Where's John?
He's Home!!
4,304.2
miles...ridden
for lung health!
Daily Journal
August
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Last Three Days to the Finish Line! |
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28 August Saturday
- Home at Last!! Brunswick, ME Lodging: Still home A little more than one week after successfully traversing the North American continent, I’m still responding to people’s inevitable question: “How was it?” Just as it is difficult to answer that question with any depth in a ten-minute conversation, so, too, is it a formidable challenge to write a narrative that can summarize the value, importance, impact and meaning of having completed this odyssey. An equally wonderfully warm chorus of “Welcome Home” has accompanied this recurring question! People who kept track of the progress of the ride, people from home, relatives and friends have universally been welcoming and eager to hear about all the goings-on for the past three months. This is why I’m planning to create a slideshow, which I’ll display at First Parish Church in Brunswick and, most likely, Bowdoin College. At this moment I’m not sure how long it will be before I present it. It would be reasonable to expect to see it by the end of September/beginning of October. I’ll be sure and let people know. I’m also considering another means of sharing the meaning, purpose and experience of the ride. It seems to me that a book might be an appropriate form for this. There certainly were rich characters and phenomenal scenery as well as worthwhile reflections to share with readers. That is something that I’ll be exploring once I’ve finished unpacking. This process takes a long time, not because of laundry, but rather because of all the little pieces of equipment and memorabilia, which have to be sorted through and put somewhere. Images of the vast plains, the snow-capped peaks of the Cascades and the Rockies, the myriad lakes of the Midwest, the silence of the less-traveled path, the variety of wildlife and the infinitely interesting characteristics of people of all kinds along the way fill my mind and memory. I look forward to sharing that in these various forms, both written and oral. Often, in my experience, people come back from these kinds of intense, lengthy experiences with resolve to start life anew and change directions; they’ve gone on a deep journey of self-discovery. For me, I would say that it has been less a journey of self-discovery than one of self-acceptance. Nature did her best to thwart my progress in many ways: rain, sleet, wind, pitiless sun, snow (in some small measure), persistent and innovative insects, exhaustion, the threat of carnivorous animals (though never carried out!), and steep slopes. I would never state that I conquered her for that would just tick her off, but rather, with the help of group support and inner spiritual strength, I was able to continue and finish THIS time. Some people have called this the experience of a lifetime. At times it seemed like the ride was lasting a lifetime; at other times, it whisked by in an unbelievably rapid kaleidoscope of changing vistas and faces. In one way, this trip has been the experience of a lifetime, for sure. If people were to ask me if they should do such a thing, I wouldn’t hesitate to encourage them especially if they were going to do it for the American Lung Association of Maine. If someone were to ask me if I would do it again, I would hesitate. It has been a challenge (that might be an understatement) to me personally and to my important relationship with my wife. At this point, I wouldn’t want to be gone for such a long time. The next expedition I’ll plan will include my wife. Next year, though, I will do the Trek Across Maine in celebration of my tenth year as a fund-raiser for the American Lung Association of Maine. It will be a six day expedition: the ride up to Sunday River, three days of the Trek itself, then two days to bicycle back to Brunswick. This narrative is certainly not the last word in summing up the experience. Just as the trip itself was a process, so, too, is the expression of its impact. I may not share what further discoveries or reflections I have via this public medium, but I certainly will share it by writing. Again, I thank all those who sponsored, supported, encouraged, e-mailed and cheered me on for helping me to complete this saga. |
