restaurant located in Imperial, PA, located right off the Imperial exit of routes 22 & 30. We’ll decide a ride or destination with whoever attends, or I will have a route ready if we need it. Rides begin the 1st week in April until the 1st week in Nov. If you have a ride idea, or need info or directions contact Joe Cyprych 724.796.1401 or cyprych@windstream.net Hope to see you there. Page 8
06/11/10 – 06/12/10 - Join me for a Spring ride out to Lake George NY to spend part of Saturday visiting Americade 2010. We’ll be riding up to Brandon Vermont on Friday to stay overnight at the Brandon Motor Lodge, (www.joomla.brandonmotorlodge.com) 2095 Franklin St. (US-7) Brandon, VT, (800.675.7614). Friday’s ride will start at Cliff’s Café in Townsend MA where we’ll meeet for Breakfast. Plan to leave by 8am to ride some of my favorite Vermont back roads. Saturday morning we’ll leave early for the ½ hour ride to Larrabees Point to take the Ticonderoga Ferry across Lake Champlain for the 1 hour ride down 9n to Lake George and Americade 2010. The plan is to visit the Americade Expo for a few hours then leave Saturday afternoon after lunch for home. Click on the Brandon Motor Lodge Hyperlink above for lodging information. The standard Ferry rate for motorcycles is $5 (one way).
As of this posting, there is no charge for the Ferry due to the closing of the Crown Point Bridge, curtisy of NY State. Host: Kevin Martin cog145@verizon.net or 978.459.6275 (NY) Rhinebeck Bike & Planes 06/12/10 - Meet at 8:30 AM at the Pilot Travel Center, 239 Route 17K, Newburgh, NY 12550, I-84, Exit 6. (www.pilottravelcenters.com/Locations/ Location.aspx?location_id=394) There's lodging close to the meeting place if you wish to stay over night Fri, Sat, or both. There are other lodging options closer to Rhinebeck if needed. We will depart the Pilot Travel Center promptly at 9:00 AM and will ride to the Dutchess County Fair Grounds in Rhinebeck, NY for the Antique National Motorcycle Meet & Antique Machinery Show www.rhinebecknationalmeet.com After some time spent there, then we will ride over to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (Continued on page 7) NORTHEAST AREA NEWS