North Country Rider - It's about the people who ride, where they go and what they do when they get there.

Editors Corner

Letter From The Publisher

By Ed Frulla Sun, Aug 01, 2010

The month of July seems like a blur. I was on the bike virtually every Saturday and Sunday but none of the trips were wasted and with each and every one I made new friends, experienced new places, helped some worthy causes and had a good time.

Last month we added new image handling software. I have discovered that on some machines it does not work correctly. When you click on an image, the background should be grayed out and the image should appear near the center of the screen with Next and Previous links in the lower left corner and a Close link in the lower right corner of the image. When you click on an image, if you do not see this functionality then you more than likely have Java scripting turned off on your browser. Turning Java scripting on is an individual decision that I will leave up to you but in order for the image software to work correctly, Java scripting needs to be on.

In this issue we have added something new as well. Two of our articles have video. One is really a You Tube slide show but it is handled like video and You Tube calls it a video so who are we to argue. We will add additional video as it becomes available to us.

The American Legion Post 574 Riders Group will be conducting their 6th Annual Poker Run For Veterans and Community on August 7th. We will have a subscription booth set up so if you are attending, drop by and say hi. If you are not attending you really need to think this through. This is one of the premiere rides in the area and Post 574 Riders Group puts on a great event.

We will also have a subscription booth set up at the Killington Classic being held in Killington Vermont September 9th through September 12th. Once again you are welcome to stop by and say hi if you are in the area. At this point in time we are not sure of our location but we will let you know in the September issue. In the mean time, we encourage you to go to www.KillingtonClassic.com to register and see the details of the scheduled events. On Friday, September 10th registered riders get free admission to the Vermont Sate Fair. It sounds like it is going to be a great time. The high light of the event is the parade of bikes down the mountain to Rutland for a good old fashioned block party. It should be exciting and I am guessing that you would have to work hard not to have a good time.

That is it for this month.

Ride Safe and Ride Well

Ed Frulla
Publisher

Places To Go

The Shed at Stowe Vt.

By Ed Frulla Fri, Jul 30, 2010

The best part of making runs with friends is the opportunity to discover new places to eat and refresh. Such was the case on July 4th when I was riding through Vermont with some friends. Our adventure took us through Stowe Vermont and we stopped at the Shed on Route 108 in Stowe for lunch.

The Shed is a unique establishment. It contains a restaurant with an expansive menu to cater to every taste. It also contains an English style pub and a 7 barrel brewery, parts of which are visible from within the pub. If you like to dine outside there is an expansive deck behind the Shed complete with tables with umbrellas.

I have been there twice and I have found the food to be excellent as is the service. You must absolutely try the Shed Burger. It is served with a sweet pepper and onion relish that is like nothing I have ever tried before. Since the Shed is a micro-brewery there is always plenty of fresh brew to be had. It is on draft, it is cold and there are different brews available depending on the time of the season and the whim of the brew master.

While speaking with Ken Strong who is the proprietor, I learned that they get a large amount of biker traffic during the bike week at Laconia and I can understand why. He stated that at times he has trouble finding his staff because they are in the parking lot looking at the bikes. The one thing that I noticed was that in spite of the upscale image, our little entourage was made to feel quite welcome. The service was friendly, warm and excellent and we have already declared our love of their burgers.

The Shed has a rather unique history and I am going to present the history as defined by the Shed and printed on their Lunch Menu.

For over a quarter of a century, The Shed has been a popular Stowe tradition. While our history as a restaurant goes back to 1965, our roots go back to 1830 when the building was first constructed as Foster’s Cider Mill, a place where local farmers could bring their apples to be pressed into cider, which was consumed both fresh and “hard”.

According to contemporary accounts, residents who attended church in what is now Rocky River Lodged right up the road, would leave their apples while on their way to church on one Sunday, then pick up the finished product after services the following week. In the era when church socials where common, this nearby location provided a convenient opportunity for the men to slip over and sample the fermented brew, which became a social event in its own right.

