 We had been in the habit of biking early on Saturday mornings on the Yough trail, Boston to Greenock to the cemetery to Buena Vista and back again. By September, we began to think, "same old, same old, same old". It was time to search out a new trail. Marie thought she knew where to find the trail head to the downtown Eliza Furnace Trail -- somewhere near the new jail, she thought. So there we were, luckily early when there was little traffic, bobbling around downtown in a section of narrow streets, dead ends and one ways. And then we found it - the start of the trail, a parking lot - metered at 15 minutes per quarter. Between us we had 8 quarters, good for an hour each car. That would never do. Marie set out on foot and soon was back, she'd found an unmetered lot! Again we set out, and eventually came to the entrance of that lot - just after the 10th St. Bridge turn off on 2nd Ave. It was a pay-for lot, $2 each car for all day parking. Luckily, we had the dollar bills.
Finally we reached the end of the Eliza Furnace section of the trail. There is a free parking lot, accessed off of 2nd Ave. with a nice, large sign. A laminated map and a porta potty complete the picture.
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 We decided we'd continue on the Panther Hollow section of the trail. It was not an easy transition. We walked our bikes along 2nd Ave. and under the railroad bridge. We found ourselves in the section of Greenfield that nestles under the parkway bridge. How many times have I looked down at it, thinking "how quaint"! Now we found ourselves walking through it. The Panther Hollow trail began under the Swinburn St. Bridge. This is not a "rails to trails", this one is not flat and even. There are some hills, but they are not too steep. There is great variety in it's short two miles. City streets give way to woods, which gives way to a wide, flower strewn meadow. Overhead, the bridges: the parkway bridge, the Blvd. of the Allies, and then, Panther Hollow Bridge. Over it all, looms the Cathedral of Learning.
After we rode under the Panther Hollow Bridge, we found ourselves once again on city streets, and these were steep! It was time to turn around and retrace our path. |
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It is not a long trail, just over 5 miles if you include Panther Hollow; asphalt all the way and a favorite with roller bladers. It was fun! It was different with traffic zipping by on both sides, occasionally above us. And we had a close up view of the city that one does not get from inside a car. 