Start: Manchester, New Hampshire
End: Rye, New Hampshire
Mileage today/cumulative: 65 / 3,654
Elevation Ascended: 2,923′
Weather: Sunny, 57° at start; sunny, 75º at finish 3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)
This was not just another day at the beach. After 50 days and pedaling every single one of the 3,642 miles since leaving the Pacific Ocean, we finally dipped our wheels in the Atlantic. It must have been an odd sight to all of the New Hampshire beach goers to see 40+ cyclists arrive with a police escort, kick off their shoes, and run into the surf hoisting bicycles. And because that wasn’t enough, Team Pea also did a short 12 mile bonus ride into Maine, bringing our total miles to 3,654 in eleven states.
Photos from the day tell the story and I’ll write a wrap-up post in a few days, but in the meantime:
We rode under spacious skies
We rode through amber waves of grain
We rode over purple mountain majesties
We rode across the fruited plain
And we rode from sea to shining sea.
America really is beautiful.
A Team Pea thumbs up during our police escort to the beach.Greg in the Atlantic.Bev in the Atlantic.Team Pea with three amazing friends: Marty, Deb, and Dave. We spent many miles and meals together.WE MADE IT!
Start: Brattleboro, Vermont
End: Manchester, New Hampshire
Mileage today/cumulative: 78 / 3,589
Elevation Ascended: 5,030′
Weather: Sunny, 57° at start; sunny, 76º at finish 3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)
What a difference a day and a new state makes. The sun was shining bright at luggage load and everyone was in good spirits knowing that today was the penultimate ride of the tour. All of the foul moods caused by yesterday’s ride were gone and all of us were itching to get back on our bikes.
One mile into the ride, we happily left Vermont and entered New Hampshire, where the road immediately improved. It was another day of climbing but the terrain was so similar to East Tennessee (up-down-nothing flat), that we never felt challenged. I suspect that riding nearly non-stop from the Pacific Ocean also helped.
Riding through New Hampshire was pretty spectacular. The locals commented on the unusually mild temperatures and lack of humidity; we were struck by the thick forests and old New England towns, many of them established in the mid-late 1700s. Because it’s Sunday, church bells were ringing in Antrim, NH. We also noticed that all of the churches have steeples (directing the viewers’ eyes vertically to the heavens) and are painted white. In the early colonial days, metal was extremely hard to obtain and expensive; therefore, most steeples were made of wood and anything made of wood was immediately whitewashed. Today, those churches remain painted white for protection and tradition.
Another first on today’s ride were Moose Crossing signs. We desperately wanted to see a moose but they weren’t cooperative. If we had seen one, Bev would have said hello to it from a safe distance. We’ve also seen Snowmobile Crossing signs since Minnesota and even saw snowmobile trails in Wisconsin, complete with their own smaller scale traffic signs nailed high up on utility poles.
Tonight was the America By Bicycle banquet to celebrate our achievement. It was also our last “rap session” where we got our route sheet for one last 52-mile celebratory ride that will include a police escort for the last few miles. After that, bikes get packed up and goodbyes are said!
State #10 and the last one standing between us and the Atlantic Ocean.The Old Meeting House in Francestown, NH. It was built in 1801.Beautiful New Hampshire. Too bad the winters are so harsh! Photo credit Martin Stabler.
Start: Latham, New York
End: Brattleboro, Vermont
Mileage today/cumulative: 79 / 3,511
Elevation Ascended: 5,132′
Weather: Cloudy, 67° at start; rain, 82º at finish 3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)
At the start of this tour, we looked at the mileage and elevation profile for today’s ride and expected that the climbing would make this stage difficult, particularly after 47 days on the road and no difficult climbing since leaving South Dakota. As it turns out, the climbing was the easiest thing today. Weather, road conditions, and drivers were a much bigger challenge.
The first 33 miles, all of them in New York, were beautiful. Cool cloud cover, no rain, smooth roads, and quaint New England-ish towns made this a very pleasant stretch. Everyone was in fine spirits when we came upon the Vermont state line, where we officially added another state to our States We’ve Biked In map. Then all hell broke loose and the ride quickly went into the toilet. As if on cue, rain began falling immediately after we crossed the state line. It started as a light rain that turned into a soaker and, on one long descent, a torrential downpour that lasted for about ten minutes. Upon entering Vermont, the road also immediately deteriorated when sections of what was already a narrow shoulder turned to rubble. The state line was also the start of all of the major climbs and descents for the day. Finally, add people who believe that the best way to drive a vehicle in pouring rain is to close their eyes and press the accelerator through the floorboard. The ride quickly turned into a test of bike handling skills and total mental focus. We’ve each ridden hundreds of thousands of miles and that level of experience was needed today. Vermont has edged out Michigan for the award for Worst Roads on the Across America North Tour, but we hear that New Hampshire could be a contender. We’ll find out tomorrow morning. At least it’ll be sunny.