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August Friday (Day 85) Starting Point: Poland, ME Ending Point: Brunswick, ME Via: Mechanic Falls, Minot, Auburn, Lewiston, Lisbon, Lisbon Falls and Topsham Mileage: 51 Time: 3:50 Mph: 13.4 Terrain: hilly Weather: 70s partly cloudy, some rain Lodging: my home Cumulative Mileage: 4,304.2 The riding part of this day went by at a breathtaking pace. I had arranged with the Lung Association to be at the finish line between 10:30 and 11:30 in the morning. This was to facilitate catching high tide so that there would be water at Simpson Point in which to dip my front tire. It wasn’t clear at all just how many miles there was to pedal from Poland. So I hauled butt to get going in the morning; I had just a muffin and a banana for breakfast and didn’t even bother making a lunch. It wasn’t until Fran’s Place in Lewiston where I stopped to do my on-going transcontinental study of home fries. You might remember that the leader of our group for this 2004 Northern Tier ride was named Fran. As I was leaving, a man and his wife wanted to know about the trip and about the bicycle. When I told him that I had done the ride as a fund-raiser for the American Lung Association of Maine, he pulled out a donation from his wallet, saying “the Lung Association had helped his mother when she needed it.” This is one of the reasons I’m so motivated to do my part for ALAM; they help so many people manage respiratory issues and improve their lives by eliminating tobacco. It was about 10:15 when I crossed the bridge from Topsham to Brunswick. I arranged to meet Susan at Mister Bagel in order to have the kind of bagel I had been longing for all summer: garlic with veggie tofu cream cheese. Mister Bagel is one of my many sponsors and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing each other. Then it was time to hightail it to Simpson Point. One incredibly touching aspect of today was that seven out of the remaining eight riders wanted to come to this intermediate finish line. They had to continue on to the official ending in Bar Harbor. It was deeply moving for me to have all these friends, with whom I had just crossed the entire continent, be witness to my official ending. Sue, from ALAM, had arranged a wonderful welcome by the water for me. There was a sign with congratulations and balloons. There were some snacks and cold water. Ed and Bob from ALAM were there to greet us, as was Gary Favreau, a trekker who has participated for every one of the past twenty years (since the beginning.) The newspaper did a short interview. Then it was time to treat my fellow riders to Cote’s Ice Cream in downtown Brunswick. This was to give them energy to continue on to Newcastle for the evening. After the ice cream, it was time to actually go home and start unpacking. This is a process that will take me well into next week. Photos and commentary to follow. Tomorrow, Monday, I’ll work on a document to try to encapsulate this odyssey. It may take more than one article to do justice to the depth of the experience. Photos: |
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August Thursday (Day 84) It was a sobering experience to bicycle over the terrain I have so often driven. As a bicyclist, one discovers all the hills, shoulders (or lack thereof), bumps, sand and even every loose stone. Strong winds were churning up Moose Pond, next to Pleasant Mountain. The summit was barely visible due to thick haze covering this part of the state. Naples was as crowded as it ever was. The people at the campground were very helpful and friendly to us all. We initially set up camp in a field that was a little far a field. The owners came over and suggested we move next to the covered pavilion so we could eat under shelter. This was a fine move; it rained that night. |
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August Wednesday (Day 83) After the summit of “The Kank” it seemed like a really long ride down the other side and into the town of Conway. On Route 16 there was the traditional traffic jam; a reminder of the joy I’ve had on the ride in other places where there was no traffic at all. It was a pleasure to be on a bicycle and be able to pass the scads of cars just waiting in line to advance. I was keeping an eye on doors opening and cars trying to do the same of course. As this epic winds down, I feel it necessary to begin to reflect on several things: what I learned, what it meant, what it accomplished, and what it can provide to other people who will undertake such a journey. Today I will spend time thinking about these things and I will share thoughts as they occur. This you can count on. |
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& 17 August Monday-Tuesday (Day 81 & 82) Starting Point: Orford, NH Ending Point: Lincoln, NH Via: Piermont, Haverhill, North Haverhill, Benton and North Woodstock. Mileage: 41.2 Time: 4:47 Mph: 8.6 Terrain: mountainous Weather: 60s, rain Lodging: Comfort Inn and Maple Haven Campground Cumulative Mileage: 4,159.1 Miles to Go: ≈ 117 As usual with rain, motivation was low and interest and enjoyment in setting up my tent was even lower. This route was through part of New Hampshire that I had never seen, thus that was a plus. It was a challenge to see much of the landscape though because of the low clouds and rain. Instead of staying in North Woodstock where the official campsite was, I went on to Lincoln in search of the post office where a package and a letter awaited me and also in search of a motel. Every stitch of clothing I had was wet so I was anticipating spending today and part of tomorrow drying out. I would also catch up on these chronicles. As of this moment, with just a little while before having to check out, I succeeded on all counts. |
