The BIG Climb!

22 June 2012

Stats for the day:

Depart Quechee 8:00 a.m., arrive Proctor, VT 3:50 p.m.

Trip mileage – 209.3 miles

Today’s mileage – 45.96 miles

Time on bike – 4:12:22

Average Speed – 10.9 mph

Max speed – 43.0 mph

What a day today turned out to be.  We met some great folks, saw a bunch of interesting sights, busted our seats getting up hills, and are now ready for a day off.  We started our day with a great breakfast thanks to our friend Louise who supplied us with a piece of smoked wild Alaskan salmon.  You put the salmon on an everything bagel with some cheese and Wa-La, the breakfast of champions. 

So, we left the Quechee State Park Campground under clear skies and warming temperatures.  The campsite we had was fabulous as it was large, clean, and very near the new bathrooms, as well as just a short walk to the pizza place where we had dinner.  Now that’s living!

Our first stop was at Quechee Gorge, what a magnificent site.  Even Bottle was impressed.  As you can see we took the opportunity to get a photo op, so we “got gorgeous at the Gorge.”  

As we pedaled on we took in the varying spectacles that are Vermont.  Quiet fields and pastures sprawled across the base of tree covered hills, and mountains streams meandering across the landscape.  Vermont really is a beautiful state, one with a rich history, and part of that history is beer.  We went by the Long Trail Brewery and you can’t imagine how hard it was for Rick not to stop and offer his services as taster and quality control person!

What is distressing is to see the damage caused by Hurricane Irene and the flooding that ensued.  On our way up to Killington, we passed this now defunct gas station.  

Vermont is also known for its hills, some very major hills, like the one we climbed, Killington.  There were two, one mile long seven percent grades in order to get to the top.  That was a long hard haul.  But we made it and even got some pictures.  The best part of the ride was the run down to Rutland, which gave us six miles at five percent grade down hill to enjoy. 

Just on the Rutland side of Killington is the Long Trail, which runs the length of Vermont from the Canadian border to Massachusetts.  Here, it matches with the Appalachian Trail, so we stopped and stretched our legs just to say we walked on the trails. 

Our descent into Rutland was smooth and we managed to maneuver through town without incident, then continuing on through with a relatively flat trek to Proctor and our friends, Dan, Andrea, and their daughter Sarah, where we were greeted with cold root beer floats.  Nothing ever tasted so good!  

We look forward to a day off from riding while we take in the local sights and enjoy the company of friends.  Check in later to see how we spent the day, but don’t expect it to be on the bike! 

Long HOT day!

21 June 2012

Stats for the day:

Depart Tilton 7:30 a.m., arrive Quechee campground 7:15 p.m.

Trip mileage – 163.2 miles

Today’s mileage – 64.24

Time on bike – 6.30.25

Average speed – 9.8

Max speed – 39.5

The sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds even as we played hide-and-seek beneath the canopy of trees along the Northern Rail Trail.  Our journey today brings us from Tilton, NH to Quechee, VT.  It was a pretty good ride along the trail, off the road, quiet, sometimes seeming very rural, especially when you see a bear just off in the woods lumbering along.  We chose not to try for a picture opportunity for that, but the turtle on the trail posed nicely. 

We found that the surfacing of the trail was not always what we would have wanted.  Quite a bit had soft stone dust, making it difficult to ride in, as well as covering us in a layer of it.  By the end of the day, we were covered, head to toe, in the stuff.  Getting a shower never felt so good!

Along our travels we stopped at a hardware store and made some needed repairs to the trailer hitch.  The fix achieved the night before, with Kevin’s help, was reinforced with a spring, making it good as new.  Of course, just to be on the safe side, we purchased two extra springs; Indiana is a long ways away still.

It was a long hot ride, and Google seems to have a few flaws when it comes to their directions for biking.  The first came when we realized the road they wanted us to take was a dead end, making us retrace our steps back up the steep hill we had just come down.  Had to walk that one.  Then, instead of taking us along Route 4, it sent us up, and we mean UP, a side road requiring yet another walk.  At the top of that one, it was sending us up yet another side road, so we decided to just stay on Route 4 and get to the campground on our own.  Why does it always seem the worst hills are the ones towards the end of the day. 

So we are headed for Proctor, VT, to stay with friends and take a day off from biking. Both of us are looking forward to that, especially after going up over Killington.  Come on back to read about that one!

Day 2 - Hills & Repairs

20 June 2012

Stats for the day:

Depart Potter's Place Campground 7:40 a.m., arrive Tilton, NH 5:45 p.m.

Trip mileage – 98.9 miles

Today’s mileage – 49.59 miles

Time on bike – 5.05.28

Average speed – 9.7

Max speed –44.0

It was a LONG HOT day, very hilly (RT 140 in NH), and two breakdowns - rear wheel had a broken spoke (fixed very efficiently by Likin Bikin in Alton, NH), and Rick & Kevin are right now trying to rig up a repair to the trailer.  The spring connection to the trailer broke today.  It looks like their repair will at least get us to the next bike shop.

