Day 46: Toughing it out until the End

Day, New York to Brattleboro, Vermont – Covered Bridge Inn

Another early day, waking up at 4:00 a.m., but today I was rewarded with a big egg breakfast. There’s nothing better than homemade scrambled eggs in the morning. I got everything together and left the Schreiner’s by 5:00 a.m. Another big thank you to the extended Schreiner family for hosting me for 2 nights, giving me a full rest day. Kat was an awesome host, and made it an easy, fun time. Jim, Betty and Jimmy were great company too. I hope to see them all again soon.

I started the day by walking my heavily loaded bike down the Schreiner’s steep driveway. For the first time since I left Colorado, it was cold in the morning. I put on a coat for the morning ride, but quickly regretted it, as I started a big climb almost immediately. I remembered riding this hill with Erik on mountain bikes in the freezing cold one winter, but today, the hill felt much higher than I remember.

I was briefly on the Empire State Trail again at mile 25 then, at almost exactly 50 miles, I met Joshua at the New York / Vermont state border, and he helped me take a photo. I ate lunch in Manchester looking at a massive hill on the horizon. That would be in my future. I lost my butter knife somewhere along the way, which made making my sandwich difficult. After lunch, I entered the Green Mountains, and climbed up 1,300 feet over 3.8 miles. It was a grind! At the top, I was greeted by a “Detour” sign. I learned that due to the recent flooding, the road was washed out 7 miles ahead. It’s might have been possible for a bike to make it though, but I didn’t want to risk possibly having to backtrack, adding 14 miles to my ride. I opted for the detour, which still added 10 miles to the day, but at least the uncertainty factor was eliminated.

While straddling my bike on the side of the road, trying to figure out my new route, I got run off the road by a truck towing an oversized load (maybe a small house). The driver didn’t even slow down, and if I didn’t sprint off the road, I would have been clobbered by the house. To make matter worse, it started to rain. The rain continued on and off for the rest of the day, leaving me soaked and cold by the time I finished my ride. The moisture also softened a callus on the palm of my right hand, causing it to peel off under the constant abrasion of the handlebars. It became raw and the pain became intense just holding the handlebars.

For the last 10 miles into Brattleboro, the road conditions were terrible and there was heavy roadwork going on in many places . It was a frustrating end to my ride today – very slow going. It was certainly not the greatest day, but my friends, Enio and Miguel, met me at the hotel, and brought pizza! My mood changed immediately. Miguel is biking with me to Harvard tomorrow, and I’ll see Enio and friends at Lowell House. I’m so excited to get back there! VIEW PHOTOS

Distance: 119.61(3795.58 total miles)
Time: 10:07:06
Ascent: 7628
Descent: 8307

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