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August Sunday (Day 80) Starting Point: Gaysville, VT Ending Point: Orford, NH Via: Bethel, Royalton, South Royalton, Sharon, South Strafford, Thetford Center, Thetford Hill and East Thetford. Mileage: 46.4 Time: 4:57 Mph: 9.3 Terrain: mountainous Weather: 70s, sunny Lodging: The Pastures Campground Cumulative Mileage: 4,117.9 Miles to Go: ≈ 153 Thanks to the limited selection at the camp store next to the river, breakfast consisted of two hard-boiled eggs. So for the first ten miles I was on the lookout for a place to get a second or hobbit breakfast. Ahead were a couple of other riders who had had the same sort of gourmet repast as I. They passed by two or three places and I followed, hoping that they would finally stop somewhere and we could have a decent breakfast. On one fairly substantial downhill they passed a Quick Stop and I made it a point of stopping. It was called McCullough’s Quick Stop and I was glad I did stop, because there not only did I discover the Home of the Twenty-Five Cent Cup of Coffee, but also got to listen in on some locals. These were Vermonters with names like Pickle Davis, Mynie Vesper and Uncle Herc. From the pastry cabinet I chose an apple strudel and poured myself a cup of coffee. I went to the counter to pay and when she told me the price I nearly fell over. For the two items it was $1.00. After paying anywhere from $1.50 to $3.90 for a cup of coffee during this trip, this was a wonderful shock. The three locals stood around joking with each other and the cashier and the owner. It was a scene truly deserving of a skit by Tim Sample. They bantered back and forth about various things; their pick-up trucks, their truck routes and other details about work. One notable feature was that their Vermont accents were highly reminiscent of the Maine accent, so that was highly entertaining. They were friendly to me as well. One of the guys showed me a medal that said something about anti-terrorism on it, but it was never clear why he had it or what purpose it served. I’ll have to go back there another time to find out more. Further along the route I stopped at a bike shop in South Royalton hoping to find a spare front tire (I was now short one spare tire) and the owner there was very friendly and interested in our trip. He gave me the tour of his shop including the highly original and inventive bicycle chain-powered drawbridge that opened up to let bikes inside easily. In Sharon, I met Wally and Barbara Smith who shared their story about writing bike touring guides for Cuba and the Canadian Maritimes. He had just purchased a recumbent for his wife and was very interested in mine. He gave me a used spare tire for my front wheel; just another wonderful example of how people, complete strangers, have been supportive of this effort. The day ended wonderfully; there was a comfortable pavilion in which to have dinner. The campground owner, Byron, offered to give us brook trout for dinner that Ed, a local, had caught. We cooked those babies up on the grill and had a delicious recipe concocted by Fran using Ramen and frozen veggies. Later, after dinner, Byron offered to take some of us on a short ride up the Connecticut River on his pontoon party boat. We got to see the Fearsome Connecticut River Monster and a gorgeous sunset. On top of all this, it wasn’t raining. It was a fine day all around. As the days dwindle down, it isn’t getting any easier to write descriptions of each day. My focus is getting to the finish line at Simpson’s Point and getting home |
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August Saturday (Day 79) Starting Point: New Haven, VT Ending Point: Gaysville, VT Via: Middlebury, East Middlebury, Ripton, Bread Loaf, Hancock, Rochester, and Stockbridge. Mileage: 42.1 Time: 4:40 Mph: 9 Terrain: very hilly and one mountain pass (Middlebury Gap) Weather: 70s, sunny Lodging: White River Valley Campground Cumulative Mileage: 4,071.5 Miles to Go: ≈ 195 Finally the day arrived when I could find out if all this cycling got me in shape enough to be able to actually ride up Middlebury Gap. Since Logan Pass I’d been concerned about the steepness up the west side of the Gap. Mercifully the weather was sunny and not too warm. The beginning of the upward slope was distinguished by a severe steep S-curve, which I remember from coming down it during the Tour of Vermont fund-raising bike ride from two years ago. Today the road was jam-packed with bicyclists racing (mostly down the west side). It felt distinctly like the tortoise and the hare or maybe the slug and the hare on my recumbent. During