I just wanted to share some final thoughts on our adventure that ended yesterday evening. First, a couple of observations about the closing banquet last night. It was so well done and the slide show was perfect. Lon and Susan said nice things about everyone and I think they actually meant it which is amazing after all being together for 17 days! And, finally, Pactour supports a number of worthy causes both in the U. S. and abroad. So at the end of each tour all of the riders and crew sign a large map that shows the route that has been ridden. They then auction the map to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to support those charities. Jonathan Page, one of the riders from Australia, submitted the winning bid and then generously donated the map to Zach Lester, who rode the only tandem of the tour with his dad, Greg. Zach overcame a number of challenges throughout the trip and was an inspiration to everyone. Zach was so happy to receive the map and his dad was very proud of him. Thank you Jonathan for your thoughtfulness and generosity. You made a young man very happy and the rest of us very proud to call you a fellow Pactour rider.
I would be remiss in not giving a huge thank you to my roommate, Ethan Thorman of Palo Alto, California. I did not know Ethan until I met him in Stockbridge the afternoon before the trip began. Ethan, I so enjoyed riding with you and getting to know you. We probably rode about 1000 miles of the 1750 miles of the trip together. On the surface we are very different but our values and philosophies on life are very similar. So Ethan thank you. You made a great trip in to a really special trip for me. It would be a privilege to ride with you and room with you again. I sincerely hope I get that opportunity in the future.
So now what? Some time off the bike is the first order of business. The body needs to recover and heal and a week wandering back home through New England should do the trick. May of 2013 is the Pactour Elite which takes 17 days to ride from San Diego to Savannah. It would fulfill my lifelong goal to ride across the United States. I think with some more endurance work I can do it. It's more like 170 miles per day but it is much flatter than the Eastern Mountains Tour. So my knees will not take the beating they took on this trip with all the climbing. So barring an accident or injury, I will be back blogging this coming May from San Diego at the start of yet another great adventure. Hopefully you've enjoyed following the trip. Remember that more photos have been posted at www.pactour.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Day 17 - Conway New Hampshire to Portland Maine
The final day of the trip was a 100 mile ride from the New Hampshire mountains to the coast of Maine. This morning we passed by many lakes nestled among the colorful trees and valleys. As we got closer to the coast the roads got busier but we started catching glimpses of the ocean in many places. It was fun riding through Kennebunkport. It is a seaside town that, although it has become touristy in recent years, is still a neat place to check out. From there, we followed the coast all the way in to Portland. We passed through Old Orchard Beach which is the quintessential summer beach town.
As I said yesterday, I'm glad and sad the trip is over. But I think I'm mostly glad because this adventure needs to end before another one can begin. I will post an Epilogue in the next day or two with some final thoughts once I've had some time to reflect. It was a trip that far exceeded my expectations and I had high expectations. Hats off to the entire Pactour staff and fellow riders for a fantastic adventure!
As I said yesterday, I'm glad and sad the trip is over. But I think I'm mostly glad because this adventure needs to end before another one can begin. I will post an Epilogue in the next day or two with some final thoughts once I've had some time to reflect. It was a trip that far exceeded my expectations and I had high expectations. Hats off to the entire Pactour staff and fellow riders for a fantastic adventure!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Day 16 - Woodsville New Hampshire to Conway New Hampshire
Yesterday was the most beautiful day of the trip but today ran a very close second. The majority of today's route was on the Kancamagus Highway. This road is very similar to the southern portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway in that there is very little development up close to the roadway. As a result, the scenery is completely unspoiled. The fall colors today were stunning, by far the best of the trip. The sunshine and the mountain vistas and the crystal clear streams following the highway were amazing. It got cold up on Kancamagus Pass, 51 degrees. I froze on the descent but when I got back down to the valley it warmed back up to about 61. It was actually trying to rain up on the Pass and there were a few drops on my glasses. A heavy rainstorm up there combined with that temperature would have meant nearly instant hypothermia so when it starting spitting rain I rode down off the mountain as quickly as I could to get to warmer temperatures in case it poured. As we came in to Conway it started raining a little more but by that time it was warm enough that it wasn't an issue.
We had an optional 12 mile round trip up a mountain and back that a group of us did. There was an overlook near the top that was incredible. You could see a sea of color as far as the eye could see as mountain after mountain rose in the distance. Even with the extra mileage we still ended up in Conway by 2 pm.
Unfortunately tomorrow is the last day of our journey. I'm being pulled two different directions now. My body is telling me very clearly that it is time to rest. But my mind and the adventurer in me wants to continue northeast and ride to Bar Harbor and Acadia and maybe on up to Nova Scotia. Maybe that will be part of another trip someday. Tomorrow will be about a 100 mile trip down to the coast and then along the coastline to Portland to the finish. The forecast is calling for yet another beautiful Fall day in New England for a bike ride.
We had an optional 12 mile round trip up a mountain and back that a group of us did. There was an overlook near the top that was incredible. You could see a sea of color as far as the eye could see as mountain after mountain rose in the distance. Even with the extra mileage we still ended up in Conway by 2 pm.
Unfortunately tomorrow is the last day of our journey. I'm being pulled two different directions now. My body is telling me very clearly that it is time to rest. But my mind and the adventurer in me wants to continue northeast and ride to Bar Harbor and Acadia and maybe on up to Nova Scotia. Maybe that will be part of another trip someday. Tomorrow will be about a 100 mile trip down to the coast and then along the coastline to Portland to the finish. The forecast is calling for yet another beautiful Fall day in New England for a bike ride.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Day 15 - Rutland Vermont to Woodsville New Hampshire
Today was probably the most beautiful day of the trip so far. The Vermont scenery is just stunning with the fall colors and picture perfect villages and 60 degree sunshine. Everywhere you looked was just amazing. There was very little climbing today with the exception of the 10 mile climb out of Rutland this morning toward Killington. The rest of the route was mostly along valleys and rolling hills. One road we were on took us through a covered bridge. Many times the first indication that you were approaching a village was a white church steeple sticking out above the colorful trees. Then you would roll through the middle of town in a swirl of leaves. The last 20 miles we followed the Connecticut River north and then crossed over in to New Hampshire.
I finally gave in today and ate some painkillers in the middle of the day. They helped right away. I'm always hesitant to do this because pain is your body telling you something is wrong and by covering up the warning system you can cause even more damage. I justified it by the fact that we only have two days left and then I can rest. This will just make me more comfortable for those two days.
Tomorrow we head due east to Conway New Hampshire through the White Mountains. It should be another beautiful day for a bike ride.
I finally gave in today and ate some painkillers in the middle of the day. They helped right away. I'm always hesitant to do this because pain is your body telling you something is wrong and by covering up the warning system you can cause even more damage. I justified it by the fact that we only have two days left and then I can rest. This will just make me more comfortable for those two days.
Tomorrow we head due east to Conway New Hampshire through the White Mountains. It should be another beautiful day for a bike ride.
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