Author: Greg Pezoldt

Well, it rained all night. Not really hard, but steady.

Waking up in the morning, the rain had stopped so there was no question about whether to ride it not. Ride it would be! But make no mistake. It is a dreary looking day. No sun at all this morning.

For some reason, along with the rain last night came warmer temperatures. I had started off wearing all of the same gear as the last couple days, but found that I was sweating too much and had to stop and take some of it off. That was a pleasant surprise.

This morning, I only needed to ride 20 miles to reach Bar Harbor, ME. This is the end of the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route so it represents a milestone, but it is not quite MY final destination. That would be Acadia National Park which really is adjacent to Bar Harbor, but a significant distinction in my mind.

I had lunch in town. Amazingly, right when I entered Bar Harbor, the sun came out. Only briefly, but it seemed to be a sign from the cycling gods.

Right after lunch I set out to ride the Park Loop Road which is the basic loop road in the park on the main island.

Riding around the Park Loop road, the weather returned to the overcast dreariness of the morning. The scenery was still impressive with the famous rocky coastline. And the sea was angry my friends.

I completed the loop and headed for the ferry dock in town. I was going to take the ferry over to Winter Harbor on the Schoodic Peninsula and camp there so I could ride the loop road there and see Schoodic Point. Unfortunately, the rough seas forced the cancelation of the ferry service for the day. The Schoodic Peninsula would have to wait for another day.

Given this change of plans, I needed to find a place to camp on the main island. The closest was the Blackwoods campground within the park. It was only 5 miles away, but the weather was deteriorating pretty quickly at this point. The wind slowed my progress to a crawl at times, I did eventually make it to the campground for the night.

So, the trip is over! I made it to Acadia National Park and saw the Atlantic Ocean. That feels so great to say that. I do need to ride again tomorrow, but not far and actually backtracking a bit as I start to make my back to Wenatchee. So in deed, the trip is completed. I drank a beer that seemed appropriate for the occasion.

I will still be making some blog entries to chronicle the trip home with some trip statistics and offer some final thoughts on this amazing adventure. And I would be remiss to not thank everyone who has followed me along the way. I never really felt alone because I knew everyone was “riding along” with me. Thank you!

Lastly I think way back to the day that Natalie and I rode through Rexford, Montana. We stopped at a place to fill our water bottles. A gentleman there inquired where we were going. When Natalie replied that we were going to Maine, this gentleman blurted out “the old guy won’t make it”. To that gentleman I simply say “SUCK IT!”

It was cold again this morning which was not a surprise. It was also overcast which also was not a surprise. There was rain in the forecast and I needed to try to stay ahead of it as long as possible.

I got an early start to the day which I felt I needed to do today to try to get as many miles in as I could before it started to rain.

I rode along the coast and by the bays that are around every turn in the road. They are not always in sight, but they are never far away now.

Just outside of Stockton Springs, I stopped for lunch. Today would be LOBSTER day. I needed to have lobster at least once since I was in Maine. I am not really a big lobster person, but I would have regretted it if I did not indulge at least once. I opted for the lobster roll as opposed to the full meal deal with the mallet and bib.

I have to admit I really did enjoy it.

After lunch I rode pretty hard trying to stay ahead of the approaching rain. I was lucky enough to have made it to Ellsworth which was one of the places I had identified as a good place to stop today. Because it actually started raining as I got to the outskirts of town, I decided on a motel room. Better safe (and dry) instead of sorry.

I hope that I am going to sleep well tonight. Tomorrow is an extra exciting day.

If yesterday had an autumnal chill to it, this morning was flat out cold! And the wind was blowing to make it even colder feeling. Getting out of the warm sleeping bag was not easy today. The sun was still out, but I put on a lot of clothes to keep warm. One really nice thing was that the wind kept my tent dry. Packing up my camp went really fast and easy today which was very welcome.

The route up to Bar Harbor from here would now travel northward and follow the coast more or less. Not that there would be any less hills and that they would be any less steep. Just now instead of riding from lake to lake, I would now be riding from bay to bay, and harbor to harbor.

First would be Bath, ME and neighboring Woolwich, ME. I needed to cross the US Hwy 1 bridge across the Kennebec River, but my directions left me a little confused (a common occurrence). My confusion must have been obvious because a local cyclist asked if I needed help. His name was Mark and he said that he once rode from Bellingham, WA to Boston. He was now 80 and still riding his bike. He actually led me through town and successfully got me on the bridge and on my way again. Thanks Mark!

Next was the harbor town of Wiscasset, ME. There was a famous lobster shack called Red’s Eats there and there was a LONG line to get their famous lobster roll. A lobster roll is pieces of lobster on a hoagie roll with a sauce. I passed on this famous treat due to the long line, but it was time for lunch. I found a nice place to enjoy my peanut butter and honey bagel sandwich.

