Starting Point: Brunswick, ME

Ending Point: West Bethel, ME

Via: Topsham, Lisbon Falls, Lisbon, Lewiston, Auburn, Minot, Hebron, South Paris, Bryant Pond, Locke Mills, Bethel

Mileage: 72.4                                                

Time: 7:22

Mph: 9.8

Terrain: very hilly

Weather: 50s, overcast, occasional rain

Lodging: Pleasant River Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 72.4

Miles to Go: ≈ 1427

 

            As is often the case before an adventure, I couldn’t sleep too well. Susan was encouraging me to try and pack up the trailer before the last minute. Did I listen to her advice? Was I open to sage council before stepping out on the roads of Maine?

            The next morning I had hoped to leave by 7:00am. With the packing that still needed to be complete, it was a miracle that I was actually rolling down the road at 9:03am. Unlike the start of the Trek Across Maine which has hundreds of people at the start to cheer people on, this ride began quietly with Susan imparting encouragement as I wheeled away.

            This was the start of a new adventure; even though I was excited to finally be doing the ride, there was still plenty to be nervous about. This ride is a great unknown. My mind was doing its own cycling: what got packed and, more worrisome, what didn’t? Question after question and doubt after doubt whirled around in my mind, considering such things as had I started too late in the morning? Had I stayed up too late the night before? Did I have enough clothing to stay warm? Did I say goodbye properly to Robbie, my cat?

            None of these doubts slowed me down. They didn’t gnaw at me to such a degree that I turned around and went home to check.

            It took some time to feel in the rhythm of biking in this manner again. It’s too soon to say that I’ve rediscovered that comfortable “zone” where I can be moving forward while considering other things alongside bicycle safety. I’m sure it will come back.

            Today I’m looking forward to meeting with my old colleague, Dick Davidson, of Hebron with whom I used to teach at Hebron Academy. So far it seems to help to have a goal to look forward to on this ride or a person to meet. Some of the miles and even some of the hills aren’t so overwhelming that the riding gets too hard.

            I designed the route to go right through Lewiston on the way to Hebron. It’s always a curious thing to look at places I used to live and see their current condition. As I approached Lisbon Street, I even decided to go right down it, despite its run-down appearance. It was clear to me that my bike and trailer combination was something of a rarity along this stretch of road. Many people along that street just stared and made no comment at all.

            Arriving at Dick’s house, I was treated to a highly delicious ham and cheese sandwich along with a very fine dessert of homemade chocolate chip cookies. This was an auspicious start to this great adventure. We shared ideas about writing, especially since I was about to attempt to rediscipline myself to write every day.

            There wasn’t much in the way of unexpected surprises on this day aside from the heavenly sandwich. Admittedly it was a long day of riding and it wasn’t clear exactly where the campground was located. I was hoping that there would be a diner/restaurant nearby so that I wouldn’t have to cook on this first day.

            Michael and Michelle Mador were the campground owners who were very interested in what I was doing on my bike. They were encouraging and friendly. So friendly, in fact, that the next morning at 6:00am I heard Michael outside the tent asking me, “John! Are you awake?” I answered yes. He let me know that he had a whole egg and cheese sandwich for me and an orange juice. He offered to hand it to me as I stayed inside the tent. This was luxury beyond luxury. Last year over 85 days of travel, there was not even one campground that offered breakfast in bed. I did give him and the campground four stars for service. I did let him know that I would mention his phenomenal service in this journal, along with the caveat that this service was above and beyond the ordinary. This is to let my readers know that he won’t do this for everybody!

            As luck would have it, there was a restaurant down the road a piece where I could have a dinner and avoid cooking. There were absolutely no difficulties sleeping that night.

Starting Point: West Bethel, ME

Ending Point: Waterboro, ME

Via: Gilead, North Chatham, NH, Stow, North Fryeburg, Fryeburg, Brownfield, Hiram, West Baldwin, Cornish, Limerick, North Waterboro

Mileage: 76.8

Time: 7:58

Mph: 9.6

Terrain: very hilly

Weather: 50s, overcast at first, then sunny and warm. Later on rain.

Lodging: chez Vic and Roxie Wright

Cumulative Mileage: 149.2

Miles to Go: ≈ 1350

 

            The first challenge of the day, besides eating egg and cheese sandwiches in bed, was going up Evans Notch. Fortunately the notch seems to be more gradual going north to south, so I was pleased at having chosen that direction for the ride. The Wild River goes alongside the notch road for a long ways before they separate. It was a fine woodsy scene; the air was cool, the sky was overcast and the river was flowing strongly because of all the recent rain. Reaching the top of the notch seemed quicker than I remembered it from other rides. Going down the other side was, as usual, disappointingly too fast.

            At one point in Stow (not far from the notch) there was a bakery. A bicyclist named John, whom I encountered on the way down the notch, had recommended stopping there. It was a good thing, too. There were some mighty fine pastries to behold. There were even some I chose to eat.

            Stopping at that bakery was the highpoint of the day, except for finally arriving at the Wrights’ home in Waterboro. Victor and Ty will do the Trek Across Maine on a tandem and Roxie and Alyssa will volunteer at rest stops handing out food to all the riders. They were incredibly generous to step forward to the Lung Association and invite me into their home. Not only did I not have to pitch a tent this evening or cook, but they had a hot tub as well. My legs thoroughly welcomed that treatment.

            The next morning Vic and Ty accompanied me partway on my route to Biddeford. The difference between biking these long distances alone and with someone else is immense. On the ride from Fryeburg, all the way to Waterboro, there seemed to be not much around; no stores, no houses, no people, nothing.

            It is a challenge to bike in this sort of desolate part of Maine; the challenge is mostly mental. It’s such a great challenge to stop and take pictures of something because there just doesn’t seem to be anything worth taking a picture of. There is a sort of constant pressure to get to the endpoint of the day, even though the mileage to that endpoint is an unknown. Yet there are some distractions on occasion: an ice cream stand, antique stores and the like. I felt the pressure to continue on quite strongly and didn’t want to dally among the geegaws of any antique shop.

Starting Point: Waterboro, ME

Ending Point: Biddeford, ME

Via: Alfred, North Berwick, South Berwick, Eliot, Kittery, Kittery Point, York, Cape Neddick, Ogunquit, Moody, Wells, Kennebunkport

Mileage: 77.2

Time: 7:26

Mph: 10.3

Terrain: rolling hills

Weather: 60s, Somewhat intensive rain last 10 miles

Lodging: chez Chuck and Katy Hazzard

Cumulative Mileage: 226.4

Miles to Go: ≈ 1,274

 

            The first part of the ride was very pleasant because Vic and Ty accompanied me on their tandem. They, too, need to put in some training for the Trek Across Maine. I was glad they helped me out with providing friendly company, fine food and good encouragement. I was also glad I gave them an opportunity to ride.

            Until I reached a donut place in Eliot, there were long stretches of nothing. There was woods, woods and more woods. There were long straight-aways that seemed to go on forever. I’d approach one turn in the road hoping that there might be town up ahead only to have my hopes dashed to the pavement.

            What kept me going was looking forward to getting to Kittery to the flat Maine coastline so that it would be easy riding all the way to Biddeford. This was another hope that was mercilessly dashed when I reached the shore road just north of Kittery. There was hill after hill. I do realize that there are hills in western Maine. I’m hoping that they are not overwhelming. These hills were incessant. The only good thing about them was that they are good training for western Maine. Oh yes, and there were coastal views now and then.

            It was shocking to get actually caught in a traffic jam in Ogunquit. Cars were over too far and bicycles couldn’t pass on their right as they are supposed to.  It wasn’t long after that when it started to rain, hard at times. I suppose it’s not surprising for you to know that I thought it was miserable under the rain.

            Again my focus was not so much on the journey, but the destination. I know I have some more days to practice on this. Today wasn’t one of those days. I just wanted to arrive and get warm.

            At the Hazzards’ home, there was a fine menagerie of cats and a dog which made my stay all that much more enjoyable. At dinner I was treated to delicious pasta with homemade sauce and homemade bread. I wasn’t turned outside to sleep in my trusty tent. I got to sleep in a trusty bed instead. I, of course, didn’t insist on the erecting the tent.

