Sept 28

Sept 28

It was only raining a little bit thru the fog this morning.  I got up at dawn, had a shower, packed up, and headed west on US 2.  

 It’s one of the prettiest roads I’ve ever been on.  At some point, it changes to US 9.  The color in the trees is awesome.  Entire mountain sides in color, with each creek outlined in a different tree specie and color.  Some of the mtns are mostly the same color, some are patch work, and some are random.  Neat!

There is a mtn on US 9 in Vermont that has lots of twists & turns in the road.  Lots of fun on a bike.  People with big campers and trailers were having less fun.  

 They are building (rebuilding) a bridge across Lake Champlain, so I got to take the ferry.

Mostly today was overcast, with occasional peaks at the sun and occasional drizzle or fog.  It was quite cold when I left Maine and got steadily warmer as I traveled west.  I stopped to adjust layers many times.  Eventually, I was just wearing a shirt under my rain and bike jackets.  Near Lake Placid, NY, I came around a corner, into torrential COLD rain.  No warning, no chance to put on more clothes, no where to safely stop.

At that point, I told the GPS to take me home, on the interstates.  At least I can find a (somewhat) affordable room, not like the high rent district I was going thru.  Eventually, I came to a rest stop and was able to get into my heated jacket and fleece before I froze.  Naturally, the rain stopped while I was inside getting dressed.  A bit further south a series of signs pointed to camping, food, and lodging.  I found 3 closed campgrounds, 2 private campgrounds, and 2 “campgrounds” that only rent cabins, and did not find 2 other campgrounds.  Once again I figured “the hell with it” and told the GPS to get me home.

About 100’ after I stopped to push buttons on my GPS, I actually found a campground – open, welcoming, and run by a nice couple.  They will even cook me breakfast in the morning for a few $’s.  I asked where I could get dinner, and my hosts recommended a nearby restaurant.  It was closed, but a mile farther was a tavern with really good food and beer.  I ate my fill and desperately wanted more than my “riders ration” of one beer.

I’m back in my tent now, no internet again.  My tent is still soaked- I had to mop up the floor with my chamois.  I didn’t bring many natural fiber items with me.  Those I did are rotting- my $25/pair wool socks :-(  Everything else does not smell so good.

Tomorrow I’ll poke around Adirondack park a bit, and maybe get home.  Maybe.