Trail Ride in Cranberry Country--Oct 15

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Linda B. Merims lbm@ici.net

Hanson Riding Club Fall Pleasure Trail Ride
Sunday, October 15, 2000
Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth/Carver Massachusetts
NEHT Affiliated

5/10/15/20 Mile Options for all levels of experience and
                        conditioning.  (35 mile trail available
                        by prior arrangement with ride management.)


The vast 15,000 acre Myles Standish State Forest straddles the
Plymouth/Carver townships in the heart of southeast Massachusetts'
cranberry country.  Comprised of pine and oak woodlands and
dotted with dozens of glacial coastal kettle ponds, Myles Standish
represents a rare habitat called "pitch pine/scrub oak" found
in only two other places on earth.  You will ride on single
track trails and two-track dirt forest roads through oak and
pine woodlands, open fields, past ponds, and through stately,
mature white pine forests.  Myles Standish's sandy but firm
soils produce unusually good footing, with few rocks and
no mud.

If you've been hearing about Myles Standish's 90+ miles of
forest dirt roads and 50+ miles of single track trail, with
the only overnight horse campground in the Massachusetts
State Forest system--this is an excellent opportunity to
check it out.

Registration:  $15(pre)/$20(post)
Includes pre-ride continental breakfast and post-ride hot lunch.
To guarantee a meal, you must pre-enter or phone Linda Merims
(508-699-8499) by 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13.

Registration opens at 8 a.m.  20 milers out by 9 a.m.  5/10/15
milers out by 10 a.m.

Juniors must wear hard hats and be accompanied by an adult.
Bring your own water.

Directions:
-Take exit 2 off 495.
-Go north on Rt. 58
-When 58 makes a left, go straight instead.
-Go through South Carver town center, bearing right at the
 fork.
-Watch for brown Myles Standish State Forest sign.
-Right onto Cranberry Road which takes you into the forest.
-At Forest Headquarters, make sharp left up hill.
-Follow road past lake on right.
-Entrance to Equestrian Parking lot is on your left.

Why am I advertising a pleasure trail ride on an endurance list?
I believe that Myles Standish is a spectacular facility that
could host endurance events of regional and even national
importance.  Yet it is a well-kept secret that gets only
light use from a few area horse clubs.  I want to make the
southern New England distance riding community aware of this
venue so that we can reach a critical mass where it becomes
possible to hold ECTRA, and ultimately AERC events here.

Linda B. Merims
Ride Manager
Hanson Riding Club
lbm@ici.net
508-699-8499