Land of Indented Embayments (Day 6: Brunswick to Thomaston)

Posted by Jeff, 11/16/14

Miles: 51

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRide

It's not easy, at first...

...to wake up early in the rain and get started, but once you start pedaling, that initial reluctance quickly falls far behind you. Which was needed, because we had a 50-mile ride ahead of us.

The rain had stopped, but the sky was gray, as we made our way east toward Bath, the City of Ships, along Bath/Witch Spring Rds., south of US-1. North of US-1 is the Androscoggin River Bicycle Path, the only large shared use path on the ECG route we didn't take at least a portion of on our trip, but that was only due to it being out of the way of the campground.

Sagadahoc Bridge over the Kennebec River, leading from Bath to Woolwich

Since I'm a transportation nerd, I'm now going to say a few things about the Sagadahoc Bridge I just found online (Maine DOT), but you will probably want to skip this paragraph. It was built in 2000 using the design-build method, which was done in order to finish the bridge faster, and it had, at the time, "the longest pre-cast concrete segmental span (421 feet) in North America." Wowzers! Looked like an ordinary bridge to us. The 75 feet of clearance is not surprising, given the marine industry of the town. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the bridge's wide shoulders (a little deteriorated) and sidewalk.

Across the river, in Woolwich, there is an underpass that looks awkward at first, but has important functions. First, it gives pedestrians a grade-separated crossing of US-1 to access the sidewalk leading to the bridge. Second, it provides an alternative for cyclists turning left from the heavy-traffic US-1 onto Middle Rd. (ECG on-road route). The Maine DOT link above mentions this was a requested improvement from the public as part of the bridge's construction.

The Great Woolwich Underpass. Source: Google Maps with ECG kml file

We were smart in that we actually made the left turn, then realized that the underpass was there, then went across the underpass to the east side just for fun, then rode back to the west side, then went back to the east side so I could "go pro" a video of it with my phone, during which attempt I nearly bit it on a patch of dirt, then rode back to the west side, whereupon we continued on Middle Rd.

After a pleasant ride down Old Stage Rd., the next town was quaint Wiscasset, pop. 3,700, where there was a big ol' traffic jam, perfect for shimmying past, on US-1. We stayed on US-1 to cross the bridge over the Sheepscot River, avoiding some serious depressions between the asphalt overlay and sewer grates. (The ECG on-road route detours north via Alna and Sheepscot Rds.)

We were now becoming familiar with the type of facility that would be, aside from off-road paths, the most common on our trip: the 8-foot shoulder/breakdown lane on US-1, providing a mix of comfort (8 feet of width), discomfort (fast, heavy traffic), and efficiency (often the most direct route). As already described, sometimes the ECG on-road route is a detour on adjacent rural roads, and sometimes we took these detours. It's a tradeoff; at the moment, I was feeling good about making good time directly on US-1.

Soon we reached Damariscotta-Newcastle, and FOOD!

Actually, kayaks...

Main Street in Ye Olde New Castle

OK, now FOOD.

Delicious FOOD at S. Fernald's Country Store, with Maine favorite Moxie

After considering, then deciding against, overnighting a live lobster to my brother in Chicago, we were on our way, climbing Academy Hill Rd. and wrapping around Salt Bay through Nobleboro, one of the two bucolic ECG on-road route options that bypass US-1.

Graves near Nobleboro

* * *

The Coast of Maine: A Digression

The coast of Maine is not flat. Not being a geologist, the coastal terrain struck me as resembling fingers pressing into a puddle. And since we were cycling parallel to them, we met with plenty of uphills and downhills.

The entire Maine coast is divided physiographically into four categories. Going from southwest to northeast, we were in the second one: the indented embayments shoreline. The fingers are bedrock peninsulas separated by bays, rivers, and estuaries. The terrain was largely formed by glaciers and is now finely sculpted by currents, tides, and erosion.

We were soon transitioning into the third segment of coastline: the island-bay complex. The irregular bays are dotted by islands like Mount Desert, and the terrain includes both granite plutons (outcroppings) and monadnocks (outcroppings large enough to be mountains, or a famous building in Chicago).

[Source]

* * *

By the time we rejoined US-1 by the tip of Pequamid Pond, it was pretty much just utilitarian chugging to Thomaston, where we were going to stay with Eve's friends. This stretch was long and unremarkable, with no time to stop in Waldoboro. Eventually, the drizzle came on and, near the Oyster River, outside of Thomaston, the US-1 shoulder fell off.

I have to say, we were getting really tired and impatient, and the lack of shoulder certainly didn't help things. On any long bike trip, you're going to have these stretches. Just let them flow through you, and don't end up like this:

But we made it to Eve's friend's house in one piece, and what followed was an evening of good conversation, nostalgia, beer, and homemade pizza.