Blog
Riding my bicycle across the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route
Where’s Francis? Follow along daily on my map: https://share.garmin.com/FrancisDavis (ask me for password)
Full. Value. Day. It started with some awesome breakfast sandwiches from our host, Chris. We were on the road by about 8:00. We stopped in North Contway at a coffeee shop to regroup, plan, and I wrote some postcards. That stop took a while, but we continued on to the base of Mt. Washington and the lodge. In a short time, after the beginning of some climbing with the bikes, we arrived. Initially, our plan was to hike up Mt. Washington on the Huntington Ravine Trail, supposedly the most “extreme” trail in the White Mountains and camp in a lean=to near the base. But the lodge informed us that we had to spend the night their if we wanted to keep our bikes there. So we did. I was initially ambivalent on the $75 / night fee, as compared to free camping, but my opinion quickly changed.
Upon arrival we packed for the trail, ate and started hiking. It was fairly hot, steep, and rugged, but magnificent. The views were great, and it was really nice to be in the woods. After the last section of the trail which involved some mild but exposed easy climbing, we descended, tired and ready for dinner. We returned to the lodge at 8:00 PM, having left at 2. Making 6 hours of hiking and a 25 mile ride this morning. My legs were / are wrecked. Hopefully sleep tonight will help that. Mark and I made dinner, ate some ice cream, and went to the bunks. After my shower this evening, m opinion changed. It’s been REALLY nice to stay here, no matter the cost. I will have to budget a bit more strictly the next few days, especially after my Portland foodie fiasco (well worth it). Tomorrow it’s another long ride to St. Johnsbury, VT, 57 miles. We will be crossing into another state, but with the long distances and presumably mountainous roads, it could take a while. The plan is for a early morning. The lodge serves breakfast. Then hitting the road and taking advantage of some nice New England towns which are supposedly on route for relaxin mid ride. Until then, good night, and please enjoy some stunning pictures from today, those are right below!
0 Comments
Full. Value. Day. It started with some awesome breakfast sandwiches from our host, Chris. We were on the road by about 8:00. We stopped in North Contway at a coffeee shop to regroup, plan, and I wrote some postcards. That stop took a while, but we continued on to the base of Mt. Washington and the lodge. In a short time, after the beginning of some climbing with the bikes, we arrived. Initially, our plan was to hike up Mt. Washington on the Huntington Ravine Trail, supposedly the most “extreme” trail in the White Mountains and camp in a lean=to near the base. But the lodge informed us that we had to spend the night their if we wanted to keep our bikes there. So we did. I was initially ambivalent on the $75 / night fee, as compared to free camping, but my opinion quickly changed.
Upon arrival we packed for the trail, ate and started hiking. It was fairly hot, steep, and rugged, but magnificent. The views were great, and it was really nice to be in the woods. After the last section of the trail which involved some mild but exposed easy climbing, we descended, tired and ready for dinner. We returned to the lodge at 8:00 PM, having left at 2. Making 6 hours of hiking and a 25 mile ride this morning. My legs were / are wrecked. Hopefully sleep tonight will help that. Mark and I made dinner, ate some ice cream, and went to the bunks. After my shower this evening, m opinion changed. It’s been REALLY nice to stay here, no matter the cost. I will have to budget a bit more strictly the next few days, especially after my Portland foodie fiasco (well worth it). Tomorrow it’s another long ride to St. Johnsbury, VT, 57 miles. We will be crossing into another state, but with the long distances and presumably mountainous roads, it could take a while. The plan is for a early morning. The lodge serves breakfast. Then hitting the road and taking advantage of some nice New England towns which are supposedly on route for relaxin mid ride. Until then, good night, and please enjoy some stunning pictures from today, those are right below! Full. Value. Day. It started with some awesome breakfast sandwiches from our host, Chris. We were on the road by about 8:00. We stopped in North Contway at a coffeee shop to regroup, plan, and I wrote some postcards. That stop took a while, but we continued on to the base of Mt. Washington and the lodge. In a short time, after the beginning of some climbing with the bikes, we arrived. Initially, our plan was to hike up Mt. Washington on the Huntington Ravine Trail, supposedly the most “extreme” trail in the White Mountains and camp in a lean=to near the base. But the lodge informed us that we had to spend the night their if we wanted to keep our bikes there. So we did. I was initially ambivalent on the $75 / night fee, as compared to free camping, but my opinion quickly changed.
Upon arrival we packed for the trail, ate and started hiking. It was fairly hot, steep, and rugged, but magnificent. The views were great, and it was really nice to be in the woods. After the last section of the trail which involved some mild but exposed easy climbing, we descended, tired and ready for dinner. We returned to the lodge at 8:00 PM, having left at 2. Making 6 hours of hiking and a 25 mile ride this morning. My legs were / are wrecked. Hopefully sleep tonight will help that. Mark and I made dinner, ate some ice cream, and went to the bunks. After my shower this evening, m opinion changed. It’s been REALLY nice to stay here, no matter the cost. I will have to budget a bit more strictly the next few days, especially after my Portland foodie fiasco (well worth it). Tomorrow it’s another long ride to St. Johnsbury, VT, 57 miles. We will be crossing into another state, but with the long distances and presumably mountainous roads, it could take a while. The plan is for a early morning. The lodge serves breakfast. Then hitting the road and taking advantage of some nice New England towns which are supposedly on route for relaxin mid ride. Until then, good night, and please enjoy some stunning pictures from today, those are right below! Fueled by the most decadent donuts from Portland’s renowned Holy Donut Mark and I set off into the pristine Mew England air. I said goodbye to the coast as we headed inland at the beginning of a beautiful day. This was the beginning of the second divisible leg of the trip, and I was excited. We made good time through the rolling hills of Maine’s farmland. The expansive green serving as both a farewell and a call to stay.
Mark was pushing the pace a bit, and I was happy to oblige him. Coming off ofYesterday's rest, I was feeling good. We decided to stop at a farm stand for some truly majestic strawberries, and continued on our ramshackle route. Using Google Maps, we’d navigated to Conway. Following this did not prove to be too much of an issue. Following several hours of peaceful riding in sylvan countryside, we indeed crossed into New Hampshire, a milestone for me, and ultimately to our destination. We grabbed a spot of lunch, and headed to our Couchsurfing host’s house for the night. After tents were set up in the backyard, Mark and I quickly rotated through the shower. I eagerly awaited dinner. Our host, Chris, was preparing grass fed beef steak, cheeseburgers, and a fantastic salad for us. It was truly amazing. Otherwise quiet evening, headed to bed now for a big day tomorrow: biking 25 miles to Joe Dodge Lodge and hiking up Mt. Washington where we will probably spend the night. For now, peace! |
Categories
All
Archives
November 2020
|