Today's Report: 

Today's our last day in New York...another state bites the dust as we enter our next to last state on this trip...The Green Mountain State, Vermont.  We will be in Vermont only for 1 day because tomorrow we enter New Hampshire and take it home.  We've had New Hampshire in our sights for a while and now it's almost here.  Didn't we just leave the west coast?

Even though we were on several different roads today, the navigation was pretty simple...take Rte 2 to Rte 7, which becomes Rte 9 when we enter Vermont and take that until it Ts in Brattleboro.  But in contrast to the easy navigation, the terrain was a bit challenging as we climbed close to 5,000 feet today...it's always something.

As we leave New York gets my vote as the state with the best bicycle roads in the country.  For the most part, their state highways have a wide, smooth shoulder with plenty of room for us to ride and they also have some neat bike trails and lanes around metropolitan areas.  However, today we must have been too close to the border as our roads were a bit narrower and in places the small shoulder we rode on was in disrepair.  They have such bad winters up here that the roadways take a beating.  One year we'll come through and the shoulder is really beaten up and the next year it's pristine.

Even though we are in VT only one day, it will leave an impression on the riders.  You don't have to look too far to understand why they call this area the Green Mountain State.  As you can see by the picture below right, the terrain is spectacular.  Everywhere you look, you'll see high terrain covered with green forests or rolling hillsides with green pastures.  We rode along a river and two pristine lakes tucked between two tree covered mountain ranges that stood majestically on both sides of our route.  Everywhere the landscape is dotted with small farms nestled into the base of those "hills."  We actually rode between the mountains so our riding terrain was mostly just rolling except for a couple strenuous climbs...our road went up drastically soon after we left Bennington 30 miles into our route.

Besides the terrain, the weather sort of kicked us a bit too.  It was beautiful until about noon when the clouds started to build and finally the bottom dropped out around 12:30.  Some of the front end made it into town before the downpour, but the back riders had to seek shelter for a period.  I got a call from John just after the SAG.  He and Karen were on a lady's porch changing a tire so I headed up to help.  By the time we fixed it, the skies were open and the lightning was cracking.  She felt sorry for us standing on the porch and invited us in...after putting the dogs on the porch out back.  John and Karen took her up on her offer, but I had to get back on the road to check on folks and see where they were hiding.  I found Norm, JoAnn, and Jackie under a gazebo waiting for the storm to lift so I joined them there.  We were right next to a motel so I ran in and looked at the weather radar and saw the line of storms would pass pretty fast, but it would be pretty strong for a little while longer.  I called Silver at the SAG and let her know what I knew about the storm and to pass it on to the remaining riders.  After about an hour, the skies started to brighten and the final riders rode over the crest and down the mountain to town.  It's a shame they couldn't "let it go" on the descent...it is an exhilarating zoom down the hill, but it was a bit too wet to let it hang out.

Today was our first day in a while that required climbing muscles.  I've been telling them about today and tomorrow's climbing and I think a few of the riders were getting a bit nervous about the challenges of the climbs.  But I think when they got to pedaling, they found the hills not to be nearly as bad as they were perceived...it's definitely because they are so much stronger than they were out west.  By now, nothing will stand in their way of reaching the coast.  At rap, I think the majority of the riders rather enjoyed the climbs today...I know they enjoyed the descents.

As far as I was concerned, it was another successful day...everyone got in safely.  The riders spent most of the afternoon after the ride chilling around the lobby and visiting with relatives who have started to gather.  I think we are all starting to feel the end nearing and are trying to do the last group bonding.  We have only two more days of riding...it's hard to believe we are almost done with this adventure, but we still have a few more miles to focus on safe riding. 

Tomorrow will be our toughest day since John Day, but I think most of the riders will find it to be a fun day even with all the climbing.  At this point, they feel nothing will stop them from getting to the beach...you think a few climbs at this point would stop them from getting to the beach...I think not!  The states have thrown almost every conceivable construction scenario at us and we've overcome.  We've overcome mountains, heat, humidity, a little rain, and being around each other.  Tomorrow's just another bump in the road.  See you then.

PS:  I'm going to be pretty busy the last two days so I may not get a site posted for a day or two.  Check back and see our finish.  I promise to get it up as soon as I can.

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