After a short period of neglect, in 1938 the building was converted into the headquarters of Camp Idletyme while included a variety store with a gas pump, a youth hostel(boys upstairs, girls in the barn which is now the Ilse de France next door) and Stowe’s first tennis court. In the meadows across the road was held Vermont’s first air show. In 1939, the camp tennis instructor was a ski school stayover, Sepp Ruschp, a young Austrian who was to become the president and general manager of the Mt. Mansfield Company and one of the pioneers of the ski industry in North America.

Camp Idletyme succumbed to WWII in 1942 and the building remained unused until 1965, when present owner Ken Strong and then partner Ted Ross, two Mt. Mansfield ski instructors opened The Shed, A Pub, on a whim and a couple of thousand dollars. The place was an immediate success serving Shedburgers, steaks and salads. Kenny bought out Ross in 1967. The Shed’s popularity grew with several additions over the years including a small porch, a main dining room, the back bar, and an initial patio. Kathy Casey joined the Shed in 1979 and assisted in the creation of a special ambiance with the very popular garden room and greenhouse – a first in Stowe!

Ken and Kathy, with the talents, direction and hard work of two grand ladies – Architectural and Interior Designers Isobella Kreizel and M.J. Shaw, added a new chapter to the history with the reconstruction of the Shed following a tragic fire on January 26, 1994 that burned the restaurant to the ground. Stowe’s premiere Brewery Pub featuring English style hand-crafted Ales brewed in our new 7 Barrel Brewery was the highlight of the reconstruction. Built with study, hand hewn native timber resembling the Original Shed Pub, the front bar hosts the Brewery’s Mash Tun and Brew Kettle which are visible for viewing the start of the brewing process.

So there you have it. Another piece of Americana hidden in Vermont that at first glance does not seem like it would be biker oriented but in fact really is. If you are in the Stowe area, stop in and give them a try. I am sure that you will not be disappointed.

People To See

The Patriot Guard Riders

By Ed Frulla Sat, Jul 31, 2010

In our “People To See” section we usually feature a club within our publishing area. I have recently joined an organization that I am extremely proud to be a member of. That organization is the “Patriot Guard Riders”.

The Patriot Guard Riders was formed by an American Legion Riders Group in Kansas City to counter the actions of the Westborough Baptist Church. For those of you who have not heard of this extreme organization, please allow me to enlighten you. This church (and I use the term church grudgingly here) was formed by a self proclaimed pastor named Fred Phelps and is based in Topeka, Kansas. They call themselves Christian but they are anything but Christian. The congregation consists of approximately 100 members most of whom belong to the Phelps family. Fred Phelps ( I will not call him Pastor nor will I refer to him as Mister) is a homophobic of the utmost order. It is his belief and thus that of his followers that the United States is engaged in a war in the Middle East and that are soldiers are being killed because God is punishing this country for harboring citizens who are homosexual. Based on this belief they feel that it is their duty to picket the funerals of service members who were killed in the line of duty. The signs they display and the slogans that they chant are the most vile and despicable things that could be done at such a solemn moment.

The Patriot Guard Riders were formed to counter these demonstrations and any demonstrations that occur at these most solemn services. The Patriot Guard Riders are a non-confrontational group. They shield the family of the fallen from the misguided by turning their backs to the misguided and raising their American Flags to create a visual barrier between the family of the fallen and the protestors. If required they will sing patriotic songs to drown out the chants of the protestors.

Since the inception of the Patriot Guard Riders, the Westborough Baptist Church has become less visible on the landscape of the Americas. It seems if the WBC knows that the PGR is going to be present, they do not even bother to show up.

As time progressed the mission of the PGR has changed. They are still ready to provide the isolation that the grieving family needs if required but the mission these days is mostly to honor the deceased and above all to demonstrate the respect that the deceased deserves and has earned. Not only does the PGR perform these duties for those killed in action but it performs these duties for any veteran of any conflict. It should be noted that the PGR performs these duties only at the bequest of the family of the deceased.

