Biking with Bill

VERMONT’S GREEN MOUNTAINS

Some say “climbing mountains builds character”. If that is true, I am a better man today–along with my cycling buddies. We climbed two major summits of the Green Mountains and 5400feet on today’s beautiful 77 mile ride across lower Vermont.

It would be hard to pick a better route than we rode today. We left Troy on Rt 2, connecting with NY Rt 7, which became VT Rt 9 as we crossed the border into the picturesque town of Old Bennington. Some stopped to climb the stairs of the Bennington Monument (which looks like the Washington Monument). You could tell we were in Vermont: the old churches, the GREEN mountains, (actually the well named Green Mountains), the dirt auxiliary roads, the tourists etc. By plan I stopped on Main St in Bennington to meet again with Joan, a sorority sister of Betty’s, on the front porch of her husband Neil’s law offices. We caught up on Tri-Delt news.

Immediately outside of town we began what the route rap sheet called, “Climb next 10 miles”. Climb we did–slowly, steadily, past Haystack Mt Ski Area , and through the Bennington National Forest, and finally over the spine of the Green Mts. The descent was terrific!

We then cycled through the tourist town of Wilmington, VT , where we stopped at the SAG and at an ice cream shop. Then we climbed again–at mostly a 6% grade–riding along side the rapids of the Deerfield River. I was riding alone, hearing only the sounds of the river unless disturbed by a motor vehicle. It was a beautiful, sunny, Saturday with temperatures in the low 80's. The descent into Brattleboro was again a fun ride. It was a pleasurable, challenging biking day.

Tonight, I’ll have dinner with friends from Naples–the Clarks and the Jeffries–along with Kirk Jeffries (brother), a fellow cyclist from Minnesota.

Enjoying Vermont,

Bill

I was unable to ride today. An upsetting case of intestinal flu kept me off the bike.

The 83 mile route from Little Falls to Troy, NY is exactly the same route I rode in 2004 on the Cross Country Challenge. Therefore, this Across America-North ride remains complete--I do not have a missing segment left unridden. Of course I would have preferred to have been on the bike with the rest of the crew, but today I could not.

I took photos of : 1) the countryside outside of Fonda, NY 2) a sign on the road reminding us to ride safetly these last few days--and a tribute to Kent 3) Steve and Barb (ME) on their tandem bike.

Hoping to ride tomorrow into Vermont,

Bill

LITTLE FALLS ON THE ERIE CANAL


Our destination city today was Little Falls, NY (pop 4500), a one time manufacturing city that has unfortunately lost its base industries. It nevertheless has charm, some magnificent old buildings, and a great location along the Erie Canal, complete with an operating lock.

Exiting a city the size of Syracuse with its traffic and stop lights is never the most pleasant experience on a bike.. The ride became more enjoyable and rural as we rode parallel to the New York State Thruway through Canastota, Oneida, and Westmoreland and along the Mohawk River. The final 26 miles were on the Rt 5 Bike Route into Little Falls.

At dinner tonight our friend Kent, a fellow cyclist from Virginia, joined us after being released from the hospital for a broken collar bone injured in a fall today. We were all happy to see that he was in good spirits and will recover quickly.
But, we all wanted to arrive at the beach in New Hampshire TOGETHER, safe and sound. We all wish Kent the best. Good guy!

The entire group moves right along these days. After 46 days on the road, pedaling 80+ miles per day, we have all gotten stronger and more experienced as cyclists. We only have a few days left, and it is very clear that the group is enjoying themselves and each other on this cross country ride.

This has been a wonderful week for me . I was happy to be back in Central New York, near my hometown of Rome, NY. My family gathered to see me over the past 3 days. My Aunt Pat, Cousins Nancy and Carole and her daughter , Julie and her 6 week old baby, Anna cane to Henrietta. Chuck and Jackie, my brother and sister-in-law, visited in Syracuse for route rap and dinner. Today, my 98 year old mother, along with my sister, Ann, and Chuck and Jackie came to Little Falls for the afternoon. Nothing is better than time with your family!

Bill
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SWELTERING TO SYRACUSE


The heat index was again 110 degrees today. Some severe thunderstorms were forecast for mid-afternoon. We had good reason to get on the road early and ride quickly.

We rolled out of the hotel parking lot in Henrietta at 6:20 am–having eaten only the quick continental breakfast. Keith (IA) and I rode together the full 93 miles to Liverpool (Syracuse), NY. We immediately ran into the detours mentioned at last night’s route rap. Nevertheless, there was some confusion on the part of many riders, including myself. A passing cyclist directed us toward Pittsford where we were to pick up Rt 31 E / also named NY State Bike Route 5. Apparently not all motorists recognize the fact that the marked lane on the side of the roadway is a BIKE LANE. We were actually stopped by an angry driver who asked, “ What makes you think you guys can ride on the road?” He threatened to call the police, and I invited him to do so. Unfortunately, we do from time to time experience unfounded antagonism toward cyclists, riding within the bounds of the law and common sense. These folks are a small , but vocal minority. Share the road!

Bike Route 5 had a wider than normal bike lane with an excellent road surface. We initially had some heavy traffic to contend with in a road construction zone near the town of Palmyra, but as the miles accumulated we had a more rural setting and less traffic. Palmyra, you will recall, was made famous by John Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. He and his followers departed Palmyra heading west and eventually settled in Utah. It is the only town in America that has 4 churches at one intersection, one on each corner.

Many small towns–some quite neat and interesting in appearance–were on our route today: Lyons, Clyde, Savannah, Tyre, Montezuma among them. We passed a section of the Erie Canal, which we will see occasionally as we cross NY State.