that first S-curve, the slope made me extremely breathless, but after a short stop (not a walk) I was able to continue up. There was quite a bit of flowing water in the woods alongside the roadway. There were rivulets and small cascading brooks and not much traffic to distract from the beauty of the watery nature of the morning. Unlike the Weeping Wall on Logan Pass in Montana, where the weather made survival the prime focus, the waters here were thoroughly enjoyable and peaceful. Before leaving Middlebury, I had to procure a different storage bag for the computer I had been toting since Anacortes because the rain from yesterday finally destroyed the cardboard box. At a sports store in town, Forth ‘N Goal, I found a potentially good bag. Dan, the store owner was very generous. He extended a wonderful discount on the bag after I had described to him the trip and for whom I was raising money. I’m optimistic that this bag should last until Brunswick and well beyond. All along the ride, I’ve been so touched by the continued generosity and support of people, strangers all. This has continued thus far even into “New England Yankee” territory, a realm notorious for thrift. At first glance our campsite on the White River seemed like a sort of mud flat next to the shore. But next morning the bottom of the tent and the ground cloth were not soaked as they have been for most of this trip, so that was a tremendous advantage. There was also a hot tub next to the office where the jets were vigorous enough to make my legs feel like they were actually getting a thorough massage. Surely this was a fine place to be and a fine place to celebrate making it over Middlebury Gap. |
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August Friday (Day 78) Starting Point: North Hudson, NY Ending Point: New Haven, VT Via: Severance, Paradox, Ticonderoga, Shoreham, Cornwall and Middlebury. Mileage: 52.9 Time: 5:33 Mph: 9.5 Terrain: very hilly Weather: 60s, rain all day. Lodging: Riversbend Campsites Cumulative Mileage: 4,029.4 Miles to Go: ≈ 230 Unfortunately there are no pictures of today, at least not yet. It was raining for the entire ride until I arrived in downtown Middlebury. Another adventure besides the rain happened after I left the library. I had left my bike outside and when I came back to it to get ready to leave and meet my group at the store to carry food en groupe, my front tire was flat. Luckily the bike shop was right across the street. The mechanic reported that the wall of the tire was shredded, but he couldn’t explain why other than that it was a bad tire. With this incident, I think I’ve gone through three front tires and I’ve no more spares with me. Of course, the bike shop didn’t have any tires this size. With over two hundred miles to go, I’m not totally comfortable riding without one, but it’ll have to do I guess. I had hoped to stop at Fort Ticonderoga and get a photo of me on a cannon; I have one from forty-five years ago that I thought would make an interesting comparison. It was raining too hard to even consider stopping. We’ll have to come back another time. Our campsite was down at the bottom of a hollow right next to a river, thus the name Riversbend. It was raining so hard for so long that I was somewhat concerned about ending up being washed down the river in the middle of the night. Obviously I’m still pedaling because I’m able to report this to you! I was awakened at five o’clock in the morning by a woman yelling, “Oh, my God!” and rushing off in a truck with another person. It was the kind of yell one might hear from someone just going into labor. I wasn’t able to verify the cause though. |
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August Thursday (Day 77) Starting Point: Raquette Lake, NY Ending Point: North Hudson, NY Via: Blue Mountain Lake, Long Lake, Newcomb and Blue Ridge. Mileage: 56.7 Time: 5:22 Mph: 10.6 Terrain: very hilly Weather: 60s, cloudy, rain on and off all day. Lodging: Blue Ridge Falls Campsite Cumulative Mileage: 3,975.5 Miles to Go: ≈ 277 Long uphills and downhills featured prominently in this day’s ride. With the rain either threatening or actual, my focus was basically on getting to the destination and getting inside. I missed the Adirondack Museum, but it’s on my list of places to visit another time. At one point I wanted to try and get warm so I stopped at the General Store in Long Lake. Generally my first stop after a long pedal is the facilities. Stopping here was no exception to the rule. As I walked around some tables to get to the door, the owner(I assumed) said in a loud voice, “Can I help you?” I told him that I needed to stop there first. His tone of voice told me that he expected me to be a paying customer. I always make it a habit to buy something if I stop in a place and use the facilities. This helps with public relations between businesses and bicyclists and it makes for a cordial connection. I wasn’t sure if he was going to allow me to not eat first. Afterwards, I purchased and happily ate a steaming delicious bowl of pea soup. I expressed to him how surprising it was to actually want a bowl of hot soup in August. He agreed. This night I spent on the floor in the Laundromat at the campground. It was raining so hard that I never found the fortitude (or insanity) to set up my tent. The Laundromat was in the main building right next to the jukebox and the video games. Fortunately I was able to unplug the video games so I wouldn’t hear beeping and voices in the middle of the night. As it is, my dreams provide enough of that. |
