Memoirous

Day 9, to ?, outside of Monroe, NH , 55 miles Rain came right before dawn and slpitter-splattmered for about 4 hours. Able to crawl out of bivy tent to run the bathroom and make a thermos of tea with my probe. I ate a dry breakfast under the bathroom overhang. Packed and ready to go by 9:15—carrying so much sand and a wet tent. The sky is massed with clouds, definitely a change in weather. More like a raw autumn morning. At maybe 4 miles from park on 114 began a 2-miles climb. Nothing horrible, just long. At 21.5 miles hit East Burke, where I ordered breakfast at a cafe. The area has a x-cycle track and attracts weekend cycle enthusiasts. The village has a great vibe. I see so many disparities in Vermont: perfect people with healthy, active lifestyles and those without, with meth scabs and missing teeth, overweight and smoking. The opioid epidemic has hit this region hard. In Lyndon I stopped at Village Sports and asked the to check my chain. I put on a new one at The Rec...

Day 8, to Brighton State Park, Island Pond, VT, 33 miles Last night it began to storm around 9 pm--a big draft proceeded, leaving my neighbor’s tent flapping. Thunder and lightning, but not a huge rain event. I stayed dry and slept. This a.m. a bit cooler and less humid. Every day I’ve been swimming in sweat. I keep wearing the same clothes and washing them out at the end of the day. Left camp @8 and, of course, the ACA maps took me up a hill, Darling Hill Rd. where I connected with Berber Rd. which should take me to Derbyshire Line—except I missed a turn, and that has made all the difference. The ACA maps profiled Twin Bridges Rd. which looked to be grueling. I missed it and took route 105 with gentle gradients, meandering by 2 lakes and a river. In East Charleston I bought a sandwich to eat later. I felt a love for the sublime beauty of the Vermont countryside—rolling hills, mountains of pine. Eventually I turned toward 114 and Island Pond. That’s when I noticed the s...

Day 7, to Prouty Beach Campground via Canada First thing: I’m exhausted, simply put--there are very few (none) places to rest, eat, get out of the sun. I had no shops until Newport Center. Tomorrow I want a short day so since I’m ahead of itinerary will break one of my days in two. There is a chance of thunderstorms tonight and all weekend. Last night when I checked in the college kids said it was going to rain A LOT and it did. Starting at 8:30 til midnight, then again til 4, then from about 6-10, it poured. I stayed dry in my miracle lean-to and packed up dry. Thank God not an electrical storm. I didn’t sleep well, I had weird dreams. So gathered everything in faith it would stop raining and by 10:30 off. A big hill out of the park, a foretaste of what was to come. There were so many steep, leg-sucking energy hills. I took the Quebec Alternative, which after being processed through the border turned down a steep gravel hill. With so much h rain, the surface was ...

Day 6, Burlington to Lake Camri via Champlain Islands, 78 miles I’m still waking up too early=eager to ride, except today, the bike ferry doesn’t leave until 10 a.m. It is 7 miles on the Burlington Island Trail and causeway to the ferry so left around 9. The causeway is cool; it extends out from a point off of North Burlington almost to South Hero or Grande Isle. A bike ferry takes about 2 minutes to deliver you to the other end of causeway. After embarking I rode to Allenholm Farm for a maple creme, a local taste treat=soft serve ice cream that is maple flavored. Maple is very big in Vermont. Folks have signs in their yards advertising “maple stuff.” Storms are in the forecast. Apparently last week a mighty storm came up and killed 2 kayakers on Lake Champlain. At 12:30 in North Hero stopped for lunch at a general store. The sandwich I ordered was as big as a dinner plate. I finally met some cycle tourists. Very fresh, as they’d JUST started. I ate 1/2 the sandwich and,...

Day 5, Vermont!! 57.5 miles Left CP Campground around 8 a.m. and crossed on the Champlain Bridge. Once in Vermont very bucolic. I bought an apple fritter at a general store and didn’t bother to see or fill up water waters because it’s a TV commercial or travel brochure. There are general stores in all the numerous small towns. Everywhere. Using a combo of ACA maps, signs for Champlain Bikeway, and Google, I rode north close to Champlain. I was on quiet Rhodes. Little to no traffic. And no more towns. No services. No stopping, no shade. It was HOT. I was running low on water and finally saw a pick your own blueberry and winery place and pulled in. The lady filled up my water bottles and said less than 2 miles to The Old Brick general store. At 38 miles I took my first significant break. So hot. I couldn’t get enough liquids. And that thing that in Vermont there will be so many long distance cyclists--nada, zero, so far. I took 22A after lunch which crosses route 7 and pr...

Schroon River Schroon Lake Eagle Pond Day 4, Hearthstone State Park to Crown Point State Park, 67.86 miles Camping in the Adirondacks Slowly night falls On Route 9 traffic hums. I pulled out antibody 9 and was soon at Diamond Point Rd. A big climb up from the lake. Good thing it was first, so I could do it in the cool of the morning. I took the Schroon River road, maybe a car every 10 minutes. It was so beautiful and relaxing. Twenty miles in stopped at a general store to buy a postcard and a patch! My lunch stop was in Schroon Lake at Stwarts which sells gas and ice cream. I decided to take 9 instead of following the east side of the lake. Gradients were gentle. High in the Adirondacks—how do I know? All the bear knick knacks, gift shops, and t-shirts. Route 74 was logging trucks and trucks in general, there was no bike lane or berm. It was steady up and down, more up. At 46 miles I needed a cooling break, so turned at Eagle Lake. I was so sick ...

Day 3, First actual day of riding, Clifton Park to Hearthstone Campground, 54.4 miles Left Laura’s house at 8 a.m. because I want to beat the heat, also anxious. Yes, there were hills and I’m learning about planning ahead with shifting. You cannot wait to get into gear. Also I have to think: I’m heavy, thus I shift into overkill. I have three chainrings in the front and 7 in the back. I am all over the back gears and try to stay in 2, shifting to 3, the lowest, if I anticipate. Route 9 is busy but with a wide margin,practically a whole lane for cyclists, not a problem. At Saratoga Spa State Park a bike path begins on the left. Outside of SS more rural. At 12 noon in South Glen Falls, 37.5 miles, I stop for lunch at a cute spot. Mr. Bills American Food. The Muzak plays top 40 from like the 60s. Temperature is about 75, but I’m sweating uphill. It looks like rain when I leave but no. Once I pick up the Warren County Bike Trail it’s smooth sailing to Lake George—the Pigeon Forg...