Starting Point: Biddeford, ME

Ending Point:   Brunswick, ME

Via: Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough, South Portland, Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth, Freeport

Mileage: 53.9

Time: 5:22

Mph: 10.0

Terrain: rolling hills

Weather: 60s, overcast

Lodging: chez moi

Cumulative Mileage: 280.3

Miles to Go: ≈ 1,220

 

            The day began with a special treat: not only did I get to ride with Chuck and Katy, who were on their tandem, but also, Ellie, the dog, came along in a Burley trailer. We inadvertently rode on the Memorial Day parade route in Biddeford/Saco and received plenty of stares, comments, and exclamations by young children. My favorite, of course, is by boys under 12 years of age who, in Maine, like to yell, “Cool bike!” Every now and then, one says, “Can I ride your bike?” I always tell them to go to a bike shop.

            Riding with Chuck and Katy helped me go faster than I normally might have alone. Thus, it was a shorter day overall and not just in distance. Once I arrived in Portland, I felt again on familiar ground and didn’t want to dally in any cafes in Portland even though it was tempting.

            I arrived home at a relatively early hour and my cycling partner for the next 9-11 days had already arrived. Katie, from Baltimore and from our Northern Tier ride last year would be accompanying around Downeast Maine and up into the County.

            It was a fine reunion to be with my wife, Susan, even after four short days.

Starting Point: Brunswick, ME

Ending Point:   Belfast, ME

Via: Bath, Woolwich, Edgecomb, Wiscasset, Newcastle, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, Warren, West Rockport, Rockport, Camden, Lincolnville, Northport

Mileage: 75

Time: 8:07

Mph: 9.2

Terrain: inexorable endless hills

Weather: 50s, overcast

Lodging: chez Bruce and Liz Snider

Cumulative Mileage: 355.3

Miles to Go: ≈ 1,145

 

            Katie Frato arrived yesterday evening to begin her partial tour of the route I designed. She is a grad student from Johns Hopkins studying biophysics. We met last year on the cross-country Northern Tier ride with Adventure Cycling Association (www.adventurecycling.org). So Katie was the only one of the group who accepted my invitation to join me on the ride. The plan is that she will accompany me until Millinockett or Greenville. I’m so glad to have her along. Just this evening she saved us from doing extra miles in Belfast by intuiting a correct turn at a vague intersection. Yeah, Katie!

            Today was another long day to reach Belfast and the very welcoming hospitality of another family of supporters of the Lung Association. Upon arrival we were given the choice of either pitching our tents in the beautiful backyard overlooking Penobscot Bay or sleeping in the guest room on the floor or on a fold-out couch. Bruce provided a caveat that the weather report was predicting fog and that it might be really wet in the morning. Naturally, since I’m the tough, rugged, lumberjack type of guy, I didn’t hesitate and said we’d use the guestroom.

            Sarah’s in Wiscasset was our first stop; Red’s wasn’t open. I might have mentioned that I’m a flexible vegetarian. From Wiscasset to Waldoboro, I had visions of pie at Moody’s Diner dancing through my head. It was a good thing, too. The hills,  by this time, were getting annoying and wouldn’t go away.

            We sat at the counter at Moody’s so as to avoid the wait to get a booth. One of the ladies, who looked like an old-timer, served us. I asked her if I could have something to write with. She brought me a bucket of crayons. That set me back on my fanny just a bit. She didn’t miss a beat though.

            From there we encountered more hills (did I mention that I don’t really relish hills?) all the way into Belfast. The good company of Bruce and Liz and the energy of their young child were a fine lift for the end of a hard day.

Starting Point: Belfast, ME

Ending Point:   Steuben, ME

Via: Searsport, Bucksport, Orland, East Orland, Ellsworth, Hancock, Sullivan, Gouldsboro

Mileage: 67.8

Time: 7:01

Mph: 9.6

Terrain: endless hills

Weather: 70s, sunny

Lodging: Maineayr Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 423.1

Miles to Go: ≈ 1,077

 

            This day began on a fine note: Liz was making homemade muffins which we were to eat for breakfast. This was combined with a very fine Irish oatmeal mixture and juice, fruit, butter. This truly was roughing it in the wilds of Maine. I was nearly tempted to leave the front door open to let bugs in so we could simulate our camping experience for the next string of days. What was even more fun than eating these delicacies was sharing all this with their relatively young children. It reminded me so strongly of times when I would have breakfast with my two sons who are now in their twentys. Maybe this get-together had less yelling but it did have the same energy and cuteness.

            It has been some years since I’ve traveled along Route 1 to Ellsworth. There were a lot more hills than I remember. That is a general rule though, that in a car, a driver will never remember how hilly terrain is. On a bicycle, every rise gains prominence.

            The weather was quite cooperative. That, in itself, was a fine gift. There was warmth, sun, virtually cloudless sky and no wind.

            For some reason unbeknownst to me, I had thought that the traffic on Route 1 would thin out after Ellsworth. I guess this was in expectation that all cars go to Mount Desert Island. That idea was smashed to bits. There seemed to be no letup in traffic at all. Also for the first time on the tour, several drivers yelled out their car windows that we should get off the road. Needless to say that felt threatening.

            There were a few highpoints: getting a mint chocolate ice cream cone in Sullivan. At the cash register line, a guy in front of me made it very clear that if he tried to do what we were doing, he would die. We found groceries at a gas station in Gouldsboro. The selection wasn’t exactly as vast as might be found at Hannaford or Shaw’s. There were only two kinds of jelly.

            It took some exploration to find the campground. I was expecting there to be a sign somewhere along Village Road where it was supposed to be located. We went nearly the entire length of the road before we checked our specific directions. We had passed the number. So, we turned around. Then we came to the number on the directions. It was the campground owner’s house. Fortunately, he was there and told us where to go. It was up the road a ¼ mile by a wooden frame that was supposed to be for a sign. Indeed it was an unmarked driveway with no hint that it might be an entrance to a campground.

            The sites were lovely; we were able to find one right on the water. Actually we were the only two in the campground. Mister Ayrs said that winter had ended just three weeks ago and people hadn’t started arriving yet.

            We cooked dinner outside, but thanks to the plentitude of bugs we did have to eat it in the laundry room. I fear this is a portent of things to come.

            At dusk we were treated to the sound of a woodcock making its distinctive “pnnt” sound not far from out tents.

            Tomorrow is a rest day! Hallelujah. Time to catch up on laundry, these missives and some sleep. It seems like we will go on a short unencumbered ride to Winter Harbor. That’s where I’m headed after I send this.

Starting Point: Steuben, ME

Ending Point:   Steuben, ME

Via: Prospect Harbor, Winter Harbor, Birch Harbor, and the Schoodic Peninsula

Mileage: 35.5

Time: 3:30

Mph: 10.2

Terrain: hilly

Weather: 70s, sunny; at Winter Harbor and Schoodic, foggy

Lodging: Still Mainayr Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 458.6

Miles to Go: ≈ 1,041

 

            This rest day consisted of riding a very moderate distance without the trailer attached. Amazingly, this seemed relatively easy. The Schoodic Peninsula seemed like quintessential Maine minus the traffic. I think this was due to the fact that we were here before the tourist peak in July. Our host at the campground joked that winter had just ended three weeks prior to our arrival. In some ways, it didn’t seem like he was exaggerating. Leaves on the trees seemed not to be anywhere as far along as those in balmy Brunswick.

            Many of the restaurants in these various harbors were not yet open. It was a sad day to find a café sign and get all excited about a cappuccino, only to find the place dark and the door locked. We did find a restaurant in Winter Harbor, The View Restaurant, where hot delicious food awaited.  The fog that was rolling in at that point of the day (lunchtime) had a tremendous effect on the air temperature. It was easily 15-20 degrees cooler than back at the campsite. This fog did provide a fine archetypal foggy setting for the Prospect Harbor lighthouse. In that town, too, there was a seagull convention. Thousands of gulls were waiting for some effluent from the Beach Cliff sardine plant. I did stop in there to see if they had a showroom. Sadly, they didn’t.

