The weather plays the most important role in what we do...and when it is like it was today, our attitude and spirits are much improved.  As you’ve seen over the last couple of days, we’ve been in a pretty depressing weather pattern, but today our luck changed and the sun even came out for a time or two.  It’s amazing how much better everyone felt today riding...even in the challenging terrain...it was just plain fun. 

To say we’ve been in a wet pattern the last few days is an understatement.  But I’m thinking the local farmers that got their crops out already are loving it.  The ones who still have to plant may not be too happy and if they were planning on planting corn, they may have to reconsider.  May be a lot of soy beans growing here this summer.

Well, back to our day, we had lots of hills today...that's what makes this such a good riding day.  Some of the hills were pretty steep too.  Just before lunch, we turn onto hwy 603 which is also marked as the Cardinal Bicycle Trail.  That means there are more cyclists than just us who brave this stretch of road.  This road is really a roller coaster and a fun, beautiful contrast to the flat farmland of the last couple of days.  In a vehicle, you can sustain zero Gs as you top several of the peaks.  The pictures to the left might give you an idea of what the terrain was like.  We were worried that Jay might just get to within 10 yards of the top and then roll backwards toward the bottom and then like a marble in a bathtub, coast back and forth up one side then down the other until he bottomed out at the low point.  But that was not the case...he, like everyone else, did a great job on those tough rollers.  By the time everyone got to the lunch SAG, they were all smiling and commenting on how great a day and ride it was...I think they'd already forgotten about the rain the last couple of days.  We had a rider last year mention at the SAG that he was having so much fun that it should be illegal. 

This day is always a favorite and for more reasons than just the good scenery and terrain.  Everywhere you look there are wildlife scenes...Canadian Geese, deer, Wild Turkeys, Groundhogs, and other small game are always scurrying around on the roads.  We usually are also greeted with ever present farm dog who is usually curious as to what all these bikers are doing riding through their territory.  Someone made an observation last year about some cultural differences of farm dogs in Ohio...they seem to be more friendly than other states.  I think they are just used to more cyclists riding by or maybe they have eaten so many cyclists that they are more choosey than the hungry dogs out west...think?

After lunch the hills never let up.  I'm thinking that if we would have had this day earlier in the ride, several wouldn't have survived, but now they are so strong that these hills are sometimes fun.  I was able to ride from the first SAG to the motel and I know my legs didn't like the first couple of climbs, but after a good warm up, I was feeling much better and able to enjoy the rollers. 

One of our favorite photo ops is of the pink pig that sits atop one of the first climbs after lunch.  The gentleman who lives there said he just wanted to put that pig in his yard...much to the chagrin of his family.  But now, it's a landmark that has to be photographed when ever we ride through.  He's even added a "piglet" a couple years ago, but someone must have stolen it...or it grew up and became a honey ham. 

The day pretty much unfolded without incident but about 15 miles from the motel, we crossed a bridge and found about 2 feet of water over the roadway.  The creek was out of banks and had the roadway covered for about 300 yards.  Jim did a bang up job getting everyone around it and back on course and without adding much mileage.  This was only the second time we’ve experienced water over the road in the 15 years I’ve been doing these rides.

All in all, it turned out to be a pretty good day and all were in by 3:30 in spite of all the hills, the high water, and late start.  Everyone was really psyched about all the steep hills today, but all I heard at the SAG and the motel was how much fun the hills were or how tough they seemed to be.  They all admitted they never thought they would say that terrain like this could be so much fun...That's the way it is on this day...the ups are challenging, but the downs are fantastic.

Well, we are closing in on the ocean...we only have 7 more days.  I think they are starting to realize how fast the time is going.  Blink and we'll be in the sand in Amesbury...but for now, we concentrate on tomorrow's 96 miles...join us then.