Despite all that, we are enjoying some lovely hospitality in Tilton, NH.  Kevin & his family have been AWESOME!  Great dinner at a local Italian Restaurant, thanks to Becca.  Nice visit with Becca and Kevin & family.  Refreshing A/C for the night.  Couldn't ask for more!

We are well and enjoying a roof over our heads and a bed under our bodies.  :)

On The Road Again

19 June 2012

Stats for the day:

Depart Portland 8:40 a.m., arrive Potters Place Campground, Lebanon, ME 4:00 p.m.

Trip mileage – 49.33 miles

Today’s mileage – 49.33 miles

Time on bike – 4.26.16

Average speed – 11.1

Max speed – 33.5

So the first day of our nineteen planned days of biking is in the books.  Not a bad one as the sun played hide and seek with the clouds, keeping temperatures cool for most of it. 

We started the morning by deciding to change our route and picking up the Eastern Trail in Scarborough rather than in South Portland.  Trying to make it around the construction in Portland just didn’t make sense to us.

Anyway, the trail treated us well as we made good time down to its end in Kennebunk, then hitting the roads for the rest of the day.  Traffic wasn’t too bad, and what there was of it gave us plenty of room.  As much as the trails are great for quiet riding and easy grades, the surfacing can make things challenging, thereby keeping our speeds a little lower.  But both of us will take the easier grades and rural settings over the traffic noise and congestion.

Of course, just because we are on trails doesn’t mean we have peace and quiet.  Our last minute rider, Josh’s Bottle, yammers non-stop.  And when he doesn’t get his way, he whines until we can’t stand it anymore.  So we got him back today by snapping a picture of him while he was in the Porta-john.  We thought it was pretty funny, but he sulked for over an hour.  He’s such a baby.  Oh well, at least it was quiet!

One notable stop today was at a Cumberland Farms outside of Sanford.  Nola really needed a restroom and theirs was not for public use.  A sad face and explanation about traveling by bicycle resulted in allowing Nola to use the employee restroom.  Yay!  The woman working the cash register was nice and interested in our bicycling trip.  She liked Nola’s gel seat cover.  

By early afternoon it was noticeably warmer and the hills got steeper, resulting in our going a bit slower.  The last part of the day was the hilliest, as we made our way around Sanford and down to Lebanon, ME to the campground.  But after a hot shower and good supper we are ready to go again, straight to bed! 

Weather reports we have heard say that Wednesday and Thursday will be hot and humid, so we aren’t expecting to break any land speed records with the bike and trailer.  Tune in tomorrow to see how we have fared, and until then everyone stay safe and enjoy the evening.

P.S. In case anyone is thinking it, this is not Col. Harry Potter’s, or the magician Harry Potter’s campground.  We have not seen anything military or magical since we got here.  It’s still early, so who knows.

P.P.S.  So we've confirmed it isn't the magician Harry Potter's campground...  the ice cream shop down the street wasn't open and did not magically open when we went in search of some yummy cold stuff.  Oh well.  Guess that means TWO ice cream stops tomorrow!

Final Jeopardy question

The Final Jeopardy Category is:  Bike Touring

The Answer:  Of the three days of biking listed below, which one was with a loaded trailer and panniers?

                                    Thursday, 06-14-2012            Friday, 06-15-2012     Saturday, 06-16- 2012

Time on Bike               1.55.18                                    2.24.50                        2.52.34

Avg. Speed                 14.5                                         14.4                             12.4

Max Speed                  31.5                                         35.5                             31.5

Distance                      28 miles                                   35.03 miles                  35.77

“What is Saturday, 16 June 2012 Alex.”

Correct and how much did you wager?  OOOOHHHHH not enough to take the championship, sorry.

As you can see, we have been getting ready for our trip and doing as much mileage as we can given the day.  The Saturday trip was a good one and a fortunate learning experience.  We did make a couple of small adjustments to the bike and front derailleur, so now it goes into the “granny gear” a bit easier.  It’s always the little things that make the biggest difference. 

Our plan is to leave Tuesday (06-19-2012) morning to head for Potter’s Campground in Lebanon, Maine; a day of close to 50 miles.  Today, (06-18-2012) is packing and finalization day as we make sure our laundry is done, the bike is ready, and it’s a nice day off for our bottoms.  The weather is looking good for at least the first few days of the trip so no problems there. 

We want to thank everyone for your well-wishes and prayers as we embark on our adventure.  A new touring partner has joined our excursion, Josh’s water bottle, an old friend from four years ago.  He is quite the character and you can read his story and follow his exploits at:  bottlestravels2.blogspot.com.

Our next post will be from the road, so keep tuning in to the “same bat channel” when you can.  We love you all!