            There was a public library in town where I wanted to stop and find a comfy chair to rest in. It was supposed to open at 1:30. It didn’t, but I managed to have a quick nap on the lawn outside the door while waiting.

            I was tempted to stop at a house that was selling miniature lobster buoys. They looked so inviting and cute, but the thought of still having many as yet unknown hills to ascend gave me pause.

            Speaking of paws, along this road to Schoodic, there were several large unchained dogs. At least one of these dogs was reminiscent of the Hound of the Baskervilles. Thankfully, it was one of the chained ones.

            This was a fine rest day in general. I suppose it would have been more sensible to not ride. I never promised that this would be a completely sensible adventure.

Starting Point: Steuben, ME

Ending Point:   Perry, ME

Via: Milbridge, Harrington, Columbia Falls, Jonesboro, Machias, East Machias, Whiting, Edmunds, Dennysville, Pembroke.

Mileage: 79.4

Time: 7:51

Mph: 10.1

Terrain: extremely hilly

Weather: 70s, sunny

Lodging: Loon Cove on Boyden Lake.

Cumulative Mileage: 538

Miles to Go: ≈ 962

 

            It wasn’t long after leaving the comfort of our snug abode with all our black fly friends when we arrived in the blueberry growing area of eastern Maine. There wasn’t much in the way of inhabitants, houses, stops, tourist traps or even gas stations. It seemed like miles and miles of nothing but distant lovely vistas in all directions.

            Back in 1984 when I worked for a computer store in Portland, we had a client visit to a business in Machias. At that time, it was recommended to us to go eat at Helen’s Restaurant. Their pies were the famous highlight of the menu. So it seemed only proper that we celebrate our passing through that lively metropolis by having lunch accompanied by a piece of pie of some sort.  I guess my fascination with cream pie has faded over the years, because I found the fruit pie at Moody’s far superior. This isn’t a condemnation of Helen’s, oh no, if you’re a cream pie lover, set your cruise control for Machias.

            A new perception was dawning on me with every passing hilly mile: perhaps 70-mile days were a bit overzealous. As the day wore on (and wore me out) I found myself eager to be done pedaling. This wasn’t the attitude I had wanted to have. I was hoping to be thoroughly enjoying the scenery and oddities and sights, but the hills just made me so exhausted, I could only focus on the hills.

            There was a tiny gas station/food store in Pembroke where we purchased our evening and breakfast meals. This was due to the fact that we found out the Farmer’s Union In Perry closed at 5:30 and there was no way in heck we were going to be there in time. When we finally arrived in Perry, we had to find our way to Loon Cove Lane where a cabin owned by a surveyor awaited us. I had fairly clear directions to it, but once we had to go down a gravel road, which seemed endless anyway, we ended up at a cabin that had a trailer next to it. I hadn’t recalled the owner talking about a trailer right next to the cabin. We were indeed next to the lake as I had expected, but something wasn’t right. I went inside the cabin to see if I could determine whose cabin it was. I went inside the trailer to see if there was any sign that showed that this indeed was the surveyor’s place.

            Fortunately, as I exited the trailer, the owner I had spoken to, showed up. He let me know in no uncertain terms that I was trespassing and should follow him immediately to his place which is right next door. There was an unmarked turn on a gravel road we had missed. At the end of a long day, this is one of the last things one wants to have happen.

            We made our way back up some of the steep gravel road and found the right place. For the next 45 minutes we had to work with the owner to prime the pump so we would have fresh well water to drink. Dinner was at 9:15pm. He encouraged us to sleep inside the cabin, but there was a mouse that lived there. Its calling cards were all over and there was a certain odor that led both Katie and I to pitch our tents and sleep outside. It was also much nicer sleeping outside, because we got to hear a loon chorus for much of the night.

           

Starting Point: Perry, ME

Ending Point:   Danforth, ME

Via: Meddybemps, Baring, Princeton, Indian Township, Waite, Topsfield, Brookton, Eaton.

Mileage: 69.8

Time: 7:35

Mph: 9.1

Terrain: extremely hilly

Weather: 80s, sunny

Lodging: Greenland Cove Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 607.8

Miles to Go: ≈ 892

 

            Bob, the owner of the cabin, did give us a short cut back to Route 1 north. We fully expected to go through Calais and go northward. His shortcut took us back to Route 1 just north of the town. I wasn’t going to backtrack south just to be able to say I went through Calais. We did get to go through a very lovely National Wildlife Refuge where we saw plenty of bunnies and birds. There were no moose. We were on the lookout, so they must have been in hiding.

            This day was particularly hot. It was in the mid-to-high 80’s. Out on the black asphault of the road, I was sure that it was hotter.

            Katie did get ahead of me for a while and I was trying to find out if I had missed her somehow at the last town. Just the other side of the river from Princeton was Indian Township. I had stopped in Princeton to try and find Katie. There were two teenagers who suggested a pizza place, Mama GG’s, where she might be.

            I stopped in there where there was no Katie, but GG or Regina was there. Ice cream was on my menu that day. It was 85° and humid. This was such a stark contrast to the previous two months that my body went into shock.

            In Topsfield, Katie was awaiting my arrival and having a grand old time socializing with the locals who had plenty of stories. This was pure Maine. There was an old-timer there who never really did give his name, though it might have Mr. Littlefield. The elderly lady who owned this store/restaurant said this about Mr. Littlefield, “If I had been there when he was born, I would have drowned him in the pot right then and there.” Imagine this with a strong Maine accent. Mr. Littlefield said that he had diabetes. Later on in the conversation, I asked him if his health was alright except for the diabetes. He said, “No, I have everything you can imagine.” This whole scene was the kind of thing that Marshall Dodge would revel in.

            Katie was waiting for me for 1 ½ hours at this spot. She asked different people who came in if they had seen a guy on a funny bicycle. They would give updates on his whereabouts. The elderly lady who owned the store said that if he didn’t come soon, she’d go out in the cah and staht looking for him.

            At this store, Katie was tempted to buy the Houlton Pioneer Times because its motto was “The only newspaper in the world that cares about Houlton, Maine.”

            Greenland Cove was off the main road by a long hilly way. We finally arrived to find the office closed. Eventually we did get settled in and Katie and I shared a screened in gazebo with Steve and Wanda. Steve shared his inspirational story of how he gave up smoking.

Starting Point: Danforth, ME

Ending Point:   Fort Fairfield, ME

Via: Orient, Cary, Hodgdon Corners, Houlton, Littleton, Monticello, Bridgewater, Blaine, Mars Hill, Easton Center, Fairmount, Maple Grove.

Mileage: 87.1

Time: 9:12 (fully 12 hours on the road including breaks)

Mph: 9.3

Terrain: inexhaustible hills, exhaustible rider

Weather: 50° in the morning; warmed up to the 60’s

Lodging: chez Shawn and Kim Murchison

Cumulative Mileage: 694.9

Miles to Go: ≈ 538

 

            We started the day up an inhumanly steep hill which I had to walk up, but Katie did not. Although she admits to contemplating walking.

            Again, the hills for the day were, for me, just endless. It might seem that I have been exaggerating how hilly the terrain has been, but today was ruthless without a doubt.

            There were scenic turnouts and we did take advantage of every one. In Orient, I had to stop and have a hot thing to eat. All they had were those famous red Maine hot dogs. When it gets cold, my interest focuses on the most efficient, quickest way to get warm. My vegetarianism falls by the wayside in blatant surprising ways. The lady at the Orient store did tell us that she used to bike from Orient to Houlton and that it was pretty flat. Either the roads changed or her brain was not in gear. It was far from flat. It wasn’t even in the same universe as flat.

            Houlton held out a fine welcome for us as the Irving restaurant. It was an important milestone to reach. The fact that we still had 50 miles to go was, without a doubt, hanging heavy around our necks.

            Mars Hill was visible from a long way off similar to those blasted water towers in the plain states. They’re landmarks that let you know you’re approaching a town, but that doesn’t mean that arrival in the town center is imminent!

