A Joyous Day of Rest (Sept. 23, 2013)

On these long bike treks, there are "rest days" and there are "joyous days of rest".  Yesterday I enjoyed one of the latter ... a very enjoyable day of rest.

This morning I will again be loading up the bike ...  heading the 50 miles south to Amsterdam, NY.  I arrived in Queensbury, NY Saturday afternoon after an extended number of days of riding after the last rest day in Bar Harbor ... Bar Harbor to Searsport to Augusta to Lewiston (all in Maine) to Conway to Lincoln to Hanover (all New Hampshire) to Rutland, VT and finally Queensbury ... right at 400 miles total.  For the most part, the days were quite nice for riding (weather wise), and with a few notable exceptions there was a minimum of hard climbing involved (but those exceptions were long and difficult).  The final 30 miles into Queensbury were into a ferocious head wind (15 to 20 mph winds).  The rest day was earned.

Yesterday, Nancy McCarthy drove up from her home in Western Massachusetts for a quick visit.  Nancy is a long-time friend from back in college days in Tempe.  There is a lot to be said for long-time friends.  We spent a wonderful day in-and-around Lake George Village.  Our conversation was the type of conversation one has with a friend you have not seen for a great while.  On a side note, beyond the joy of spending time with Nancy, I felt great liberation in riding in her car.  Lake George Village is only about 7 miles from Queensbury, but I would never think about riding my bike over on a side trip.  Included in our day was a drive up a 5 mile long road (up is not so hard in a car) to an observation spot for a view of the entire area.  Riding in the passenger seat was effortless as compared to riding on my bike ... but of course the ride back down was not as much fun.

When biking, one's sense of travel time becomes very distorted.  If I were to ride my bike down to Nancy's home, it would take a very long day ... driving took her about an hour and a half.  I long for my truck in Tucson.

 So today I start the last leg of this two month trek ... four days of relatively easy distances and terrain.  In Amsterdam I will pick up the Erie Canal tow path into Syracuse ... tow path = level.

Should be a good week ... good way to finish up.