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August Wednesday (Day 76) Starting Point: Boonville, NY Ending Point: Raquette Lake, NY Via: McKeever, Thendara, Old Forge and Inlet Mileage: 54.4 Time: 5:37 Mph: 9.7 Terrain: very hilly Weather: 70s, sunny. Lodging: Golden Beach Campground Cumulative Mileage: 3,918.8 Miles to Go: ≈ 335 In the Adirondacks, a bicycling day begins with hills and, most likely, ends with them. Today was certainly like that. While we were off the main route through these towns (Route 28), the road was unbelievably steep in places. I’m sure there were 13% grades; just no verification from Fran’s inclinometer. What compensated for this difficulty though was the encroaching forest. As we got closer to Adirondack park, the trees seemed to grow much taller, more numerous and thicker. The pine smell was strong and beautiful. Sunlight filtered down through the pine branches and made rays that sometimes reached the road where I biked. This feeling was definitely the cathedral effect that I love so much in the dense woods. My first stop was at Lancia Pizza in Old Forge. The owner was coming out of the building and asked me if I was going inside. I said I was hoping to go to the pizza place (It was eleven o’clock in the morning and a little early for lunch.) He said, “Let’s go inside and see what we can do.” I mentioned that I was hoping for a pizza slice. He offered some cheese and a good hunk of bread. He said I needed the nutrition for my journey. He also offered that the journey was as important, even if not more so, than the destination. The owner gave that delicious piece of mozzarella cheese and good Italian bread to me for free. This certainly was a fine introduction to the friendly people of Old Forge. I arrived at the library fifteen minutes before the official opening time and the librarian let me start using the computer anyway. Onward to Inlet I rode after I had some more nutrition in the form of soda, coffee, pizza, and sport drink. Lately there had been a problem with my front brake so I stopped at the bikeshop, Pedals and Petals, to have them check it out. Ted, the mechanic, after trying to true the wheel warned me that the rim was on the brink of failure and might collapse at high speed. So he installed a BMX wheel for me with my tire an tube. It seemed like that whole process would take a good amount of time, so I went to the library in this town to check e-mail again. There wasn’t much so I finished quickly. I decided to have a seat on a comfy chair in another part of the big room that was the library. It was so comfortable that I fell asleep. The only thing that woke me up was one of my snores. I awoke to find the library dark and totally empty of people. It had closed while I slept. In a small way, it reminded me of some Twilight Zone episode from long ago. I had to let myself out and leave the door unlocked. Finally my bike was repaired and secure, at least for the next four hundred miles. Tomorrow would be an even hillier day so I would definitely get to bed early tonight! |
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August Tuesday (Day 75) Starting Point: Port Ontario, NY Ending Point: Boonville, NY Via: Pulaski, Richland, Orwell, Redfield, Osceola and West Leyden. Mileage: 55 Time: 5:29 Mph: 10 Terrain: very hilly Weather: 80s, overcast, humid. Lodging: Stysh’s Brown Barn Campground Cumulative Mileage: 3,865.4 Miles to Go: ≈ 385 Thunderstorms threatened all day. Ominous clouds were building all throughout the afternoon. It wasn’t until evening when sporadic downpours occurred. I was late enough into the campground to have missed an intense storm that had struck some time earlier. The day actually began on a somewhat negative note, because I finally had to change the recurrent flat I kept having on one of my trailer tires. Strong images of Maine kept appearing to me all day; the terrain, the vegetation and the farms along the route looked so much like inland Maine that I didn’t bother to take a photo. I just would tell my readers, go take a drive to Bowdoinham and Richmond to see what today looked like. Just west of Orwell (not related to the 1984 author as far as I know), I visited Linda’s Beauty Salon for a haircut. Linda, the owner, and Pam, the pro who did my hair, were all interested in our