            We were clearly in Aroostook County; there were road kill potatos and potato fields galore. I was all excited to see McCain’s.

            We did finally get all excited about crossing the marked town line of Fort Fairfield. What we learned that evening from Shawn, though, was that the town was a double township; two 11 mile square lots instead of the usual one. So it took 11 miles to get from the town marker to the town center.

            Passing the Aroostook Starch Company meant that we were extremely close to the town itself.

            The difficulty of this day did convince me that I had overestimated my ability to deal with endless hills and that I had underestimated the ability of hills to be everywhere. So I have made a decision to lop off the part of the route to go to Madawaska and instead take a rest day and then go directly Ashland on Tuesday. I don’t know yet what impact this will have on the total miles, but if the past 10 days are any indication, I’m sure I’ll not fall short in the distance department. In discussions with Shawn, it seemed clear that the river valley to the north was not as flat as I had hoped. There was no real reason to actually go to Madawaska except to say we were at the northernmost point of Maine. Apparently there’s a paper mill there and not much else.

Starting Point: Fort Fairfield, ME

Ending Point:   Fort Fairfield, ME

Via:

Mileage: 13.3

Time: 1:20

Mph: 10.3

Terrain: hilly

Weather: 50° rain

Lodging: chez Shawn and Kim Murchison

Cumulative Mileage: 708.2

Miles to Go: ≈ 792

 

            We biked to Presque Isle to see a movie for fun and relaxation. It was miserably wet and cold on the way. There are two huge hills between Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle. I wouldn’t have wished those hills on my worst enemies. Right after we got there, we went to Tim Horton’s for lunch for more hot food. It was then I discovered that my fairing was just about to fall off the bicycle. This turn of events didn’t deter me from going to the movies and enjoying myself. After the movie, it was still raining so I took a taxi back to Fort Fairfield with my bike in the trunk. Katie was much tougher and she rode back in the rain.

            Other than a major mechanical failure and incessant rain, it was a fine rest day. I removed what remained of the fairing in Shawn’s garage. This whole process does have the advantage of a little less weight to pedal up hills. I’m all for that.

            Tomorrow we will head directly to Ashland and be back on schedule.

Starting Point: Fort Fairfield, ME

Ending Point:   Ashland, ME

Via: Presque Isle, Mapleton

Mileage: 36.6

Time: 4:13

Mph: 8.7

Terrain: very hilly

Weather: 60°

Lodging: chez Janet and Lonnie Jandreau

Cumulative Mileage: 708.2

Miles to Go: ≈ 755

 

            Today was a light day as is evidenced by the short mileage and the lengthy time. Today was the apex, the zenith, the big cohune: we finally saw a moose. It was after Mapleton in a wooded area. It was crossing the road and it stayed on the side long enough to get a distant photo of it. This photo is the ungulate version (Where’s Moosey?) of the web coverage of this trip (Where’s John?). According to Katie, the moose was “sweet.” I thought it looked a little worse for wear and it wasn’t very cooperative; we couldn’t get a clear close-up.

            Yesterday evening, Shawn showed us an alternate, less hilly route to Presque Isle. I was very grateful for that. Despite that minor success, there were still plenty of hills beyond to ascend.

            Now we’re on the lookout for bear and lynx. We just learned that the bunnies we’ve been seeing along the way were actually snowshoe hares. This is the species of hare that keeps the lynx in Maine.

            This evening we’ve been sitting around relaxing with Janet and Lonnie protected from black flies and mosquitoes. This was a fine powwow about the north Maine woods, hunting, brain-drain, physician drain and other interesting aspects of life in rural northern Maine.

            There were threats of thunderstorms on the weather report. Headwinds did their best to keep us in Presque Isle. For today, in any case, the score is 2-0 advantage us.

Starting Point: Ashland, ME

Ending Point:   Medway, ME

Via: Squa Pan, Masardis, Knowles Corner, Patten, Sherman, Stacyville, Grindstone

Mileage: 83.7

Time: 8:24

Mph: 9.9

Terrain: first 45 miles very hilly (steep, long rollers) last 35 miles gentle ups and downs and some flats

Weather: 60° overcast, occasional rain

Lodging: Katahdin Shadows Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 828.5

Miles to Go: ≈ 672

 

            A note of correction: it is probable that some of previously reported cumulative mileages were incorrect. Today’s 828.5 miles is the correct number as of today. I hope to avoid any more confusion. It is sometimes difficult to be numerically on-the-ball when one’s brain is muddled by exhausting hills.

 

            Yesterday evening Lonnie took us for a ride in his mini-SUV to look for bear. In his neighborhood there had been regular sightings of a mother bear and her cubs. In talking with him, it became apparent that bears and I have something in common: we’re both opportunists when it comes to diet. Normally bears are vegetarian, but this time of year is when moose are having babies. Bears will eat baby moose. My guess is that this might be the time when they’re most succulent. We didn’t see any bear, moose, or lynx. We didn’t see as much as a bottle of soda pop. The sunset and vast fields were breathtaking though.

            This day was definitely a high point in many ways. Overall we spotted 4 moose. We began the day by watching a large one mosey across Lonnie and Janet’s “backyard.” The moose might have been about 400 meters from the house in an open field that spans quite a distance. I did use my expert moose call to draw its attention. The moose stopped and stared for a short while, but apparently my call needs some work. It walked off looking thoroughly uninterested.

            Janet warned me about how hilly our route was going to be. Naturally I’m easily psyched out by such warnings. It wasn’t long into the ride, though, when Katie spotted our first moose of the day. It was up to its knees in muck in a swampy area off to the left. By the time we were able to stop and try to get our cameras out, it had moved off further into the brush and wasn’t visible.

            Over the next 2 hours we saw another 2 moose in similar conditions. Even though they’re looking rather mangy and peaked from the long winter, they’re still majestic creatures.

            Thanks to the endless hills for the first 53% of the ride, it seemed to take a long while to reach Patten. This was the first real town with places to eat along this route. I suppose if we had been desperate we could have found some roots and berries to munch on. It was also a challenge to stop for any length of time. It would take long for the black flies to find us. Katie was an incredibly generous rider: she would wait for me at the tops of hills. Of course, she would have to put her bug net on in order to do so sanely.

            In Patten, we ate at Pa’s Pizza and Subs, though we wanted to try to eat at Sister’s Kitchen. It turned out that that latter was not open yet or had just closed or had new ownership; it was an empty shell of a building with builders inside in any case. So Pa’s it was. When we went inside the dining room was empty of people and we sat and waited for our food. Soon the dining room filled up with different guys: a septic tank cleaning guy, a retired old guy, another guy who used to “drive the road” and one more guy they all called, Packy. I asked the guy who used to drive the road if he had been a logging truck driver; he replied, “You couldn’t pay me enough to do that. It’s just a lot of headaches.” The septic tank cleaning guy replied, “I guess there are headaches with everything.” Packy had many things to say. He was a sort of worn-out looking guy with really old clothes, a ratty baseball cap and a huge beard. Like I said, he had many things to say, but neither Katie nor I could understand one word. He had, as far as I could tell, the thickest Maine accent I’ve ever heard and he was extremely efficient with his oral energy: he didn’t open his mouth more than ¼ inch. He was friendly though and all the other guys in the room seemed to get along with him well enough. They were all curious about the “funny” bicycle outside.

            This restaurant was interesting in that it was a mixed-use space. They served ice cream and hot foods, rented videos, sold some groceries and beer. Half of the space in front was reserved for some sort of sewing business. They made shirts and hats and sent them all over.

            After Patten, the road altered remarkably; the steep hills changed to gentle slopes and there were long stretches of flat riding. It remained this way until the end. The end was a little farther than I had calculated, but we were happy to reach the point where the road ran alongside the Penobscot River.

            We had a celebratory dinner at Ruthie’s East Branch Restaurant, a pizza shop this evening. This was Katie’s last day of doing this ride and we had to have a fine festival to recognize a good 9-day stretch through the more remote sections of Maine. It has been a real treat to have her along. The ride has not been a duplicate of last year’s cross-country adventure. It has an adventure all its own. Tomorrow is a rest day.