After lunch I decided I would try for Camden, ME to end the day. On the way and just before Warren, ME, I suffered my 7th flat tire. I didn’t like the trend here so I checked everything out extra carefully. I found the cords in my rear tire were starting to show after over 3,000 miles when I bought it in Denver. It was time to replace the tire so I used the spare I had been carrying for some 5,500 miles now. I also used a brand new tube so I think I am good to go for the last days now.

I got to Rockport around 4:45. It was another quaint Maine harbor town.

I found a campground in neighboring Camden, ME which was my goal. Before I went there, I ended up having dinner at a waterfront restaurant appropriately named the Water Front! I finished eating just in time to sprint the remaining 2 miles to the Camden Hills State Park before dark came. I just barely made it and set my tent up in the dark. (I can set it up with my eyes closed at this point).

Back in the warm confines of my tent, I finally took all of those warm clothes off. I wore them all day it turns out. I think fall has really set in in New England.

I must admit that I slept really well in the nice bed last night. I woke up to bright sun, but the air had a definite autumnal chill.

The first thing I did in the morning was to go check out the grounds of the Tarry-a-While Inn. The main house was on a nice large piece of ground, but the real attraction was down the hill. Their property went right down to Highland Lake where they had a beach, picnic tables, kayaks, fire pits and a roped off swimming area. I can see that it would be a popular spot to vacation at.

Walking back up the hill to the Inn, I met Donna. She was the sister of Dan Richards who is the owner and who offered me the room. I must have looked pretty pathetic yesterday riding toward Bridgton. Donna also saw me riding and though just as Dan that she should offer me a place to stay. So that morning, I insisted that we talk a bit so I could find out some history of their family and properly thank them for their generosity.

Running the Inn was a true family endeavor for them. Donna offered to make a breakfast for me, but I said that was too much. After talking till 10:00 Donna had things to do and I needed to be on the road.

This part of Maine has a lot of long skinny lakes. You ride from one to the next and to the towns that are associated with each one. The roads that go between these lakes and towns are rolling hills, except that you cannot really roll from one hill to the next. The hills are short but STEEP and your momentum from one hill to the next doesn’t even come close to letting you coast over the next. After doing this all day for a few days was taking a toll on my legs.

Later in the day, I got to Brunswick, ME. It was late enough and I was tired enough that I looked to find a campground for the evening. I found my way to the Thomas Point Beach campground. The beach however was on the BAY. Meaning that the water I was looking at was connected to the Atlantic Ocean.

While I could not actually see the ocean, it really felt like a major milestone on the trip. The ocean was SO SO close now.

I actually got to cook dinner in the sun of the day which was a nice change from recent other dinners. The sun was setting around 7:00 now so that was taking a real adjustment in my timing, especially now that I was on the other side of the equinox.

Looking at salt water today means that the trip is starting to get to the last days now. That means that each day will be extra exciting now. I slept looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

The sun woke me up this morning at the Lewises House. A very good sign. It was windy and cool, but not raining.

I was raring to go today which is typical after a rest day. And it was going to be a Big Day too.

Today was going to be the last major climb of the trip. Kancamagus Pass. Not super high, not super steep, not super hard. But the last real climb. After this, it would only be lots of rolling hills but nothing long and sustained.

After a breakfast at the Lewises, it was off again. I negotiated a lot of local traffic that was going to see the local Highland Games at nearby Loon Mountain. The Highland Games is a Scottish Festival with games and bagpipe music. And I assume beer too.

The climb up Kancamagus Pass was great. The sky was clear so there were some nice views going up.

And after 2 hours, I reached the final summit.

It was also going to be my last downhill descent. But it was a good one. Downhill basically all the way to Conway where I had lunch.

With all of the downhill completed, now it was time for the rollers. And lots of them. And one big milestone too.

I have reached Maine! Basically my trip goal and my 16th state and probably my last. (I have to go to Massachusetts but I don’t think I am going to ride there). Like Vermont and New Hampshire, I have never been here before. How is that possible with a State Nickname of “Vacationland”!

Now it is on to Bridgeton to find a campground. There are a few to choose from, but the trick will be finding one that is open. Places are closing for the season so it gets “interesting” at times. As luck would have it, as I was approaching Bridgeton, a car pulled over and flagged me down. The driver inquired if I was going to be camping and that he ran a resort and I could camp there tonight. Well that solved a problem for me. I said that I was looking for a campsite and gladly accepted his offer. He said that he was going to to be gone so I told him I would pay for my campsite in the morning. He said that there would not be a charge since I was touring. Like Dan in Middlebury, he had toured and was just “giving back”. These people in New England are really nice, at least to cyclists. He was waiting for me when I showed up. He said I was still welcome to camp if I wanted to, but offered me a key for one of the rooms in the resort. He said that he had a big wedding party that cancelled on him this weekend and that I would be the only one there. I thought that there must be a sad story behind the wedding cancelation. You don’t just cancel that at the last moment after months of planning without a reason that is probably heartbreaking to someone.