odyssey. Linda and her sister even got a chance to sit in my recumbent seat. That was probably a first…the first hairdresser to sit on my bike. It certainly was the most fun haircut I’ve had on the tour; as a matter of fact, it is the only one so far. In Redfield, I was hoping to find a library so I could check e-mail. I stopped at the General Store there and asked the lady there where there might be a library. She said, “A library?! Oh yeah, it’s a big brick building down the road.” I asked which direction and she said, “That way. You can’t miss it.” Mysteriously enough, I did! Coming into downtown Boonville, I passed a Bar and Grill with a man sitting in a plastic chair watching me go by. He had a large white cowboy hat on and he seemed pretty well on his way to feeling “just fine.” He said in a slurred voice, “Bar Harbor or Bust, right?” I said, “Yup, that’s me.” He let know that all the other had passed by hours ago. I was glad to have an official greeter in town. |
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August Monday (Day 74) Starting Point: Fair Haven, NY Ending Point: Port Ontario, NY Via: Sterling, Hannibal, Granby Center, Fulton, Volney, New Haven and Texas (with side trip to Pulaski) Mileage: 53.8 Time: 4:57\ Mph: 10.8 Terrain: hilly Weather: 80s, sunny. Lodging: Brennan Beach RV Park and Campground Cumulative Mileage: 3,810.4 Miles to Go: ≈ 440 My greatest regret today was that I didn’t take a photo of the vineyards from yesterday. I was hoping that I would pass by some today so that I could capture them on film, but there were none. Neither were there any evident crops except for rolled up hay bales. In Hannibal I stopped for a second breakfast, since the first was a little pitiful(I got up too late to enjoy all the things that had been prepared). I stopped at an ice cream parlor/café combination. Outside, a man, whose name turned out to be Ed, approached me and commented, “That’s some gear you have there.” We had a conversation about the ride and he concluded it by saying that he hadn’t been farther than 500 miles from Hannibal in his life. I asked him what he did for work and he responded, “Everything that no one else wants to do!” This day was a somewhat shorter day thank goodness, because Tanya and I had to cook. We had to ride five miles to the nearest store to stop for dinner, breakfast and lunch. I filled up my trailer and Tanya, her panniers, with food for the trip back. She and I prepared bar-b-q chicken sandwiches and sweet corn for dinner. People seemed to like it quite well. Today I spoke with Sue at the Lung Association of Maine to get the wheels turning to have a finish line in Brunswick for Friday August 20. |
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August Sunday (Day 73) Starting Point: Fairport, NY Ending Point: Fair Haven, NY Via: Macedon, Palmyra, Pultneyville, Sodus Point and Wolcott. Mileage: 67.2 Time: 6:18 Mph: 10.7 Terrain: hilly Weather: 70s, sunny. Lodging: Fair Haven Beach State Park Campground Cumulative Mileage: 3,756.6 Miles to Go: ≈ 493.8 If brevity is the soul of wit, then my last article must have been side-splittingly humorous. I was trying to write while loud music was playing. Unlike many years ago when I could watch TV and do Latin homework simultaneously, attempting this feat now was just another bad idea. The route for this day went by a great deal of farmland which were generally looking relatively close to be ripe for harvest. There was corn, of course, and other crops like tomatoes, zucchini, and other unidentifiable green plants. A prominent feature of this part of New York was the appearance of vineyards. I’m sure I passed no fewer than a dozen “Winery” signs where the passersby were invited to participate in wine-tasting. In order to reach the destination for the evening I skipped any tasting. Just outside Palmyra I stopped at one of the many vegetable stands that can be found on any of these back roads. Jerry Kuhn was a retired Xerox employee and was now working part-time manning the vegetable stand. He was so genuinely interested in what we were doing crossing the country on bicycle. Jerry generously gave me some free individual pieces of fruit. He described them as tree-ripened. As I sat at the picnic table out front, he came out and brought me some paper towels as he gave me the warning that this fruit was going to be juicy. I could have stayed there all afternoon. |
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August Saturday (Day 72) Starting Point: Holley, NY Ending Point: Fairport, NY Via: Brockport, Spencerport, Rochester and Pittsford. Mileage: 42.7 Time: 4:32 Mph: 9.4\ Terrain: flat Weather: 60s, cloudy. Lodging: Gretchen’s backyard (she is a ride participant who lives one mile off the designed route. Cumulative Mileage: 3,689.4 Miles To Go: ≈ 556 This was a short day to pay a visit to Gretchen’s house. She graciously offered to have us camp in her backyard. The riding time was short enough and the rest afterwards long enough to give my body the impression that it was an actual rest day. Java Joe’s in Spencerport had the best cappuccino that I’ve tasted in weeks. That in itself was the high point of the day. The Erie Canalway Trail through Rochester was challenging only in that the tree roots made the surface very washboard-like. Thus, it was very slow going for several miles. |