Starting Point: Medway, ME

Ending Point:   Medway, ME

Via:

Mileage:

Time:

Mph:

Terrain:

Weather: 85° humid, partly sunny

Lodging: Katahdin Shadows Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 828.5

Miles to Go: ≈ 672

 

            This was a true rest day; no real riding at all. For the first part of the day, I caught up on writing about yesterday. It was a big day with all the moose and all. Then Katie’s aunt came up from Boston to fetch her away from the dark woods of Maine.

            The campground had a pool which I tried in the late afternoon. Despite hot sun all day, it was still colder than the ocean water at Reid State Park.

            For dinner I tried the Asian restaurant in Medway. It was actually a combination bar/restaurant/pool room. Several guys in there were incredulous at the details of this ride. I ended up having a long conversation with a woman who wanted to know the impact rating of bicycle helmets. She wanted to use one for horseback riding and official riding helmets were too expensive.

Starting Point: Medway, ME

Ending Point:   Guilford, ME

Via: East Millinocket, Millinocket, West Seboeis,Brownville Junction, Brownville, Milo, Sebec, Dover-Foxcroft, Sangerville

Mileage: 70.8

Time: 7:29

Mph: 9.4

Terrain: Take a guess: hilly

Weather: 90° humid, partly sunny

Lodging: chez Janet Hersey

Cumulative Mileage: 899.3

Miles to Go: ≈ 601

Days to Go: 10

 

            Today was the first day in a while that it was up to me how, when and if to bike. After a major wrestling match with mosquitoes at the campground I was able to leave the cozy confines of Medway for the uncharted wilderness of the land south of Millinocket. It would have been quite amusing for a casual observer to watch how I had to pack the trailer and rush inside to escape the blood-thirsty creatures. After losing to them miserably the evening before, I was able to muster the upper hand for the morning bout.

            The first stop was Gram’s Restaurant in East Millinocket for a real breakfast. This was the first opportunity that I was aware of where I could have French toast. That was fine fuel for the next 40 miles to Brownville.

            The road to Brownville was quite deserted most of the time; sometimes it would be at least 5 minutes before another vehicle would pass in either direction. So it felt rather isolated. This kind of road still makes me feel great awe for someone like Dick Smith who biked across the entire country by himself. I was very glad and grateful to have done it with a group, despite certain personality clashes and conflicts. It was a very positive aspect to have had Katie along for the ride for 9 days.

            There were several swampy areas that would have been just ideal for moose. There were no morning moose, no mid-afternoon moose and I wasn’t out on the road after 6pm to see if there were any evening moose. Perhaps the ride to Greenville tomorrow will bring moose. This evening I’ll practice my moose call. Right now it’s a cross between a shofar and a crumhorn. It needs a little work. Katie’s call wasn’t much more successful: “Here moosey, moosey!”

            Either I’m getting used to hills or they’re not as horrendous as they were in the eastern part of the state. Today an idea occurred to me: last year I didn’t communicate as publicly and early in the ride across the country. I waited until 1,000 miles to start sending items to the newspaper, because I wanted to feel somewhat surer that I would be able to complete the ride. This year because of the much shorter time span, I felt it essential to start writing for the paper right away. The downside of this is that my readers have read about my doubts, exhaustion and frustrations early on. This has exposed my inner side perhaps more than ideal, but you can be sure that every day has its positive moments and clear challenges.

            An ice cream in Milo helped tremendously in cooling off. My thermometer read 90° and on the black asphalt, I’m sure it was hotter.

            When I arrived in Guilford, a young boy, about 10 years old, yelled out, “Where do you get a rig like that?” I answered, “In Portland.” He replied, “Sweet!!” The typical adolescent response, but it was very cute. Several people today commented on what an interesting “rig” I had.

Starting Point: Guilford, ME

Ending Point:   Greenwood, ME

Via: Abbot, Monson, Shirley, and Greenville

Mileage: 29.6

Time: 3:36

Mph: 8.2

Terrain: Many long hills

Weather: 90°, humid, sunny

Lodging: chez Greenwood Motel

Cumulative Mileage: 928.9

Miles to Go: ≈ 571

Days to Go: 9

 

            Since today was supposed to be a short day, I decided yesterday to not rush out to get an early start. I didn’t get on the road until 8:30 or so. This was a mistake. The temperature was already in the high 80’s and humid. Hot coffee for breakfast at the local diner was another bad choice. Iced coffee would have been way more sensible. But what are adventures for anyway but to discover what works and doesn’t.

            There were many signs up in town that Route 15 was closed over the Piscataquis River due to bridge problems. I didn’t think this affected me as I was headed north on 6/16. As I followed the signs for those two routes, I discovered 2 things: first, the route I wanted was 6/15 and second, that route was affected by the detour as well. I found a couple of workers at Interface (the primary industry in Guilford) who gave me directions and had lots of questions about my “rig.” It seemed like they wanted to change the name of the town to Polyesterville, thanks to the omnipresence of the company there. The hill that I had come down that morning to get breakfast was the selfsame hill I had to go back up to follow the detour. This was good in a way; I was assured of getting my recommended daily requirement of hills (vitamin H).

            I need to add a small note about an encounter yesterday with a young man in Guilford who yelled out to me about my bike. It wasn’t until this morning as my brain was getting baked on one of the long, unshaded uphills of today’s ride when I remembered exactly what he yelled: “Hey, where can I get one of those bad boys?” I replied, “in Portland!” and he answered, “Sweet!”

            Today was another day with the hot pitiless sun beating down. Along the route there were not many places of shade to get refuge. Fortunately today was also the day when Susan, my wife, was going to arrive by car and follow me for a couple of days to give relief from carrying this heavy load up and down every blessed hill in every blessed Maine county.

            We met in Monson, had lunch and ice cream. While there we met several interesting people. There was an Appalachian Trail through-hiker going north to south. He was on the phone by my bike. He had just emerged from the notorious difficult 100-mile wilderness where one doesn’t see civilization for at least 6 days. I thought we had it bad with bugs; he was covered with black fly bites. His resolve to continue southward didn’t seem dampened; he had a youthful spirit and a youthful body which could put up with these insults.

            Then we met Vic Morin, a veteran cyclist, who also completed a Northern Tier ride 2 years ago. We shared bicycling stories especially about headwinds in Montana.

            Susan gave me a notebook that she thought was mine. It didn’t look familiar to me so I started back inside the store in Monson to give it back to the cashier. The through-hiker I mentioned before showed up again just at that moment. He had been looking for his notebook. It had all his essential information in it. I offered him a plastic bag to protect it; he declined saying that “he was good.”

            I did think that since today was going to be a short day it would be no problem. The heat really felt dangerous more than once. I was thankful that I didn’t have any of the possible lung diseases like those of the people for whom I’m doing this fund-raising bicycle ride.

            This, unfortunately, was another day sans moose except for a wooden one and some really good kids drawings shown in a window in Greenville.

            I did finally arrive in Greenville in the hottest part of the day and really needed a shower so I forewent the invitation by Scott Hersey and stayed in a motel instead. For dinner, Susan and I had a fun dinner at the world-famous Black Frog Restaurant where the menu was a high point of entertainment. It contained some helpful advice: When dining in the Moosehead Lake Region, NEVER assume it’s a raisin. One interesting menu item was: The Chicken That Didn’t Make it Across the Road.

            The plan for tomorrow, assuming that it will be in the 90’s again, is to leave really early (5:00am) and try to finish biking before it gets too intolerably hot. At least it’s a plan.

Starting Point: Greenwood, ME

Ending Point:   Jackman, ME

Via: Rockwood, Long Pond

Mileage: 46.8

Time: 4:34

Mph: 10.2

Terrain: Rolling gentle hills

Weather: 65°, partly sunny, rain last 10 miles

Lodging: John’s Four-Season Campground

Cumulative Mileage: 975.7

Miles to Go: ≈ 524

Days to Go: 8

 

            Today was certainly a record for getting out early. It was so blazingly hot yesterday that I wanted to avoid biking in the hottest part of the day. I decided that I would get up at 4:00am and be on the road as soon as possible. It was 5:40am by the time I got packed up and moving on up the road the Jackman.