So as sad as someone out there is right now, I am feeling pretty cozy in a really nice bed. Not without some guilt though.

Today is a rest day due to rain and to visit with the Lewises. It is my last planned rest day for the trip, knock on wood. Only a bad weather day will result in another rest day at this point.

Al and I drove around the area seeing some of the sights. Among them was a trip up through Franconia Notch to see the “Old Man of the Mountain”. Or rather the site where this iconic rock formation USED to be. It fell down due to cracks, erosion and gravity in 2003. It was still interesting to see even though the mountain was obscured by clouds and it was raining and very windy. By the way- a very bad day to have spent in a bike. Glad I wasn’t doing that today.

Normally I would include some trip stats as part of a Rest Day report, but the end of my trip is only 4 riding days away now. I will give a complete trip summary at that time.

Today is the 100th day I have ridden the bike on this trip. 100 Hundred Days! That sounds a little crazy when I say it out loud, even to me.

I took off this morning without breakfast. I wanted to get to North Woodstock at an early time of the day so I skipped it today. Probably a mistake but off I went anyway.

After riding 9 miles, I crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire.

The road I rode on after crossing did not give a very good initial impression of New Hampshire roads. It was a county road that was very rough and turned to gravel and dirt after a while.

After following the Connecticut River north for about 10 miles I turned east again and followed the White River.

I followed the White River for a long time until I began another climb into the beginning of the White Mountains. It wasn’t a bad climb at all, but I had not eaten enough and I was starting to feel the effects of that decision. I had to pull over at one point to regroup. Fortunately the top of the climb was not far away from that point. Then all that was left for the day was a quick descent down to North Woodstock and I got there around 2:30.

In North Woodstock, my old roommate and co- house owner in Simi Valley, CA Al Lewis came and picked me up. He and his wife Myrtle has recently moved to Thornton, New Hampshire and I was going to visit with them for a day.

It was so good to see them and I completely understand why they moved to New England. They live in a really nice place in the world and built a wonderful house.

It is supposed to rain tomorrow so we agreed that it would a good idea to spend the next day as a rest day. And I got to visit an extra day. AND, I could rest an extra day before tackling the last major climb of the trip too.

This morning I got breakfast again at the Swift House. I had fruit and oat meal. I would need some food this morning because I had some serious climbing to do this morning. The most serious climbing I gave done since Colorado.

The temperature really cooled off from what it had been for the last few days. Apparently, the last few days had been flirting with all time high temperatures for this time of year. It had seemed pretty nice to me; what did I know about the local climate and what was normal or not. So today was MUCH cooler. I mean put on the long underwear and long fingered gloves cooler. It was also welcomed since I was going to tackle the Middlebury Gap this morning. A little bit here about local use of the language. In the West, we use the word “Pass” where we cross over mountains in a low point. In Vermont, apparently they say “Gap” and in New Hampshire they say “Notch”. So I am riding over what I would call a Pass this morning. It is a 1500 foot climb which is nothing to sneeze at. It will take some effort and by all accounts has some very steep portions along the way.

But before all of that I got to talk to Dan Brown, the owner if the Swift House over breakfast. What an amazing person. He is an adventure enthusiast and very interesting to talk to.

I invited him to come to Wenatchee some day and I really hope he does. I would really like to return the favor he gave me.

The beginning of the climb up to the Middlebury Gap was “as advertised”. It was really steep but for only about a half mile. Then the grade moderated and was fairly reasonable to ascend. I made the top in about 90 minutes only to find that they did not have a sign to announce the top of the Gap.

Luckily I have been to enough of the top of passes that I know when I am at the top! Plus, there was a “downhill” symbol to verify it too. And the downhill was fun. It had been a long time since I had really gone DOWNHILL. I mean on a bicycle to be clear.

Well, That was all well and good, but I still had riding to do after the big climb. It was big rollers after that and it took a toll on my quads muscles after a few hours. I was headed for the town of East Thedford and I was going to get in late. Partly because I had a few distractions along the way.

I kept taking pictures of the scenery, checked out more Covered Bridges and even had to talk to the Dartmouth women’s cross country ski team who were doing some dryland rollerski training on one of the hills I was climbing up in the late afternoon.