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August Friday (Day 71) Starting Point: Niagara Falls, Ontario Ending Point: Holley, NY Via: Lewiston, Pekin, Lockport, Gasport, Middleport, Medina and Albion. Mileage: 66.3 Time: 6:21 Mph: 10.4 Terrain: flat Weather: 60s, cloudy. Lodging: Erie Canal Dock Campground Cumulative Mileage: 3,646.7 Miles To Go: ≈ 598.7 You, the reader, might have noticed a change in the miles to go figure. At the time of this writing (Saturday 7 August 2004), it looks like the finish line for this rider will be Brunswick instead of Bar Harbor. There are a lot of logistical reasons to do this both for me and for the American Lung Association of Maine. ALAM will be providing a finish line of sorts for the end of this odyssey and it makes so much more sense to do it thirty-five miles from Augusta instead of one hundred and fifty. As of today, the total projected miles is 4,245.4. This figure will change daily as the actual miles are ridden. Based on how things have worked out up to this point, I predict that the total mileage will still equal 4,308, if not slightly more. In this way, all my per-mile sponsors can know that they’ve gotten their money’s worth! It was a lovely ride north of Niagara Falls along the river. The escarpments across from the Canadian side were an imposing and impressive sight. Near to Niagara-on-the-lake were botanical gardens and a floral clock. Crossing back into the US was uneventful fortunately. The terrain along Upper Mountain Road was flat but rich in agriculture and sky views. But the high point of the day was the arrival at the Erie Canal in Lockport. The entire canal is rich in history, of course but now it’s generally for pleasure boats and not working barges. The Erie Canalway Trail follows right alongside the actual watery canal. There were a few surprises at different points. At one point, a rushing waterfall and stream was right next to the actual canal. It’s sort of a wonder how the two could be juxtaposed like that. It was a visual treat to have water on both sides of the trail for that brief time. In almost all cases the road goes over the canal. In one case, the road came down a hill next to the canal and disappeared under it. It was probably a tunnel but it wasn’t visible from where I was. |
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August Wednesday (Day 69) Starting Point: Ridgeway, Ontario Ending Point: Niagara Falls, Ontario Via: Fort Erie. Mileage: 36.7 Time: 3:25 Mph: 10.7 Terrain: flat Weather: 70s, cloudy, light rain. Lodging: Horseshoe Falls Motor Inn and AYH Youth Hostel Cumulative Mileage: 3,580.4 Miles To Go: ≈ 791 The prospect of seeing Niagara Falls was an exciting one for sure. At the northeast corner of Lake Erie, the lake ends and becomes the Niagara River. A rushing current was very visible right at that junction. Mysteriously, though, the current dwindled to a tranquil river. Buffalo, New York was, of course, visible across the watery expanse. The bike path went right alongside the river for the entire distance right up to Horseshoe Falls. It wasn’t until about a mile from the actual falls that the current was again rapids. In the distance for much of the ride in the last five miles, the mist from the falls was visible. This all added to the excitement of arriving there. The visual splendor of the falls is the most noticeable aspect of being here of course. Surprisingly there isn’t much of a sound or roar like I was expecting. I might be tempted to take the side trip below Horseshoe Falls to a platform where people can actually hear clearly the magnificent tumultuous roar of the Niagara River cascading over the precipice. This arrival was exciting not just because of the falls, but also it marked a turning point of the tour in a small way. From here on, it was more or less a straight shot across New York State until the Maine border, thus making the completion of the tour a real possibility and prospect. Today (Thursday) will be a day to look at the sights and enjoy a rest day. The photos will speak volumes about what is here. |