            The day started out foggy and a little on the cool side, which was a welcome relief. It wasn’t too long after starting out that my first and only moose of the day appeared in the middle of a hill alongside the road. He was a moose in the mist; majestic, very large and staring with interest as I approached it. As usual, I stopped, got off the bike to get my camera and before I could actually get my hands on the camera, he walked off. It’s often a challenge to catch wildlife; this was a classic case in point.

            The road from Rockwood to Jackman was blissfully deserted. In an hour’s ride, I saw 3 cars in either direction. There were many boggy areas that I examined closely every time I passed in the hopes of spotting more moose. I heard nuthatches, large woodpeckers; I did see a white-tailed deer alongside the road. As it ran off, it saluted me with a flash of its white tail. Far down a dirt road at one point I spotted a flash of red fur moving quickly into the underbrush. My suspicion was that it was a fox; it was impossible to verify.

            By the time I arrived in Jackman, it was raining generously. I had reserved a tent site at John’s Four-Season Campground. The rain inspired us to move inside into one of the mobile homes he rented by the day. It was certainly roughing it, because it had no air-conditioning and it was really hot.

            We went into town to Jackman Java to get a coffee. Gail, the owner, was very friendly and encouraging when she heard about this trek around Maine. I ordered a soda; there was only one other customer in the place at the time. An older lady, Gail’s mother, came in the door and saw the customer and said, “Oh dear, I’ll come back when it quiets down.”

            Tomorrow will be a long day to Carrabassett so I think I’ll close now. It might be another departure record tomorrow. Come back and see.

Starting Point: Jackman, ME

Ending Point:   Carrabassett, ME

Via: West Forks, Caratunk, Moscow, Bingham, Solon, North New Portland, and Kingfield

Mileage: 88.1

Time: 8:18

Mph: 10.6

Terrain: many rolling hills at times steep

Weather: 85-90°, sunny

Lodging: Judson’s Sugarloaf Motel

Cumulative Mileage: 1,063.8

Miles to Go: ≈ 436

Days to Go: 7

 

            The day was slated to be another scorcher, so I decided to wake up at 4:00am again. Today I was rolling down the road by 5:20am. Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with a well-seasoned cyclist who warned me of the first 3 miles out of town; they were steep, he said. It turned out he was very correct. The combination of steepness of the road and sleepiness on my part was not an ideal one.

            There were no moose to admire this morning. That was definitely a disappointment. The only wildlife that I saw was a hare scampering into the woods. I did hear a pheasant in the brush. Additionally there were no photos worth taking at the beginning of this particular day due to a thick haze that was hanging over the surrounding mountains and lakes. I’ve been through Jackman before and I know there are some wonderful views of Attean Lake and the surrounding distant countryside.

            The temperature heated up very quickly to the 80’s. When it does that while I’m biking, the only thing on my mind is finding ways to keep cool and get to the end of the ride before the brain cooks to a fine tenderness. Once the first couple of mountains were past, the road did become friendlier. What I mean by that is that the mountains just turned into rolling incessant hills. It did seem that there were some really fun downhill stretches after the highest point south of Jackman.

            I arrived in West Forks, which is well-known for it white-water rafting prowess. There was a store there with a bunch of guys sitting around just inside. I thought that this was a group of old codgers-in-training to tell Maine tourists that they “couldn’t get there from here.” It might have been a false impression. Susan observed them separately from me and she concluded that they had already been through the training and were fully on-the-job. The store itself was interesting: there were separate sections for liquor, fishing and hunting supplies, hardware, groceries and finally there was a pizza and ice cream part. It seemed like a very efficient use of space; why bother with separate buildings for each category of need?

            A high point of arriving in Bingham was the loud presence of a small yippy dog who must have thought of itself as the Giant Yippie Dog of Sumatra. It ferociously chased each vehicle that passed, including mine. I was worried that it might bite my toe, if it could reach that high. This might well have been the best wildlife of the whole trip thus far.

            We stopped at William’s store to get cooled off and have lunch. They had a fine selection of veggie subs and ice cream and fizzy drinks all of which helped me make it to Kingfield. I told the cashier about the purpose of my trip and he was interested and supportive. A little later, the owner came over and offered advice as to the best way to get to Kingfield from there. His shortcut worked just fine; otherwise, it would have been a 90+ mile day. I avoid those like Saturday morning rehearsals.

            The heat of the day was at its peak by the time we left and my only interest was getting to the next town (North New Portland) where we could get more cold drinks. We stopped at the general store there and met a very friendly cat, Won Ton. The hills from Bingham to North New Portland seemed to just broil away what I had had for lunch. In the town there was an entertaining group of workers busy with repairing the Community Church there. They were in the process of repairing the steeple the old-fashioned way: hanging by ropes. There was some fairly amusing banter back and forth between the person hanging and the rest who were crowded inside the belfry.

            Kingfield was the next stop where I was hoping many cold things would be available. This would be the final stretch for the day. What was really striking about Kingfield in comparison to so many of the other towns I had been through in Maine was the very visible presence of wealth. The buildings looked well-maintained and attractive especially for tourists passing through on their way to Sugarloaf.

            Arriving in Carrabassett was a wonderful relief; a cold shower was the best way I could think of celebrating.

           

 

Starting Point: Carrabassett, ME

Ending Point:   Magalloway, NH

Via: Stratton, Rangeley, Oquossoc, Wilson Mills, and Wentworth Location

Mileage: 67.1

Time: 6:21

Mph: 10.5

Terrain: steep hills of the endless variety

Weather: 60°, rain, intense at times

Lodging: Magalloway River Inn

Cumulative Mileage: 1,130.9

Miles to Go: ≈ 369

Days to Go: 6

 

            Today was the first day of this entire adventure when it rained nearly the entire day. Only in Rangeley was there a brief respite. It was the kind of day (for me) that forces me to just ride with one goal in mind: surviving the ride and getting to the designated endpoint of the day. As I approached the Maine-New Hampshire border, the rain became that much more intense, so much so it was nearly impossible to see much of the road or what lay beside it. I suppose things could have been worse: there could have been lightning.

            On the plus side, Susan did come up with a fine duct tape invention for one of my trailer reflectors that had broken off. She drove on ahead of me several times, reporting that there were moose to be seen. By the time I got to where she had described, there was no moose to be found. I think it was raining too hard even for them. No one in their right mind would be out on a day like this.

            As I crossed the border into the first settlement, Magalloway, the rain was pouring down. I stopped at the first store there and had a fine conversation with Bridget and David of the Mount Dustan Country Store. It seemed clear that the rain wasn’t going to let up anytime soon. So I was hoping that they might have had some lodging available. Unfortunately all their cabins were filled, but they did offer to have us use a room upstairs where we could share a kitchen and bathroom with two French-Canadian lumberjacks. It might have been an interesting opportunity, but I did have my heart set on having access to a laundry to dry out everything. Right next door to the Country Store was the Magalloway River Inn, where Sue and Bob had just what we needed. I felt badly about not taking the place that Bridget had offered, so we bought up a whole pacel(sp?) of groceries.

            During the evening while we did laundry, the rain did a fine job of continuing strongly. This only got my hopes up that the clouds would run out for tomorrow, my final day before the actual Trek Across Maine.

 

 

 

 

Starting Point: Magalloway, NH

Ending Point:   Sunday River Ski Area, ME

Via: Errol. Upton, and Newry

Mileage: 44.9

Time: 4:21

Mph: 10.3

Terrain: beginning with flatish terrain devolving into the usual rolling hills

Weather: 45°, rain, intense at times

Lodging: Grand Summit Hotel

Cumulative Mileage: 1,175.8

Miles to Go: ≈ 324

Days to Go: 5

 

            This is the last day of the major portion of the ride for this year. The Schlep Around Maine is basically at an end. The Trek Across Maine begins the day after tomorrow and the ride back home happens on Monday if all goes as planned. The ride looks like it will be about 60 miles short of the projected total. That’s not so terrible considering I had to lop off part of northeastern Maine due to exhaustion. Let’s not quibble about details; let’s call it an even 1,500 miles. The rain that has fallen has an effect of doubling the value of miles ridden; like double-coupon day at the supermarket.