To be a member of the Patriot Guard Riders you need only one requirement, the willingness to devote some of your time to demonstrate the respect that our veterans deserve. Even though a large percentage of the membership rides bikes, that is not a requirement to join the PGR. The only requirement is RESPECT.

If you would like to join the Patriot Guard Riders and assist in performing this vital mission you need to go to www.patriotguard.org and join. Once you have joined with the National organization then you need to visit http://web.mac.com/siegnazinga/iWeb/PatriotGuard/Patriot_Guard/PGRNY_Home.html and register with the Patriot Guards NY organization. Whenever there is a mission, you will receive an e-mail mission statement with the details that you will need to attend the mission.

I wish to draw attention to the fact that this article was not reviewed by nor approved by either the National Patriot Guard Riders or the New York Patriot Guard Riders and the opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect the attitudes and opinions to these two fine organizations.

Video courtesy of ALL41Wolf - http://www.youtube.com/user/ALL41Wolf

Things We Did

Crazy Train Riders - Ride to Benefit the Lions Club

By Ed Frulla Sun, Aug 01, 2010

The Crazy Train Riders are located in Corinth New York and on July 11th they hosted a ride to benefit the local Lions Club. The vice-president of the club (Lady BUG) is an avid reader of the magazine and will soon be a contributor as well. We also know “Moon Goddess” and it is always easy to find her on any ride, just look for pink.

The ride originated from the ½ Mile Ranch in Lake Luzerne. The ½ Mile Ranch is a camp ground with a large event hall, bar and pool and they have the Welcome Bikers sign out all season. If you are looking for a watering hole that is a little off the beaten path where you will feel welcome, it will be hard to beat The ½ Mile Ranch. We departed the ranch with 21 bikes and proceeded east on Route 9N and then went into Haldey NY. The ride then followed the east side of the Sacandaga Lake and on into West Milton NY where we stopped at The Mill Rock Tavern for some refreshments and some ice. I needed the ice to bring the swelling down from the bee sting I received on the back of the neck while on the first leg of the ride. I felt something crawling around the neck of my jacket and when I reached in to remove it I was stung. Note to self: If you feel something crawling around in the neck of your jacket, stop the bike and take the jacket off.

From the Mill Rock Tavern we proceeded to Route 9 and headed north where we made a refreshment stop at McGregor’s Pub. After a rest period on the deck in front of the misting fans and having consumed some amount of liquid refreshments we proceeded north on Route 9, turned left onto County Route 33 (Corinth Road) and proceeded to Corinth where we stopped at The New Star Bar in Corinth. We left The New Star bar and proceeded to Luzerne where the ride terminated at the point of origin but not before I was stung on the front of my neck by another bee. I saw this one coming but he must have been on a suicide mission because no matter where I moved, the bee adjusted its trajectory to insure a direct hit. At the ranch, the Lions Club was set up and were cooking burgers and dogs. In the event hall there was plenty of baked beans and cold salads to supplement the dogs and burgers. After every one had eaten, The Crazy Train Riders conducted drawings for various prizes that had been donated by local merchants.

This was a fun ride to be on. It was well paced and passed through some very scenic areas and the establishments that were chosen as rest stops were both unique and welcoming. The club provided their own blockers and the ride was conducted efficiently and safely. The food at the termination of the ride was excellent and there was plenty to go around. “Moon Goddess” developed an infatuation with the Fury and it seemed that every time we were ready to depart, we had to pry her off the bike. It provided a basis of a lot of jokes and humor and ratcheted the camaraderie of the group up a few more notches.

The only sad part about the whole ride was the bike count. This club worked their butts off to put this ride on. I see members of this club at almost every ride that I attend and they deserved more support than they received from the biker community at large. I do not know if it was the chancy weather forecast or scheduling but we need to support them and I would highly recommend that next year we all try to put them on our schedule.