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August Tuesday (Day 68) Starting Point: Port Selkirk, Ontario Ending Point: Ridgeway, Ontario Via: Featherstone Point, Dunville, Stromness, Lowbanks, Long Beach, Burnaby, Camelot Beach and Port Colbourne. Mileage: 59.5 Time: 5:21 Mph: 11.1 Terrain: flat Weather: 80s, humid, sunny, cool southerly breeze Lodging: Pleasant Beach Campground Cumulative Mileage: 3,543.7 Miles To Go: ≈ 827.7 Today’s route followed along the shoreline of Lake Erie for nearly the entire distance. It was interesting to view all the different vacation home possibilities that people chose: trailers, small cottages and extensive lush homes. There was one smallish home with a For Sale sign out front mentioning a price of $375,000 (Canadian). What was most surprising about all these homes there was that along nearly this entire route also was an extremely strong odor of sewerage. We tried to figure out what caused it and our only theory was algae bloom in the lake. One of our group that experienced this phenomenon made the observation that if he had a $1 million home on the shore, he’d be extremely upset at having that odor present. At an ice cream stop near the end of the ride, I asked some locals about the odor and they said they didn’t even notice it. Let me be clear that that odor didn’t really diminish the visual beauty and tranquility of the shoreline. It looked like people were doing their normal routines; mowing lawns, going for walks, biking (without helmets!) and other outdoors things. So I guess people can adapt to any unpleasantness. When I stopped at an ice cream place, Katie and Tanya were already there having a conversation with two local ladies. The Canadian ladies commented that my bike was cute. They asked me the question that children have been asking me in Canada all the way along, “Did you build that yourself?” It turns out that, in this case, Katie put them up to that. The ladies were quite concerned about our health because we had such pronounced tans. We assured them that we were taking all the right precautions. I received an e-mail from Susan advising me to “keep my sunny side up.” With the end of the tour approaching, there is certainly plenty of opportunity to be sad. But rather than mourn what’s ending, I can rejoice in what has happened for three months of my life. I hope to be able to share that in various ways when I get home. That evening we had a Bahaman dinner with steel drum accompaniment at a resort not far from our campground. Only half of our group came to this dinner, because the other half went on to Niagara Falls a day early to have an extra rest day. A spectacular sunset punctuated the end of this wonderful day. |
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August Monday (Day 67) Starting Point: Port Burwell, Ontario Ending Point: Selkirk, Ontario Via: Houghton City, Clear Creek, Port Royal, Port Rowan, Booth’s Harbor, Normandale, Port Ryerse, Port Dover and Nanticoke. Mileage: 60 Time: 5:21 Mph: 11.2 Terrain: rolling hills Weather: 90s, humid, sunny Lodging: Selkirk Provincial Park Cumulative Mileage: 3,484.2 Miles To Go: ≈ 887.2 This was another humid day where the high point of every town was seeing an ice cream sign in front of a café or restaurant. The region, in general, has been incredibly rich in farmland. Today’s crops featured tobacco, beets, corn, zucchini, cucumbers and asparagus. According to one local, the tobacco is shipped off to China. As for cucumbers, today I had a special treat: I got to witness a harvest in progress. Both mechanical and manual harvests were being conducted in the same huge field. It seemed prudent to not stop and ask the farmer questions, though I badly wanted to. He was in the middle of the field with a giant machine that somehow picks up the entire plant, separates the cucumbers themselves and spits out the unwanted parts back on the ground. It looked really interesting and somewhat puzzling. What was left in the wake of the machine seemed like good mulch for the next crop. After he filled his container with cukes, he drove next to a large tractor trailer with an open top where he sent the cukes up a cuke conveyor belt to drop them into the tractor trailer. In the distance, there were a few workers picking by hand. Alongside the road was endless and endlessly beautiful Queen Anne’s lace. It seemed like loosestrife had also taken hold in a lot of places. There were birds aplenty; though I couldn’t identify the ones most intriguing to me. The same one we had heard at the campground in Minot, North Dakota was here too in large numbers. We camped at Selkirk Provincial Park which was a lovely, peaceful spot at least until midnight when a child in an adjoining campsite decided to have a temper tantrum and wake up all campers in every site. Next morning, the ranger was wry in his assessment. He was going to go and meet this child and let him/her know that s/he had woken up all the forest animals and they were all mad. In Port Dover there were a lot of tourists and shops, à la Old Orchard Beach. Motorcycles were everywhere. Apparently they were beginning to assemble for a big motorcycle shindig that was going to happen in a few days. As I crossed a parking lot on my bike, a biker looked disdainfully at my bike and commented, “That’s different.” |
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