            Shortly after starting to ride, I reached the Lake Umbagog area. Despite how one might be tempted to pronounce this, the stress is on the second syllable and its pronounced “bay” by the locals. I was also informed at the General Store in Errol that the Coos of Coos County is actually pronounced with two syllables and NOT one. It rhymes with “go boss.” That was surprising in itself. The person who informed me of these peculiarities also had some not very nice things to say about Quebecois truck drivers. The entire length of this ride has proven her wrong; all truckers, without exception, have always given me plenty of room as they passed me. Most logging trucks would go into the other lane; this was a most pleasant surprise.

            It was shortly after reentering Maine that I spotted another moose in a boggy area. As usual I stopped the bike, fully expecting that it would run off by the time I got the camera out. It just stood there gaping at me, so I got a couple of really fine pictures. Then it walked off into the brush and I didn’t see it again until I started riding again. It came to the edge of the other side of the road and was loping along just in front of me for a little while as I rode. It wasn’t clear if he wanted to cross the road or just have someone to run with. Finally it cut to its left and ended up in a muddy area where it seemed to get bogged down a little. I kept riding, feeling glad that I had paved road to ride on and that I didn’t have to follow him into the bog.

            The rain spirits exacted a steep price from me for the joy of seeing a moose close up: it began to rain intensely and didn’t really let up until about 20 miles later as I was approaching Sunday River.

            Even though there were no crowds (except my wife, Susan) cheering me at the “finish” in front of the Grand Summit Hotel I felt all of the emotion and sense of accomplishment of having just completed something monumental. The fear I felt on the first day was assuaged by reaching this finish line. Though it wasn’t a “perfect” ride, there were many fantastic parts. My epilogue after the trip will contain deeper reflections about the trip as a whole.

            I spent the rest of the day resting, doing laundry, reading and drinking water. This evening the other volunteers for the Trek and ALA-ME staff arrived; we went out to a communal dinner. Tomorrow is another rest day of the real variety.

 

Starting Point Sunday River Ski Area, ME

Ending Point:   Farmington, ME

Via: Bethel, Newry, Hanover, Rumford Point, Rumford Center, Rumford, Dixfield, Berry Mills, Weld, Wilton, and East Wilton

Mileage: 64.7

Time: 5:09

Mph: 12.5

Terrain: rolling hills

Weather: 50°-58°, misty, cloudy, rain

Lodging: University of Maine at Farmington

Cumulative Mileage: 1,240.5

Miles to Go: ≈ 260

Days to Go: 3

 

.           This is the first official day of the actual Trek Across Maine. The halcyon days of loping alongside random moose and riding unencumbered by the safety issues brought about by a large gathering of a wide variety of cyclists are over. For the 9 years that I have ridden the Trek (last year, A trek), there has been much hullabaloo at the starting line with hundreds of cyclists gathered at a time to start this small epic ride. This year there were very few at the starting line. This might have been affected by the unseasonably cold and rainy conditions present on “The Mountain.” Also, it seemed to me, that the Lung Association had ironed out some of the logistical challenges of gathering this many people and the crowds were non-existent.

            Even though I was doing this ride free from the Sisyphean weight of my trailer, I was still nervous. This was a new start to a familiar adventure. Despite the fact of having done this ride many times already, it still holds mystery and possibility.

            For the past 3 weeks bicycle safety was on my mind only as it relates to dealing with cars. It was immediately apparent that now were new challenges to face: many cyclists who race don’t have the habit of warning a cyclist that they are passing. Sometimes they even pass on the inside (to the right of a rider in the middle of the road shoulder). The latter is especially troubling and dangerous. The Lung Association does all it can to remind riders that this isn’t a race and that there are simple safety tips to follow. As I mentioned 4 sentences ago, it was immediately apparent that some people have either very short safety memories or short attention spans when they’re being reminded of bicycle safety. This process was incredibly frustrating for me. I’d rather deal with logging trucks than cyclists who don’t give a hoot about being safe.

            There were several places along the route where there were moose crossing signs; but, there were no moose. The wildest life I saw was one of the fine volunteers at an intersection dressed in a floating ducky and wearing goggles. Another small sample of the wildlife visible in this part of Maine was a young girl at one of the rest stops where she was wearing brightly colored antennae and doing a sort of moonwalk at the entrance. Like the other wildlife I missed taking a picture of, this was no different. By the time I was able to unpack the camera, the dance had stopped.

            Some special treats awaited Trekkers at the rest stops: strawberries, plums, peanuts and bananas. At the end of the day, there were baked potatoes with cheese and vegetarian chili to assuage the hunger riders might have been experiencing from the hilly ride today.

 

Starting Point Farmington, ME

Ending Point:   Waterville, ME

Via: Fairbanks, New Vineyard, New Portland,  North Anson, Anson, Madison, Norridgewock, and Fairfield Center

Mileage: 56.4

Time: 4:39

Mph: 12.1

Terrain: rolling hills

Weather: 47°-55°, misty, cloudy, rain

Lodging: Colby College

Cumulative Mileage: 1,296.9

Miles to Go: ≈ 203

Days to Go: 2

 

            It has been a number of years since the second day of this official fund-raising ride for the American Lung Association of Maine has been a clear one. Today continues a long tradition of bad weather. Thanks to high-tech fabrics and 22 days of riding around the state, I felt somewhat steeled to the harsh environment of rain. The beginning of the day was unremarkable except for the fact that I overslept by 2 hours. By the time I woke up at 8:30, I had missed the official breakfast and an official truck to take my bag to Colby College. It was no minor miracle that there was still a few muffins and orange juice left at the staff/volunteer tent so I could get fueled for the day’s ride. Great thanks are due to one of the volunteers for offering to take my bag in her van. It would have been a long slow day had I been forced to drag my duffel bag behind me without wheels.

            The first 25 miles of the ride I did solo; there were no other riders in sight either in front or behind me. At one point I was sure that the sweep truck was following closely behind me. There is a distinct positive in being the last one in the large group: there are no other riders who will want to pass. My greatest concern for this first long wet stretch was whether I would reach the rest stop tent in time to get a warm snack and drink. So, I rode speedily (for me) to the official rest stop area and thankfully, it hadn’t closed yet.

            At the end of the ride for the day, there is always pizza slices and ice cream for the riders. I was looking forward to that for the next 31 miles. Of course, I was concerned that all the slices would have run out since I was so near the end of the riders. This was not the case; plenty of slices awaited the select few who rode in at the end of this particularly wet day.

            By the time we arrived at Colby, the rain had actually begun to let up. Hope was sprouting for tomorrow’s ride. Perhaps we would have a sunny day to top off this tough weekend. Would it be too much to hope that Monday, too, would a dry sunny day? Stay tuned.

 

Starting Point Waterville, ME

Ending Point:   Rockport, ME

Via: Winslow, Hayden Center, China, East Vassalboro, Palermo, Somerville, Union, East Union, West Rockport, Rockport, and Rockland

Mileage: 62.6

Time: 5:07

Mph: 12.2

Terrain: rolling hills, very steep at times

Weather: 60°-72°, partly sunny

Lodging: Samoset Resort

Cumulative Mileage: 1,359.5

Miles to Go: ≈ 65

Days to Go: 1

Total Miles: ≈ 1,425 (to be determined tomorrow, June 20^th)

 

            The high point of today was sun. There were cool breezes, clouds, some darkness in the sky, but there was finally sun. I know for a fact that its presence lifted my spirits. It seemed clear, too, that everyone’s spirits were lifted. Even the volunteers I spoke with noticed that there were a lot more smiling faces passing by them on the way to the finish line.

            Two nights ago I presented my slideshow about last year’s transcontinental ride. Last night was Colby Night; a summary of Lung Association accomplishments and recognitions for sponsors, staff, volunteers and fund-raisers. I was recognized by the entire crowd present as the highest fund-raiser for this year. So today there were a number of people there were countless people who had supportive and congratulatory remarks about both of these public items. That is one incredibly inspiring and moving aspect of this assemblage of people working together toward a common goal. Universally, people are supportive and encouraging. It’s such an honor to be part of such a fine group of people.

