In September, a fully-loaded touring cyclist was heading east on the Mountain Division Trail in Fryeburg, Maine, paralleling the fence along Portland Street. I happened to be pedaling west on the paved pathway when I saw him. A fully-loaded cyclist on that portion of the rail trail usually means one thing: they’re lost. So, I stopped to chat.
“I think I’ve gone too far on this trail,” he said in accented English.
kAmw6 H2D 4@CC64E] x? ECJ:?8 E@ 2G@:5 E96 4@?DECF4E:@? 2=@?8 #@FE6 b_a E92E 8C66ED 6G6CJ@?6 :?E@ E96 D>2== H6DE6C? |2:?6 E@H? E96D6 52JD[ 96 @AE65 7@C E96 3:<6 A2E9] (96? x 6IA=2:?65 E96 4@?DECF4E:@? H2D @?=J 7@C 2 G6CJ D9@CE DA6==[ 96 :?D:DE65 :E H2D?’E D276 7@C 9:D 3:<6 D@ 96 D@F89E C6=:67 @? E96 3:<6 EC2:=]k^Am
kAm$@[ x 564:565 E@ A=2J C@==:?8 E@FC 8F:56 E@ 86E E96 v6C>2? 4J4=:DE =:G:?8 :? $62EE=6 324< @? #@FE6 b_a :? uCJ63FC8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 9:D ;@FC?6J E@ 2 42>A8C@F?5 :? }2A=6D[ |2:?6[ H96C6 96 A=2??65 E@ DA6?5 E96 ?:89E @? 52J gd @7 9:D 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ C:56]k^Am
kAm%96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J :D 2E E96 4C@DDC@25D @7 25G6?EFC6] ~7 4@FCD6[ E96 72>65 pAA2=249:2? %C2:= :D @? E96 @FED<:CED @7 @FC 324<J2C5 H:E9 >@E@C:DED A2DD:?8 E9C@F89 !:?<92> }@E49 @7E6? D66:?8 E9CF\9:<6CD H:E9 324<A24<D E9F>3:?8 C:56D E@ 2?5 7C@> v@C92> @C 5@H? E@ }@CE9 r@?H2J]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2=D@ 9@>6 E@ 2 D>2== A@CE:@? @7 p5G6?EFC6 rJ4=:?8 pDD@4:2E:@?’D }@CE96C? %:6C #@FE6[ 2 c[acc\>:=6 =@?8 >2AA65 ;@FC?6J 7C@> p?24@CE6D[ (2D9][ ?@CE9 @7 $62EE=6 ?62C E96 r2?25:2? 3@C56C[ E@ q2C w2C3@C[ |2:?6] %96 C@FE6 :?4=F56D C:5:?8 E96 6?E:C6 z2?42>8FD w:89H2J 2?5 E96? E2<6D 4J4=:DED 2=@?8 #@FE6D `e^b_a 7C@> r@?H2J :?E@ uCJ63FC8 2?5 qC:58E@?[ |2:?6[ D@ :E’D A@DD:3=6 J@F’G6 4C@DD65 A2E9D H:E9 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ C:56CD H:E9@FE <?@H:?8 :E] %96J 2=D@ 7C6BF6?E=J DE@A 2E E96 |2:?6^}6H w2>AD9:C6 3@C56C 2E E96 |2:?6 D:8? 7@C 2 4J4=:?8 D6=7:6]k^Am
kAm%96 362C565 4J4=:DE H2D C:5:?8 E96 }@CE96C? %:6C #@FE6] sFC:?8 @FC 492E 2=@?8 E96 EC2:= 2?5 :?E@ E@H?[ 96 E@=5 >6 96 EC2G6=65 2 D=@H d_ >:=6D A6C 52J 2?5 E@@< 2 76H 52JD C6DE 2E E:>6D E@ H2:E @FE 325 H62E96C =:<6 E9F?56CDE@C>D] |:49:82? H2D E96 36DE DE2E6 E@ C:56 3642FD6 @7 :ED 3:4J4=6 EC2:=D] %96C6 H2D A=6?EJ @7 <:?5?6DD 7C@> DEC2?86CD 3FE 96 2=D@ H2D DECF4<[ 96 36=:6G65 :?E6?E:@?2==J[ 3J 2 A:4<\FA ECF4<] w6 H2D?’E 9FCE[ 2?5 E96 ECF4< 5:5?’E DE@A]k^Am
