New York State

Finally Internet again.

The journey continues into its final week. On Monday we left Quebec and entered into New York State. The border crossing was at a basic country road. It seemed strange to bike up to the border guards, whose main question was: How was I able to get nine weeks off to do this trip. It seemed as if the landscape changed quickly as we left Quebec. In Quebec the roads were flat and in poor condition, but in NY state it became more hilly, but at least the roads improved.

It was a 120 km ride to Ausable Chasm, where we camped. We arrived in time for us to hike the Chasm. We walked around the Chasm and Falls for about two hours (as if we needed the exercise). It was very beautiful and well worth the admission fee.

Tuesday: A tough day
Ontario with its short distances, flat roads and generous hospitality made us soft for today's challenging day. Yes, we endured the rolling hills of Iowa and the mountain passes of Colorado, but today we faced the hills of NY. Today, we climbed 6400 feet, one of our highest days of the trip--though at the end of the day we were at the same elevation as when we started. They may have been short but some were steep. I saw more people walking their bikes up then all the other days combined. The day was also the hottest in two weeks--about 95 on the old scale. The length was just over 130 kms.

Having said that it was a tough day, it was an enjoyable day. The beginning hills were fun, as I even enjoyed the descents on those. The scenery was spectacular--one of the top five days of the trip. The Champlain lake on the left, with the Adirondack hills on the right. The views were great, though my pictures (check out all my pictures at http://johnhenry64.smugmug.com) will not do them justice, nor did I take many of them (didn't want to stop too often on hills). Bonita and I took the one mile detour to take the short ferry ride to Vermont. We quickly took a picture by the sign and got on the same ferry back. (Less than 10 people took this option). The last section was not as spectacular but then we were getting tired to appreciate it. We arrived at camp at 3:30, a campground that was quite run down.

Wednesday: an easier day.
It was back to the three of us riding today (as Joel joined us again). It was a 120 kms to Albany. The route was much flatter than yesterday. The scenery was less impressive, though we passed by the Erie Canal as well as the Hudson River. Our campsite is at YMCA, which has an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, as well as WiFi! It was great to relax and unwind in the hot tub. It certainly lifted my spirits.

We are beginning to look ahead to the finish line, which is soon upon us. NYC here we come!