Monday, 15 September: I woke up and checked the headlines this morning, and it was like the freakin' apocalypse. Ike! Stock market!! Deadly train wreck!!! Yikes.
The proprietor of Cold Spring Camp in Lincoln, NH, came over to chat while I was taking down my slightly-less-soaked tent. He gave me my money back "for the trip" and even offered to let me use his phone to call my father.
I was just about to set out when I noticed that my rear tire was flat once again. Lame. I was able to patch the skinny tube, so I still have a spare. It held all day, but what has two thumbs and needs a friggin' bike shop? This girl.
I rode up over the Kancamagus Highway. The wind wasn't quite as helpful as I had fantasized it would be, but it wasn't a big jerk, either. After two and a half hours of pedaling, two power bars, some trail mix, many rest stops, and fifteen miles, I reached the pass. There was no walking or sobbing, although I may have teared up a little on the way down. As I crested the top and headed down the best part (seven percent grade for four miles!) the pavement got ultra smooth, the shoulder widened, and the sun peeked through the clouds. My iPod stepped up and played a brainless woohoo party song just as I began my decent. There was no removing the giant grin from my face. I screamed and threw rockfingers at every vehicle I saw. No one gave a crap. My throat is a bit sore now. All of this lunacy may have been partly attributable to the swig of whiskey I had at the pass (props to Jenny, Chris and Max!), but it had more to do with the pure and unadulterated weeee. If I lived over here I would ride that thing daily.
It took just over an hour to ride the next twenty-two miles.
I found a campground, but the office was already closed for the night. There was nothing posted about rates or what to do after hours. I wandered around, looking for the tent camping area. This place is vast, and swanky. They have a pool. It is mostly seasonal RV people, but after asking directions a few times, I found a place to set up. The bathroom is really nice, and I'm afraid it may be too rich for my blood, but there are no other tent campers to ask about rates. I did have to pay for the shower, though, so I'm seriously contemplating a repeat performance of the old sleep-and-skeedaddle.
But for now, I'm just gonna think about the woooooohooooo!
3 comments:
I hope the rest of your trip is downhill!! We stoped at that fruit stand out side Pasco Wa. on our way back to Oregon. You weren't there this time. So glad we met you.
Susan
44 mph on a loaded bike is sooooo faaaast!
Heck, yeah, it was fast! Seriously, there were tears of joy.
Susan, I hope you had a good drive back to Oregon! I guess the summer is over...
I'm sure glad we met, too. Keep talking to strangers!
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