I did get to East Thedford in plenty of time to get settled in though. That was good since tomorrow was going to be another big day.

This morning, I am excited. It is going to be a big day for me on a lot of different levels.

This excitement is even more enhanced because the weather continued to be superb. Sunny and no wind again. And my tent was only slightly wet from the morning dew.

I had 16 miles to ride to the town of Ticonderoga, NY. It was a hilly ride and I had not eaten ANYTHING in the morning at all. My body was craving some food all morning but I soldiered on regardless. It was only 16 miles after all.

Getting to town, I found the Tourist Information Center to get some questions answered. I was interested if the old Fort Ticonderoga from the Revolutionary War was still intact and nearby. It was.

I went by the fort but did not go in. It was fairly expensive, but more importantly needed most of an entire day to see.

So after going by the fort, I needed to take a ferry across Lake Champlain to the other side of the lake.

The ferry was small and was just a short 5 minute trip.

Just like the last ferry trip I took from Mackinac Island, I was the only passenger on board. I asked the boat captain if I could pilot the boat explaining that I was qualified by prior experience, but they were having none of it this time. So I just sat back and enjoyed the short trip across the lake.

One reason that I declined to actually go into Fort Ticonderoga was that I was anxious to get to…..

Vermont! Lake Champlain is the border between New York and Vermont.

Vermont is a new state for me. By that, I mean that it is new for the trip, but also that I had never been to Vermont ever before.

Next, it was to ride to Middlebury, VT. Middlebury is a classic New England town full of old English style architecture and history. I arrived early in the afternoon so I could explore a bit. First was a visit to the local bike shop to check and top off my tire air pressure. Next was to ride the “Covered Bridges” alternate route to see Covered Bridges of course. The guys at the bike shop informed me that the Covered Bridge on this route had burned down a couple years ago, but there was another bridge that was close to town to see.

There are covered bridges around the country, but they are classic New England landmarks.

By then, it was getting late enough that I could begin to wind down. I still wanted to ride about 5 more miles and camp in East Middlebury, but I wanted to visit the 2 Brothers Taphouse. There I had a few beers (which seems to be a theme for the ride) and have some dinner too.

About 6:00 I decided to head for East Middlebury. Double checking my directions, it turned out that the campground was about 5 miles out of town leaving me with about 10 miles to cover. At that point I decided to reconcider this decision and consider just staying in Middlebury. The main campground in Middlebury was also several miles out of town and not really an ideal situation so I settled for plan C! There was another option to stay at the Swift House Inn B & B which also offered camping (like the Blue Mountain Lake Inn did). It was right in town so very convenient. I called ahead to verify that I could camp there and they said it was fine.

When I got there, the staff person informed me that the owner of the Swift House was offering me a room instead of camping. This sounded like a good deal for me, a no brainer even so I jumped at the offer. I asked how much I still owed for the night and was told that the room was comped. WHAT! That was not right. It turned out the owner, Dan was a cycle tourist and did this occasionally when there was room at the Inn.

The Swift House Inn is without a doubt the nicest place I have ever stayed at in my life. I am still not sure how this really happened to me but it is just another example of the goodness in people that I have come across. Talking to Dan, he said that he wanted to pay back the kindness that was offered to him when he toured the country. I told him that I felt the same and that I owed the universe a lot of payback now too. Dan apologized ( with a laugh) for making my debt now even greater.

This morning, along with a heavy dew again, I woke up to ……. breakfast! The place I camped at last night was a Bed and Breakfast so I got breakfast even though I was sleeping in my tent. Fruit, granola, and some apple quiche. That was a treat.

I got an extremely late start today. Besides waiting for everything to dry out, I had to change a flat tire. Flat tire number 6. Still not bad for all the months and miles I have ridden.

My legs feel pretty good today. That is good since there is a pretty long hill to climb right out of Blue Mountain Lake that was a good test for them. After the hill, it was more rolling hills and rural riding in the Adirondacks.

In the Adirondacks, you could realistically call the terrain “mountainous”. They are not big, tall mountains, but still mountains. I don’t have to ride OVER them until Vermont however. Just through them for now.

Just outside of the very small village of Newcomb, I crossed the Hudson River. It was not very impressive this far upstream. More like a large Creek than a river, but still a New York landmark.

I have to make some decisions today on how far to ride. I could go all the way to Ticonderoga and a 71 mile day or stop short. I opted for stopping short in the town of Severance, NY. Severance has a Post Office and that is about it for services, but they have a campground.

I stopped short today after 55 miles because of the spacing of the camping opportunities in the next couple days. It made the most sense to stay in Severance to avoid an extremely long or extremely short day tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a fun day and better because of this decision.