Maine Lighthouse Ride

Saturday, September 13, 2008    

The Eastern Trail Alliance hosts its fifth annual Eastern Trail Maine Lighthouse Bike Ride on September 13, 2008. Four bicycling options are offered – a 10-mile guided family ride (see 2 lighthouses) on the South Portland Greenbelt, a 25-mile loop (see 7 lighthouses), a 40-mile intermediate loop through Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth (see 8 lighthouses), and our 100-mile 9-Lighthouse century ride that takes riders through Kennebunkport. This ride has become established as a major cycling event in Southern Maine, and thus we will build it up even more in 2008! Click here for directions to the start and other information on the ride.

The Maine Lighthouse Ride benefits the Eastern Trail Alliance, an organization dedicated to building a 60-mile greenway from Kittery to South Portland, Maine. Click here to view the corporate sponsors and supporters for this ride.

WHAT’S INCLUDED? Spectacular Maine coastline – see up to 9 lighthouses! Fully supported rides with rest stops Hot showers (bring your own towel) Food and conversation after the ride Free admission to Portland Harbor Museum WHAT'S AVAILABLE?         *  Chance to tour a lighthouse!         *  Colorful, collectible lighthouse T-shirt (free to all who register by Sept. 1)

To register for this ride:  To register for this ride now, choose one of the following pages:

• Click here if you wish to register online and pay by credit card on our secure web page

• Click here if you wish to register and pay by check mailed to the ETA office

All rides begin and end at the beautiful oceanfront campus of Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland

The 25-mile self-guided ride leaves at 9 a.m., begins by following s the 6-mile South Portland Greenbelt to Wainwright Farms Recreational Fields, where snacks and facilities are available. The riders then return to SMCC along Maine's beautiful shoreline through Cape Elizabeth and South Portland. (Seven lighthouses are visible on this trip)

The 40-mile intermediate self-guided ride leaves at 8:30 a.m. with an Eastern Trail guide leading the tour, but with riders encouraged to ride the loop at their own pace. This tour includes the South Portland Greenbelt as well as a spur to the recently completed 3-mile section of the Eastern Trail across the beautiful Scarborough Marsh, the largest salt marsh in Maine. For those of you who haven’t seen the new trail yet, it is not to be missed! From there, the ride continued along the spectacular coastline of Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, and South Portland, passing by three state parks, five gorgeous beaches, and two museums. Eight historic lighthouses are visible from the route. This 40-mile ride will be led at a moderate pace, and usually takes take 4 to 5 hours with two rest stops provided. There is so much to see on this ride, you may want to take all day to finish it! A map of the route will be provided.

The 100-mile 9 Lighthouse century self-guided ride leaves at 8 a.m. This ride includes all of the beautiful scenery of the other rides, as well as a jaunt through Old Orchard Beach and Saco to the quaint village of Kennebunkport , the summer home of George H.W. Bush. This ride is not led by Eastern Trail guides, but many members and friends plan to participate in this ride. As with the 40-mile ride, maps and cue sheets will be provided. An optional all-paved route for the 100-mile century ride will be provided (the regular century ride has a very short firm but unpaved section over the beautiful Scarborough marsh). Both routes are provided so you can take your pick!

T-shirts: Once again we are giving four-color Maine Lighthouse Ride T-shirts to all paid registrants who register by Sept. 1 (please state size preference).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The Maine Lighthouse Ride is the major fundraiser for the Eastern Trail Alliance. This money is used to pay the ETA's dues to the Eastern Trail Management District, to run the office (newsletter, postage, supplies), and as seed money for other fundraising events. We need Volunteers for different shifts all day on September 13th:
- Registration: 7:30-9:30. Easy, busy, then cheer the riders away.
- Rest Stop: A few hours--lots of fun. Meet the riders.
- Support Vehicle Driver: Follow the course, carry a pump for flats, bring a rider in if bicycle is out of commission. Required: Bike rack, sense of humor.
- Food delivery: Take extra food out to rest stops.
- If your friend, relative, or significant other is riding and you want to stay busy while you wait for his or her return, PLEASE JOIN US AS A VOLUNTEER.

Call or email Maggie Warren at 207-441-8658 or for questions or to sign up.Thank you!

Put up a poster at your school or office, or anywhere people can learn about this important event. Flyer (PDF file format)