            It was a fine convergence of events today: it was the last day of the Trek and it was sunny; so many people seemed truly happy that there was a sort of infectious positiveness spreading out among everyone involved in the ride.

            As usual there were the bicycle speed demons that took the ride as a race and rode extremely unsafely. It was, as always, frustrating for me and more than a little frightening to have bikers whizzing by without warning. Today, for me, was a chance to enjoy a last big blast of camaraderie before proceeding on alone to finish my circumnavigation of Maine.

            Near Rockland there seemed to be a number of families by the side of the road who wanted to cheer on riders. In one particular spot there was a mother and two very cute very young daughters (3 and 5 approximately) who were clapping for no one in particular. They looked very happy to just be there cheering and clapping. There was a little of a parade atmosphere; but this was a very stark contrast to the parade atmosphere I found in Biddeford-Saco on Memorial Day weekend.

            It was only about 3 miles from the finish when I was able to get my first glimpse of the ocean after so many days. Every time I’ve done the Trek and especially when I crossed the country, it was a deeply moving experience to feel a sense of accomplishment to have reached the ocean and completed the ride. That emotion just grew in intensity as I approached the official finish line by the water at the Marine Park. At the finish there are scores of people clapping and cheering for all the riders. It is such a bittersweet intense experience to feel that support going out to all of us. I use the word, bittersweet, because it is always Father’s Day on the last day of the Trek and I always wish my sons were here to see the finish. More specifically, I wish they were here to see my finish. They never have been here.

            Even though I have one cycling day left to reach home, it is glorious to bask in the finish line enthusiasm. Strangely it doesn’t feel anticlimactic to have to be continuing one more day. The spirit of the finish fills the air and propels me further. The fine lunch they served helped do that too.

 

 

Starting Point Rockport, ME

Ending Point:   Brunswick, ME

Via: Rockland, Thomaston, Waldoboro, Nobleboro, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Edgecomb, Wiscasset, Woolwich, Bath

Mileage: 57.3

Time: 4:36

Mph: 12.5

Terrain: rolling coastal hills

Weather: 80°, sunny, no humidity

Lodging: chez moi

Total Mileage: 1,416.8

 

            The final day of this mini-epic journey had the kind of summer weather we all dream about in Maine. There were clear skies and brightness in the ocean and land views that hailed the arrival of a true Maine summer. The last time I tried to ride from Rockland to Brunswick, I had to call my wife and have her come pick me up in Edgecomb. This was due to great fatigue brought on my helping a friend move a piano from Harpswell to Rockland. Today I wisely just bicycled and left out and home moving tasks.

            Susan and I arranged to meet at our traditional Moody’s Diner for a second or hobbit breakfast. Then, of course, we arranged to meet at Sarah’s in Wiscasset for lunch. The timing of the ride worked out perfectly. With Susan meeting me at a couple of different points and the weather being cooperative, I was saved from having to pull my trailer for the last day.

            Traffic on Route 1 seemed exponentially busier than when Katie and I were heading east 3 weeks ago. It wasn’t clear to me if it was my running out of patience for traffic or if it truly was more crowded. Susan seemed to notice a marked increase in the number of cars on the road, so that made for some external “objective” validation.

            By the end of a week’s time, I will have had an opportunity to ponder what I was able to achieve over 25 days. The trip was only slightly shorter than I had projected. This was surprising in itself, considering I had to lop off the route through the very top of the state.

            It was wonderful to get off Route 1 once I crossed into Bath. Old Bath Road is one of my favorite uncrowded routes and it was a joyous reunion for us.

            At home, it was a much lower key welcome than last year’s true odyssey. Susan had posted a map of the state showing my true route with a welcoming message. My cat also made a sign for me; he was very happy to see me.

            The next part of this longish journey is much less glamorous than the previous part: unpacking.

             

Starting and Ending Point Brunswick, ME

 

            Now that it has been nearly two weeks since more or less successfully completing the circumnavigation of the state of Maine, it is time for some final reflections about the three week ride. What did it accomplish and what were some of the high points. I think if readers kept up with the daily journals there was a fine chronicle of the low points. Therefore, I think it is probably safe to leave those aside for today.

            There is an interesting note about this year’s ride as compared to last year’s transcontinental crossing as regards to mileage. The same mileage, 1,416, last year took 29 days and took us just a little shy of the Montana-North Dakota border. The town at almost exactly that point was Culbertson, Montana. It is a little surprising that the route in Maine, if it were rolled out like a string of spaghetti, would reach that far. A very telling feature about the daily average reveals a fundamental error in planning on my part. To do that mileage last year, we took 30 days. This year I planned it to take 25 days. This explains a lot about the ensuing exhaustion. Had I included the very top of Maine as planned, the route would have been about 100 miles longer still.

            With these simple statistics in mind I think it is a good time to declare the ride a success. Through extensive fund-raising efforts and consistent and generous sponsors and support, I raised $19,000. This was $1,000 short of my original goal, but it is still a fine achievement. The American Lung Association of Maine, as of today in any case, has raised $1.4 million through their premier ride, The Trek across Maine, by the efforts of bicyclists like me. Most of these bicyclists were, perhaps, more sensible and moderate in their biking efforts; they rode nearly 200 miles over 3 days instead of the Herculean, staggering marathon which I designed.

            In sum, this ride was long, hot, difficult, wet, rainy, hilly, mountainous, bug-infested and humid. It was also inspiring, uplifting, joyous and challenging. There were stark differences between coastal Maine and woodland Maine. Often there was a sense of wanting to be able to see beyond the tree cover lining the roads in the woodlands. There was always, too, an eager desire to see more moose. Unfortunately there were no bear, lynx, beaver or otters that I spotted. That exciting possibility existed around every corner, over the crest of every hill and by the edge of every marsh.

            Even though there was a persistent haze in northern Maine around Ashland, the mountains that were visible in the North Maine Woods were a breath-taking sight. They seemed to go on and on. The variety of birds that I could hear, but usually not see, while riding was varied, lovely, and interesting. Some of the vistas in other places, Camden, Grand Lake, Jackman, The Forks, Rangeley, Evans and Grafton Notch were absolutely gorgeous. I’d love to see those again on a sunny day.

            The people I met along the way; those who were just chance encounters in general stores, and those who were Lung Association supporters who opened their homes to me (and Katie when she was with me) were all so supportive and encouraging. They were also in varying degrees of disbelief that I would be attempting such a ride. By the way, Katie did arrive safely back home in Baltimore on June 16^th.

            My infinite thanks go out to: Mike and Michelle Mador of West Bethel, (especially for the early morning egg and cheese sandwiches. There is some debate as to how early it actually was. I remembered it as 6:00am and Mike assures me it was later. My brain must have felt it was that early.),  Vic and Roxie Wright, Chuck and Katie Hazzard of Kennebunkport, Bruce and Liz Snider of Belfast, Shawn and Kim Murchison of Fort Fairfield, Janet Hersey of Guilford, and Scott Hersey of Greenville for their generosity in offering their homes as refuges from the wet, wild and rainy roads of Maine.

            Some people have asked me if I would do this ride again just as they’ve asked me about last year’s ride. My response is somewhat more guarded about this year’s ride though. If I were to do it again, I would definitely redo the daily mileages and when there was a rest day, it would be an actual rest day with no biking. I would also make an effort to stay off Route 1 entirely; it is far too dangerous with all the traffic and, in some areas, non-existent shoulders. It is certainly an achievable ride and I would recommend it to anyone. As to what comes next; at this point I’m up to my ears in preparing for being in the chorus in Carmen at Merrill Auditorium at the end of this month. So fitness and singing are on the menu for July.

            And what about next year’s ride? Norway is lovely in the summer, but it is 1,500 miles one way south to north. New Zealand is a fine sheep-filled countryside during our winter. Spitzbergen is probably too cold and Qatar too hot. We shall see.