There were some interesting things to see along today’s route but the deteriorating conditions made it difficult or, at times, dangerous to stop and look. One of the sights was the poet Robert Frost’s gravesite in Bennington, Vermont. Dave Stabler, one of our friends and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Oregonian, managed to find it and reported that it was quite nice. We also saw signs for anything that you can imagine with maple.
One more challenging ride tomorrow, then an easier celebratory ride to the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. It’s been a wild ride!
Welcome to soggy Vermont.Some of our group navigating Bennington VT in less than ideal conditions.Our pal Nikki riding in rainy Vermont.Deb, one of the most talented riders on this tour. We are grateful to call her our friend.The dynamic tandem: James and Chris. They’re an amazing team. They constantly chat while riding, with James describing the surroundings to Chris.
Start: Little Falls, New York
End: Latham, New York
Mileage today/cumulative: 75 / 3,432
Elevation Ascended: 2,657′
Weather: Cloudy, 68° at start; partly cloudy, 83º at finish 3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)
Ninja Mike, a New Hampshire resident and appropriately nicknamed because he always appears out of the distance to ride miles and miles with Team Pea, commented today that the terrain was starting to look like home. What that really meant was that we got a little reacquainted with our climbing legs today. It started with a healthy incline at the start and a few kickers in the middle. Add some double-digit headwinds and an easy day became more challenging. It’s been so long since we had a true tailwind that we’re now convinced that the jet stream actually blows from east to west, and not the reverse. Any other version is fake news. The staff keep reminding us that anyone can ride across America with nice temperatures and a tailwind. We keep saying “SO WHAT?”
Over the past 47 days, we’ve ridden on interstates, state highways, county roads, farm roads, country roads, residential streets, and bike paths. We’re always happy when we see a bike path on our route sheets and today we got two of them – jackpot! Combined, they were nearly twenty miles and ran alongside the Mohawk River. It was a nice respite from automobiles and city noise. We also rode through some more towns that looked like they belonged in a Norman Rockwell painting, where time has stood still since post-WWII.
Tomorrow we head into Vermont for some serious climbing. The forecast calls for rain all day, so after 47 days we may have to break out some of the wet weather gear we’ve been hauling all of the way from Oregon. Three days to go on this crazy journey and the ocean keeps calling our names.
Team Pea yesterday (Day 46). Courtesy of ABB Staff.Ninja Mike. A great riding partner with Team Pea. Courtesy of ABB Staff.A nice overcast morning to start our ride out of Little Falls. Photo credit Dave Stabler.Team Pea riding through WINDY farmland. Bev is tucked in behind Greg – note two bike shadows! Courtesy of ABB Staff.Our friends Booze Alan, Dave Stabler, and Deb. All good, fun people. Courtesy of ABB Staff.Riding along the Mohawk River.Sight of our second SAG stop. The burgers smelled delicious but we settled for our regular salty and sweet snacks from ABB.Hot wife on the Mohawk River.We loved the Mohawk Hudson Bike Trail!
Start: Syracuse, New York
End: Little Falls, New York
Mileage today/cumulative: 80 / 3,357
Elevation Ascended: 1,499′
Weather: Sunny, 67° at start; sunny, 82º at finish 3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)
We left Syracuse this morning, headed to Little Falls, NY. Nearly everyone was complaining of tired legs that have no oomph. Bev and I both noticed that we could maintain a steady, moderate pace today but if we had to press on the accelerator to exert more energy, the power just wasn’t there. I think the increased humidity and collective fatigue are taking a slight toll on us. We’re also a little checked out mentally, knowing that we only have four more rides remaining. There’s still some beautiful scenery between here and the beach, so we’ll take it in and press onward to the end.
Once we got out of North Syracuse, the first fifty miles of today’s ride were lovely with smooth, quiet country roads through farms and trees. The last thirty included riding through Utica, which was an enormous challenge due to their terrible roads and awful drivers. Riding through Utica, I came up with several worthy nicknames for their city but none are suitable for publication. We finished in Little Falls, a charming small town on the Erie Canal with beautiful views. It also has a nice Ale House, which proved helpful for ride recovery on a hot afternoon.
Four rides left in four states (we take a bonus detour over the Maine border on Monday). Woo hoo!! Poor internet connection in Little Falls, so not a lot of photos tonight.
Our destination today. Nice town.Interesting things to see in Little Falls NYThe Erie Canal going through Little Falls.Post ride recovery at the Copper Moose Ale House.