Things We Did

McDermotts Harley Davidson - 5th Annual Alma's Ride and Pancake Breakfast

By Ed Frulla Sun, Aug 01, 2010

If you ride on two wheels in this area you must know about McDermott’s Harley Davidson. If you don’t then you must have been living under a rock. They are known for their friendly service and making each customer feel like they are part of the family. Maybe that is why over 89 bikes and riders showed up at McDermott’s Harley Davidson on July 17th to honor and pay homage to Alma McDermott, the matriarch of the McDermott family who passed away in 2005.

Alama’s ride is an annual event hosted by McDermott’s Harley Davidson and organized and executed by the Adirondack Chapter of the Harley Owners Group. Each year a charity is selected to be the recipients of the funds raised by Alma’s ride. Since Alma was extremely fond of children, the charity selected is usually one that directly benefits children. This year’s charity was “Warm the Children” which provides coats, boots, gloves and other clothing to children in need.

This run is unique in that it includes a pancake breakfast with plenty of coffee and orange juice to go along. The breakfast alone was worth the ride from Warrensburg to Fort Ann. There was also plenty of camaraderie to go around and I bumped into quite a few old friends and made some new ones.

The ride was well coordinated as there was a member of the Warren County Bike Patrol on hand to lead the ride and there were Washington and Warren County deputies and State Police blocking traffic at the major intersections. I was impressed by the fact that the ride route was printed on paper and given to each rider just in case they got separated.

There was an orientation prior to the ride departure and it was emphasized that the Adirondack Chapter of the Harley Owners Group has a no alcohol policy on its’ rides which I thought was an excellent policy. The ride departed McDermott’s Harley Davidson and preceded North on Route 4 and then East onto Route 149 in Fort Ann where the Washington County Sheriff Department had traffic well in hand. We then continued on Route 149 until we intersected with Route 9L. The traffic was under the control of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and the ride proceeded on Route 9L east along the East Shore of Lake George until we intersected Beach Road where we turned right and headed into the village. A quick right onto Route 9 north and we headed to Warrensburg and then turned right onto the Diamond Point Road where we stopped in Caldwell at the Cemetery to pay our respects to Alma. Alma’s daughter-in-law Alise read a poem penned by Alma's son Marty at the time of his moms death. It is amazing how, in a few short words one is able to describe a life time of love and affection.

After the memoriam the ride proceeded north on Interstate 87 and exited at exit 26 where we made our first stop at the Valero Station there. Upon departure of the Valero Station the ride continued north on Route 9 through Schroon Lake. It was fun watching all the tourists stop and stare as we rode through. From Schroon Lake we proceeded to Ticonderoga and then onto Whitehall where the ride terminated at Finius T. Flubberbusters where a buffet of hot dogs, hamburgers and cold salads were available.

This was the first time I have been on this ride and I found it to be a very pleasurable experience. It was 203 miles long, well paced and offered a wide variety of road conditions from Interstate to winding narrow country roads to more primary roads. It was well organized with police escorts and police traffic control at the major intersections. The people were friendly and the cause was worthwhile and there was plenty of food at both ends of the ride. I would like to thank Alise of McDermotts Harley Davidson and the staff of the Adirondack Chapter of the Harley Owners Group for making me feel welcome from the moment I arrived.

I would suggest that you make an attempt to attend this ride next year. You will be hard pressed to find a safer more enjoyable and more worthwhile riding experience.

Things We Did

2nd Annual Ride For Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan

By Ed Frulla Sun, Aug 01, 2010

On Saturday, July 24th I was privileged to be among the 146 bikes that honored Sgt. Eddie Ryan by participating in the 2nd Annual Ride for Sgt. Eddie Ryan hosted by the Adirondack/ Lake George Chapter of the Leathernecks MC.