We were in Liverpool by 12:30. The thunderstorms and rain hit later in the afternoon, soaking many riders.

My brother, Chuck and sister-in-law Jackie, visited this afternoon and evening. They attended route rap and met many of the riders. We enjoyed a good dinner together.

There is no doubt we are in the East; the traffic volume has increased significantly.

Bill

HOT ONE TO HENRIETTA


The August hot and humid weather was with us today on this the first day of the month. The forecasters were right on the button with their call for an “excessive heat” prediction of high nineties with winds from 15-25 mph from the SSW. We have been quick to learn that ANY wind with a WEST in it is a GOOD wind, as we are , of course, traveling East. We had some good tailwind support today on our 84 mile ride to Henrietta, NY, a suburb of Rochester.

We departed Niagara Falls this morning through an old and “tired” neighborhood and industrial area before 7:00 am. It was 85 degrees by 9:30, so we were anxious to get in the miles early. The country roads were in good condition in the agricultural and dairy farming area. The flags along a fence in Wheatland (see photo) were a reminder that we are back in the States, with our biking days in Canada now behind us.

I rode with Kirk (MN), a college professor in St Paul, for awhile this morning. He is a very interesting man, a friend of mine on the trip, and the brother of a Naples friend and neighbor. He is a “birder”, which I define as one who is interested in birds, seeks to find birds when traveling, and one who can quickly identify birds. He told me that he has identified more than 100 different birds on our cross country tour, mainly by their “calls”. In Minnesota he has a “life list” of 338 birds he has identified in the state. Yesterday he spotted 2 Peregrine Falcons over the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. (I saw the same birds. I thought “eagle”, no, “hawk”, no, oh well “unidentifiable”. Kirk has now cleared up that question of mine.)

I took a picture of Eberhard and Anja (Germany) at the SAG stop enjoying the cookies sent to us by my sister, Ann. Those same cookies helped me get my hotel room in Niagara Falls made ready earlier than normal. I offered a the housekeeping manager a cookie during the wait for the room –she promptly gave instructions to get my room ready immediately. Keep them coming, Ann.

The heat and humidity were a bit draining during today’s ride. We kept hydrated, and requested an additional SAG stop be set up today by ABB. They complied . It was a hot and sweaty biking day in the Empire State.

I photographed the map that appears in our hotel lobby daily. It shows the black line of our completed mileage. We have watched the line move East for 44 days now: through the mountains in the West, the high plains, the farmlands of the Midwest, a section of Canada and right into central NY State. I look at the line everyday–and continue to be amazed at what we have accomplished. It is truly an unbelievable experience.

Bill

REST DAY



Last night I ventured out of the hotel at 10:00 pm to see the light show at the falls–and the special Sunday night fireworks display over Niagara Falls and the Niagara River Gorge below.

We stood in the park which is level with the rapids at the top of the American Falls. The show was amazing! The falls were bathed in powerful lights of red, blue and yellow as the fireworks exploded above. Quite a sight.

This morning (on our 5th and last rest day) I joined 15 fellow cyclists for a 4 ½ hour tour of all the sights on both sides of the border. We had our own mini-bus and knowledgeable and pleasant guide to explain the area attractions to us.

We first visited the “Cave of the Winds” at the bottom of “ Bridal Veil Falls”, one of the American Falls. The energy of Niagara Falls is immense. We could feel its power–and wind and mist–as we stood at the bottom. We then entered Canada and viewed the whirlpool section of the Niagara River as it turns a corner downstream.
We stood at the top of Horseshoe Falls in the mist and 85 degree sunshine and took many photos, and then crossed back to the US side (the Customs/Immigration folks are very familiar with our biking group by now).

The highlight of the tour was our trip on the famous “Maid of the Mist” boat in the river below the falls. Dressed in our blue plastic (free) raincoats, we cruised right up to the base of the Canadian Falls in extremely turbulent waters. It was a wet and unforgettable experience.

What a great place to spend a Rest Day !

Bill

BACK IN THE USA!


We experienced a great day of cycling–and an interesting one as well. The Sunday morning rides are always my favorite time on the bike. It is prime cycling time, as people are at home, not in their cars on the road. Dan, Keith, and I felt almost alone in the Canadian countryside this morning–even the dogs didn’t bother us today. It must be a rest day for all species.

Our ride was 72 miles to Niagara Falls, NY. Initially, we rode through farm land with some large fields of sod farms. We saw cherries being mechanically picked in a roadside orchard. Ginseng is also a crop grown locally, which many of us saw growing in its early stages for the first time. The towns of Bismark, Pelham, and Vinelandtown were passed by on our way to Niagara Falls. The roads got much busier as we got closer ....and then we saw the Canadian Falls, or Horseshoe Falls, with its plumes of mist shooting high in the air. Amazing sight!

We rode our bikes right into the center of all the pedestrian and motor traffic—right to the walkway overlooking the falls. Hundreds, no thousands, of tourists from everywhere in the world–it appeared–were in town with their families.

Niagara Falls, Canada was most impressive; the skyscraper luxury hotels, the fashionable restaurants, the lush green lawns and planted flowers were all in evidence on the Canadian side. We stopped to walk a bit and take some pictures.

We then crossed Rainbow Bridge on our bikes–and mixed in with the slow moving car traffic as we approached the US Customs and Immigration. For us the questions were mostly about our bikes and equipment. We were welcomed back to the USA.

The American side is quite different; fun parks, and tourist shops, fast food from India and China etc. abound. Niagara Falls, NY is definitely “the poor cousin” to its Canadian neighbor. But, hey, it’s just a short walk across the bridge! And we have time to explore both.

We have a rest day tomorrow before beginning the final week of our 50 day trek.

Bill