kAmw6 6?;@J65 9:D E:>6 :? }6H w2>AD9:C6 E92E :?4=F565 4J4=:?8 @G6C E96 z2?4 H9:49 H2D?’E 2D 325 2D :E H2D >256 @FE E@ 36] %96 62C=J >@C?:?8D :? >:5\$6AE6>36C H6C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ 86E 49:==J 7@C 9:> 2?5 96 H2D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ D66:?8 p425:2 }2E:@?2= !2C<]k^Am
kAm}@E 86EE:?8 6249 @E96C’D ?2>6D[ 4@>>@?A=246 7@C >2?J DF49 :?E6C24E:@?D @? E96 EC2:=[ 96 E92?<65 >6 2?5 E96 =2DE x D2H 96 H2D EFC?:?8 @?E@ #@FE6 b_a 2?5 x EFC?65 2C@F?5 E@ 4@?E:?F6 >J C:56]k^Am
kAmyFDE 2 76H H66<D 62C=:6C[ C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 G2==6J 27E6C 2 ?:89E DA6?E 42>A:?8 2=@?6 :? %96 z:=<6??J @? 2 D@=@ @G6C?:89E C:56[ x H2D EC2G6=:?8 D@FE9 7C@> v@C92> E9C@F89 !:?<92> }@E49 2?5 D2H 2? pAA2=249:2? %C2:= E9CF\9:<6C H:E9 9:D E9F>3 @FE] x’G6 A:4<65 FA 2 76H DF49 EJA6D @G6C E96 J62CD 2?5 92G6 =62C?65[ =2C86=J E9C@F89 >J @=724E@CJ D6?D6[ E92E :E :D 36DE E@ 8:G6 E96> C:56D H96? E96J 2C6 C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 EC2:= G6CDFD =62G:?8 :E E@ 8@ E@ E@H?] $:>A=J[ :? E@H?[ E96J D9@H6C65]k^Am
kAmp?JH2J[ E9:D A2CE:4F=2C 9:<6C 7C@> '6C>@?E[ H9@D6 ?2>6 x ?6G6C 8@E[ H2D[ x E9:?<[ fa J62CD @=5] w6 H2D 2=D@ @? E9:D E9:C5 E:>6 2C@F?5 5@:?8 9:<:?8’D %C:A=6 rC@H?] p? 2>2K:?8 762E[ E96 4C@H? 4@?D:DED @7 9:<:?8 E96 pAA2=249:2? %C2:=[ !24:7:4 rC6DE %C2:= 2?5 r@?E:?6?E2= s:G:56 %C2:=]k^Am
kAmw:<:?8 H2D 9:D E9:?8 ?@H 3FE 5FC:?8 9:D J@F?86C 52JD[ 96 5:5 2 =@E @7 3:4J4=6 E@FC:?8[ :?4=F5:?8 4C@DD\4@F?ECJ C:5:?8] qJ 9:D 4@F?E[ 96 925 3:<65 2?5 9:<65 23@FE d_[___ >:=6D 5FC:?8 9:D =:76E:>6] x7 x C6>6>36C 4@CC64E=J[ 96 925 A652=65 D@>6 aa[___ >:=6D] }@E E@@ D9233J]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 J62CD[ H6’G6 2=D@ 925 76==@H 4J4=:?8 2?5 9:<:?8 EC2G6=6CD DE2J 2E @FC 9@>6 H96C6 4@>7@CE 7@@5D[ 2 C@@7[ 9@E D9@H6C[ 42>2C256C:6 2?5 =2F?5CJ H6C6 H6=4@>6 :?E@ E96:C EC2G6=D]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 >2?J >2J 766= F?4@>7@CE23=6 C6249:?8 @FE E@ DEC2?86CD @? C@25D 2?5 EC2:=D[ x 5@?’E 2D x’> 2 A6C:A2E6E:4 <:?5 @7 8FJ H9@ 92D 366? DF3;64E E@ C2?5@> 36?6G@=6?46 H9:=6 EC2G6=:?8] %96 <:?5?6DD @7 DEC2?86CD :D 2 A@H6C7F= 24E E92E 6>A@H6CD E9@D6 6IA=@C:?8 E96 H@C=5 @? E96:C A6CD@?2= ;@FC?6JD] !2J:?8 :E 7@CH2C5 :D E96 C:89E E9:?8 E@ 5@]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.