On Saturday, July 24th I was privileged to be among the 146 bikes that honored Sgt. Eddie Ryan by participating in the 2nd Annual Ride for Sgt. Eddie Ryan hosted by the Adirondack/Lake George Chapter of the Leathernecks MC.

Sgt. Ryan was severely injured in Iraq. His recovery from his wounds has been nothing short of a miracle but there is still a long way to go and he is progressing well and improving every day. The funds from this run are used to help defray some of the costs associated with his therapies. I would encourage everyone who reads this to go the http://www.HelpEddieRyan.com and read his story as told by his mom. I would then encourage you to dig a little deeper and help this wounded warrior of ours to the greatest extent possible.

The ride originated at the Marine Corp League, Detachment 2 in Hudson Falls. There was ample parking for bikes and coffee and donuts were provided. Registration was quick and easy as there were plenty of stations at which to register. T-shirts, sweats and other items commemorating Sgt. Ryan were also available for sale.

The ride departed and proceeded to Ridge Road (Route 9L) and continued along the east side of Lake George until we intersected with Route 9 where we turned south and then right onto Route 9N. We traveled on Route 9N until we arrived at our first rest stop, the Longhorn Restaurant and Pub in Lake Luzerne. The Longhorn had prepared a buffet for our benefit and everyone grabbed some grub and something cold and took a breather.

From the Longhorn the ride proceeded into Hadley and then turned right onto the Stony Creek Road (Country Route 1) and then onto Route 418 to Warrensburg where we stopped at Ashes Hotel and Bar for some liquid refreshment. From Ashes the ride progressed south on Hudson Street to Route 9 and south on Route 9 thru the Village of Lake George to Route 149 where we proceeded east on 149 to the Boars Nest Bar and Grill. When we arrived at the Boars Nest, Brit and the crew had prepared a chicken BBQ buffet complete with corn on the cob and like everything that they do at the Boars Nest, it was 1st class.

While at the Boars Nest I had the privilege to personally meet Sgt. Eddie Ryan, his mom Angela and his dad Chris. While talking to Angela, I learned that St. Ryan had been featured in an HBO special profiling wounded warriors. In the feature, it was expressed by his mom that Sgt. Ryan’s wish was to participate in the Marine Corp. Marathon. Marine Staff Sgt. Bryan Purcell who lives in Chicago saw the HOB feature and was so moved that he arrived at his own expense and unannounced to meet with Sgt. Ryan. His words to Sgt. Ryan were, “It would be my honor to be your legs in the 35^th Marine Corp. Marathon”. Since that day Sgt. Ryan has been training to operate a hand powered cycle of Staff Sgt. Purcell’s design. Sgt. Ryan will operate the cycle using hand power and Staff Sgt. Purcell will navigate and assist. I would wish Sgt. Ryan the best of luck in his endeavor but that would be an insult. His being there has nothing to do with luck but with hard work, determination and preparation. Maybe we could all use a little less luck and a little more of these attributes. I know that I could.

This was an excellent ride. It was well planned, well paced and executed smoothly. The fact that we took the ride through the Village of Lake George on the return trip added a large element of excitement as people stopped dead in their tracks to stare and take pictures. After all, it is not every day that you see 146 bikes travel through the Village.

I would like to thank the Adirondack/Lake George Leathernecks MC for making us feel welcome. I would also like to thank Mike Forand, a member of the Leathernecks and an avid subscriber for providing us with the video and some of the pictures in the gallery below.

Great friends, great route and great food. You cannot ask for much more than that. See you next year at the 3rd Annual Ride for Sgt. Eddie Ryan.

Gallery:

Things We Did

Low Expectations - Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

By Ed Frulla Mon, Aug 02, 2010

I ride a lot. I mean every weekend and quite often I ride on both Saturday and Sunday. I have made a number of friends on these rides and it is always a welcome sight to see them pull into the origination point of the next run. It means that I won’t be alone at the refreshment stops. I enjoy each and every one of these rides but nothing can compare to the enjoyment that I get when I ride with Low Expectations based in Albany, NY. That is my club and these are my fellow members.