Half Century

Half Century Day

Saturday, 09 June 2012

Mileage – 53.76 miles

TOB (Time On Bike) – 3:43:33

Nola said it would have been cool to have it 3:33:33 as she likes “3’s.”

Max speed – 42.0 mph (on a downhill and I will swear the speed limit was 45)

Average Speed – 14.4 mph

We have titled this post as “Half Century” but it could very well be a full century as we both did 50+ miles on the same bike so that means we did over 100 miles when added together.  Is anyone buying this?  No? Okay, on to other things.

After over a week of rain, drizzle, clouds, more drizzle and more rain, we earned a good weekend, and this is it.  What a beautiful day for a bike ride.  As training goes, we knew we had to get at least one 50 mile day in, so today was it.  Now, we have to admit that this ride was done without the trailer, hence the decent average speed.  But in our defense, the route we took included a number of hills, with one the size of Everest.  Well, maybe not that tall, but at the time it sure seemed it.

Our excursion started with a trip around the Back Cove and up Route 1 to Route 88 through Falmouth, Falmouth Foreside, Cumberland Foreside and into Yarmouth.  With such a great day blossoming, we were far from the only bicycle on the roads.  However, we were the only tandem we saw, but a great number of folks were out taking advantage of warm temps and a cool NW breeze.  As anyone who has been on Rt. 88 knows it’s a fabulous road with some extraordinary houses to look ogle over, and as you pass along Cumberland Foreside the views of fields filled with tall, emerald colored grass swaying lazily, entice you down the slope to the cool ocean water.  All too quickly we are back under the canopy of trees, riding through the mosaic of golden sunlight and dark shadows they have laid across the road.

As we ride north on Rt. 1, our first goal is the Bike and Ski shop just south of Freeport village.  It is there that we find a replacement tire pump of the kind that Rick has been looking for since he blew up the other one.  All he will say is that it was an unfortunate set of circumstances that led to the destruction of the pump.  Nola simply asked, “Were you using a big hammer?”  Everyone is still waiting for an answer. 

The second goal of the trip was also accomplished, and that was to return the two sleeping pads that were purchased, tried out, and deemed unacceptable.  The folks at Bean’s were very courteous and took them back without flinching.  We ended up buying some new socks, lightweight, very breathable ones to help keep our feet dry and cool.  Our feet still sink, but the new socks don’t seem to mind.

After a hearty lunch, we rode off on “Twoddles” to finish our 30+ mile route home to Portland.  Our route took us out Bow Street to Flying Point Road, around to Pleasant Hill Road, Upper Mast Landing to South Freeport Road into Yarmouth.  We took Middle Road into Falmouth at Route 9 then back into Portland.  Quite a ride, but fun.  

This coming week, as we make final preparations for the trip, the plan is to do some daily mileage with the fully packed trailer and panniers, so we can get used to the extra weight.  We will keep you posted on how that turns out. 

Rain and visitors

Rain, rain, go away; come again another day – preferably after our trip to Muncie.

This past weekend, June 1, 2, 3, wasn’t conducive to training rides, at least for us.  The heavy rain and driving winds kept us inside planning, rather than outside riding.  Here’s hoping that the coming weekend is better.

The good news is that Nola was able to get our trip planned out with mileages that will be doable for old farts like us, as well as places to stay – either camping or taking advantage of the hospitality of members of WarmShowers.  It’s an organization of bicycle enthusiasts who have agreed to offer their homes’ accommodations to other cyclists, and in return being able to enjoy similar kindness when they tour.   Nola signed us up a few weeks ago and we had our first cyclists stay the night of 3 June.  

Dylan and Jon are making their way up the Eastern Seaboard from Key West, Florida, to Lubec, Maine.  These intrepid cyclists braved the nasty weather and made their way from Exeter, NH to Portland on Sunday, arriving at our house wet and cold.  Not sure we will have the same fortitude during our trip if the weather turns as ugly as it has been here the last few days.  Though, who knows, we may surprise ourselves.

We had a wonderful visit chatting and sharing cycling and hiking stories, as these two travelers have also through hiked the Appalachian Trail.  Oh to be young again!  Of course we couldn’t let our new friends pass through without a trip to Red’s ice cream in South Portland.  A Nor’easter from Reds makes even the worst weather tolerable. 

Monday morning dawned with the same miserable, wind driven rain, but Dylan and Jon made the decision to make their way up the coast to just outside Edgecomb.  As tempting as taking the day off was, they have a schedule to keep and fifty or so miles is easy for them.  A testament to the adage, mind over matter.  Good luck guys!

As for us we hit the wind trainers, tucked snugly inside the garage, once again in hopes of being at least some-what ready for our endeavor.  As the time for departure gets closer and the multitude of small details get finalized, or in some cases purchased as in patch kits and water repellent spray for panniers and other gear, we increasingly look forward to the spectacular sights and extraordinary people that await us as we make our way from Maine to Muncie.