TODAY'S TALES: 

I'm sorry for the delay in posting the final days.  Our schedule has been pretty packed over the past 3 days and even the president only has 24 hours in a day.  With the ride, end of ride logistics, and final banquet, I just didn't have time to drag out my computer to do a report.  I'm sitting in our room after the ride's end with a sigh of relief...we got everyone across who had signed up to ride the entire ride...100% finished!  It will take me a day or two to get the complete journal finished, but I'll try to get day 49 done tonight.  Again, sorry for the delay...here's the report starting with Manchester.

The theme of today was, "Going up."  If the riders liked the climbing yesterday, they loved today.  It was only 1 mile from the motel when the road started to go up at the New Hampshire state line...our final state on this trip.  It's hard to believe we've traveled all the way across the nation and are only a couple days from our journey's end.  It seems just like yesterday we left Astoria as a group of strangers and now we are about to finish.  Some people think it's a long way from Oregon to New Hampshire...actually, to us it's only a bike ride. 

I think the riders have been thinking about today ever since we got over the Continental Divide.  Today was scheduled to be one of our biggest altitude gains since leaving Astoria...and some of the hills are pretty steep.  I am always amazed at how much stronger everybody has become since we left Astoria.  I would say that most of these people wouldn't have been able to climb a couple of the climbs today when we started this ride.  Even though they are a little tired from the climbing the last couple of days, today's hills were nothing as they have legs of steel and lungs to match.  It's been fun to watch them get stronger throughout the ride.

Our route now is a little different than in the past.  Last year I drove out just before rap and changed the route to avoid a 20%  climb on Sullivan Rd and another long climb up over Pitcher's Mountain.  The change also eliminated about a mile of descending dirt road that we've grown to love over the years.  The road over Sullivan is a great climb, but the road is getting pretty weather worn and really bumpy.  I made the late command decision to change the route to follow hwy 9 all the way to our SAG.  The detour also made the route today about 8 miles shorter.  Now let's review...8 less miles, 1500 feet less climbing, smoother pavement...sounded like a win, win, win to me.  As it worked out, it allowed everyone to get in early enough to have a little time before dinner to relax and start their celebrations.  That made it a win, win, win, WIN.  To show how strong these riders have become, several of them climbed the steep hill at Sullivan that we took out of the route...and they did it just for fun!

Our route today basically was hwy 9 to Keene and highway 31 about 20 miles farther down route.  From there we hit more back roads to Bennington and Francestown through rolling to hilly terrain.  Right out of Keene we popped out in the country for about 4 miles that included a 12% climb just to warm us up for the hills to follow.  Our last challenge was Joe English, a 15% pop up for about 3 quarters of a mile then it was up and down on shorter rollers all the way to Manchester. 

I was riding today with Karen and we pretty much busted in so we could get all our chores done before the final dinner tonight.  Our final dinner is our salute to the riders and the ride.  It was a chance for everyone to express their feelings about the ride and put a closure to the event.  Emotions ran high as riders shared their thoughts and performed a couple skits that really were entertaining...America Has Talent wasn't in attendance so the riders will not get their chance to go nationally, but I'm not sure anyone else outside our room would have understood anyway.  Not to slight any of the skits, but the final one was Deb and Chuck trying to copy Karen and me doing RAP.  One of the standing oddities of the ride is Karen and I dress alike on most days.  Even to the point that one rider asked if we did our shopping together.  Deb and Chuck had matching outfits and did a parity on our RAP sessions...pretty clever for sure, but neither Karen nor I would ever wear those socks!

After the banquet, we were pretty wound up, but tomorrow awaits.  One more day to focus on safely negotiating the roadways to the Atlantic.  Reluctantly, the riders have come to the realization the ride is all but complete...only 50 more miles...I think we can smell the beach from here.  Tomorrow we do it for the last time...check in and see how we do. 

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