I ride a lot. I mean every weekend and quite often I ride on both Saturday and Sunday. I have made a number of friends on these rides and it is always a welcome sight to see them pull into the origination point of the next run. It means that I won’t be alone at the refreshment stops. I enjoy each and every one of these rides but nothing can compare to the enjoyment that I get when I ride with Low Expectations based in Albany, NY. That is my club and these are my fellow members. When you are riding with your own club, you know the rules and pardon the joke but you also know the expectations. I have not had a chance to ride with Low Ex since May. It seemed that every time they would schedule a ride, I was committed to covering a ride locally for the magazine. I was quite excited to discover that the club had planned a ride on July 25^th and I had no other commitments.

I met with Nicole at the exit 18 Stewarts and we proceeded down I87 to Route 7. We crossed Route 7 and exited onto I787 and then onto I90 East. We exited I90 East at Exit 9 and swooped into the East Greenbush Dunkin Donuts parking lot. Mike who was this rides Road Captain and Matt the Low Ex VP were already there. Since “America Runs on Dunkin” and we were already there, some of us chowed down on some of the Dunkin Donuts products that were so readily available.

We left East Greenbush and headed east through winding country roads. You know the type, smooth with long radiuses that you can just carve your way through. We eventually intersected the Taconic State Parkway and headed south towards Red Hook and Rhinebeck. Our target for the day was the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome where we were to attend an air show featuring reproduction and or restored World War 1 Fighter Aircraft. Before we went to the Aerodrome we had lunch at the “Historic Village Diner” in Red Hook NY. This is a classic piece of American Heritage and is one of the first dinners in the Nation to be placed on the National Historic Registry. The service was excellent as was the food. It was like we had climbed into a time machine and gone back into the 40s and 50s. Just a fabulous place to have lunch and if you find yourself in that neck of the woods, I would suggest that you give them a try.

After lunch we went to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. We were an hour early for the air show and that gave us plenty of time to tour the museum at the top of the hill. The museum consists of three hangers and the museum building itself. The place is loaded with vintage flying machines from both Europe and the United States. Inside the museum proper there we even some old bikes on display including a 1930 4 cylinder Indian that appeared to be in excellent condition.

The air show itself was both entertaining and amusing. To give some life to the air show the ORA has over the decades developed a little skit featuring Trudy Truelove (the heroin), the Black Baron of Rhinebeck (the villain), Sir Prissey (the hero) and an entourage of World War 1 German soldiers. Even though the skit was a little on the hokey side, it added greatly to the entertainment value of the air show. It was exciting to see the various World War 1 Fighters in flight, performing mock dog fights and mock bombing runs. Now if they could just get the fake bombs to land near the ground based pyrotechnics it would be more realistic but I doubt that it would be more entertaining.

It had been overcast all day with an occasional sprinkle of rain but just near the end of the air show it began to rain steadily. We left the air show and everyone dug out and donned their rain gear. We had not driven 8 miles when the sun came out so we pulled over to get out of the gear. Weather can be such a pain.

We drove north on Route 9G and missed a torrential down pour by only minutes when we sought shelter at a handy convenience store near Hudson NY. As soon as the storm passed, the sun came back out and we continued to drive north on Route 9G until we intersected with Route 9J. We followed Route 9J to Troy where we intersected with I787 and the ride terminated. Yes we actually terminate some rides while on the fly.

I do so love riding with my club and am hoping to be able to catch a few more trips with them before this riding season ends. I have already missed the ride to the top of Whiteface and subsequent visit to the Village of Lake Placid and just this weekend they rode to the top of Mount Equinox near Manchester Vermont.

As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s No Place Like Home”.

Some of What We Saw:

Special thanks to Gail O. and Don C. of Low Expectations for providing some of the pictures below.