Miles: 78 Climb: 1,804'
Wow, what a day. No reflections on the history of the country and the culture of our regions today. There was a strong tailwind and we wanted to ride, so ride we did. I rode with Hans and Tony to the first rest stop at 34 miles. After that I rode alone through the beautiful rural Upstate New York countryside. We did less climbing today and most road surfaces were good. It was a fast ride. The scenery has changed from rural farmland to wooded countryside. We ended the day in Little Falls, New York, a delightful little town at the base of the Catskill and the Adirondack mountains.
I stopped for lunch with other riders at Crazy Ottos's Diner in Herkimer before going to the hotel in Little Falls. I have truly enjoyed this trip through small town America and feel I have seen the country through the eyes of the typical American as opposed to visiting the popular tourist spots in each state. It has given me a much better appreciation for the rich natural resources we have in the US and for the challenges we have in moving from the industrial and manufacturing based economy to the era of information and technology. I have an even stronger conviction to education as the fundamental solution to societal change and improvement.
When we arrived at the hotel I went through what has become my typical routine: cleaned the bike and checked it for cracked rims, loose spokes, and damaged tires. I mixed and drank a recovery drink, and I washed the kit in the sink and hung it outside on the bushes behind the hotel to dry. I did a lot of stretching because my legs were very tired and the muscles were tight. I iced my knees and the persistent bump on my butt. I washed my water bottles and laid out for tomorrow my kit and the various things I carry in my pockets (hand pump, Cliff bars, Bonk Breaker Chews, extra hydration mix and chamois butter packs). Then I showered and today I took a nap. It's almost like preparing for work, except that I'm not reading and responding to hundreds of email messages.
When I woke up, I took a walk around town taking photos of the old churches and houses in this little town of 4,000, I ended up at the Copper Mouse, a nice bar in town and had a beer with the mechanic, Gene. Gene and I returned to the hotel for the daily map meeting to go over the route for the next day, Today the tour director also explained what happens at the end of the ride and the process for getting bikes and people home when we finish in New Hampshire. It is hard to believe we are so close to achieving the goal. I won't let myself dwell on it, yet. We still have four days of riding ahead.
Tomorrow we ride a gap between the Catskills and the Adirondacks to Latham, New York. The forecast is for continued hot weather and clear skies.
I'd say it was fast. Just shy of 17 mph. "This is just what I do." Sounds like a nice routine. The Adirondacks are beautiful and quite mountainy. I look forward to read about where you went today. Have a great ride.
ReplyDelete48 days and you have a definite groove - so ride you did and do. Your comment about the transition from a 19th/20th century world to this century is ever so true. Those of us in urban centers or in the midst of a knowledge worker world are increasingly distant from many of the people and places you have found through your ride. Bridging that gap and finding ways to help more people make the transition is indeed the challenge for education and yet education itself is having difficulties reimagining itself to do that. Ride like the wind, today!
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