Cyclists Endure Cold Wet Weather to
Help Save Buzzards Bay
Although the wet weather was a surprise to most, Mother Nature couldn’t stop 63 Watershed Riders from lining up at the Start Line at Horseneck Beach for the Second Annual Watershed Ride on Sunday, October 5. The drizzling, yet persistent rain made for slick road conditions and a dreary autumn day, but riders kept pedaling, determined to enjoy the unparalleled beauty of the Buzzards Bay watershed and show their support for an organization dedicated to protecting it.
“Even in these conditions, the Coalition's well-planned route could be appreciated as we rode past the open fields and beautiful stonewalls of Westport with occasional views of tranquil, golden marshes, then up by Padanarum Harbor and down around the New Bedford Peninsula to Fort Taber Park, where we refueled with power bars, drinks and bananas,” said Watershed Rider and Coalition member, Vicky Lowell.
Lowell added, “With police details at crucial intersections, the ride through New Bedford and Fairhaven was untraumatic, and soon we were north of Route 6 in a landscape which has been slowly converting from farms to suburbanization, but still features acres of cornfields and other attributes of rural ambience.”
Hot apple cider and cocoa along with an assortment of sandwiches and fresh fruit awaited hungry cyclists at Eastover Farm in Rochester. However, it wasn’t long before they were off again, making their way through the charming coastal towns of Wareham, Onset, and Buzzards Bay before reaching Cape Cod and trekking over the Bourne Bridge.
Cyclists persevered up the hills and down the winding roads that wrap around the harbors and coves of Bourne and Falmouth, until they finally reached the Finish Line at Quissett Harbor where as Lowell describes, “cheers, barbeque, country music and a lot of good feelings awaited.”
Luckily, the rain tapered off just in time for the Finish Line celebration where local singer/songwriter Rebecca Correia performed while everyone feasted on freshly baked corn bread and mouth-watering barbequed chicken and ribs provided by M &C Café, and enjoyed local brew from Buzzards Bay Brewing Company.
“The ride is a strong reminder of why the Bay deserves and needs an advocate. Farmland, former factories, fishing docks, suburban development, commercial strips and centers, reforested pastures, bogs, streams and marshes - they all influence the watershed and the Bay. Having a strong not-for-profit organization working to preserve the good and rein back the bad is important for all of us who enjoy the pleasures of the Bay,” Lowell said.
This year, cyclists of all levels and abilities from ages 13 to 72 raised more than $35,000 in support of the Coalition’s programs in research, conservation, advocacy, and education. Phil Whittaker, the top fundraiser for the second consecutive year, raised more than $1,800 and once again, proudly wore the yellow Watershed Ride jersey.
The Coalition extends a big thanks to all the Watershed Riders, their sponsors and the volunteers that helped make the Second Annual Watershed Ride such a success.
2007 Watershed Ride Results
