6-1-10 Day 4: Farmington, Maine to Jefferson, New Hampshire; 91 miles in 5:50 hours
Sitting in a little motel right now pecking away at the blog. I just stood in the shower with a beer for a good twenty minutes – because I just got done riiding through the mountains of New Hampshire in a driving rain. I was totally soaked, and when Bill and Judy stopped in Jefferson to pick me up, Bill was totally for a motel, and I’m sure Judy was pretty cool with it to. With me being cold and soaked – I was in like Dean Martin!
Ok, so got up this morning with a rain front having moved in. There was a light drizzle and the sounds of thunder. Forecast was for a total washout today in Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont. We decided to just load the van, head to the nearest mom and pop breakfast joint and eat while we waited for the weather to do something. Luckily, by the time we finished, the drizzle had stopped, so I drove us back to where I stopped yesterday, got my colder weather kit on – knickers, underarmor top and jersey and ear warmers. Was ready to roll. Judy started off with me and we road in and out of these little micro bursts of drizzle for about two hours. Judy did a great job and hung with me the whole time. Then Bill jumped in amidst a very grey sky and continued bursts of drizzle.
We were still on Rt 2 west, and the terrain in western Maine was kind of like foothills to the upcoming White Mountains of New Hampshire. But they were just long and gradual, some about 2-3 miles in length. There was nothing totally taxing so we were in good shape. After about a half hour with me, Bill got a taste of what the day really had in store for us – rain, rain, and lots of rain. Started out nice and steady, and I lost my cyclo computer due to the water skrewing up the leads. After about another 30 minutes we were soaked. As long as we kept moving it wasn’t bad – until we came to this massive road construction stop just shy of the New Hampshire border. We had to wait for about 8—10 minutes and I got just a bit cold standing there getting spit on by the weather.
When we got going again we had to go onto a dirt and gravel sideroad where we just got drenched in mud and sloppy gravel. Had two of those nasty little stops and sidetrips. At the New Hampshire line Bill bailed, and he was the smart one because all hell broke loose once I started riding in NH. Rt 2 narrowed to a 2-3 foot berm from the monstrous 6 foot all through Maine, and then the rain just started pelting down as the heavens opened up. Got through a gnarly stretch in Gorham, NH with a steady hard rain, but once I started climbing the northern vestiges of the White Mts, the rain came down so hard that I had to look down at the road, it literally hurt my face to look up the road. Rained so hard that I thought it might be hail, but nope – just a punishing rain. Topped out on a 3-mile gradual climb and this guy had pulled over, got out and yelled at me “want a ride?” I smiled and said thanks but no, and kept rolling over the top. Gave him a friendly wave as he pulled out and disappeared into the mist covered mts.
Luckilly the temp was about 59-60-degrees, or I’d have been in the hypothermia locker as soaked as I was. Now I had just grabbed a banana and a coke from Judy when Bill stopped riding, so I was running out of gas, and fast with the White Mts climbing sucking the juice out of my legs. But with all the rain I just couldn’t stop or I’d be shivering in a matter on minutes, so I kept rolling without food and rest stops. Just wanted to get in a good day on a really shitty day! Then another construction stop, about 8 minutes worth. Then I had to ride in another mud pit sideroad as it detoured off of the main highway, so I was just coated with more mud and sand. But the rain had subsided, so I continued to push.
I finally passed Judy and Bill parked about 4 miles outside of Jefferson, NH, and I yelled to just get me a sub and a Gatorade and meet me in Jefferson. The rain had stopped by the mountains were just covered in mist and clouds, so it appeared that I could get drenched anytime. Couple that with a sore arse, aching shoulders and a really tired neck, and I was READY to be done. At a little sandwich shop in Jefferson there they were, Bill at the side of the road taking pics of my mud and rain soaking ass, and Judy in the sandwich shop getting me a foot long.
Loaded up the bike and drove down to a little motel about 2 miles west from my day’s finish point. By the time I wolfed down the sub and a coke and we got to the motel, I was shivering from being soaked. Had to go in the motel room and crank up the heat, and then go straight away to the shower, shower off and then just stand in the piping hot stream of shower water and warm up. It reminded me of the end of a winter ride. Feel great now that I’m warm and clean. Another great day and super support by Judy and Bill. Kudos to them both. They make doing something like this so much easier. I have 4 more days of riding with them and then I hook up the yak and do the dirty – pulling 75 lbs of gear up hill and dale. I’m going to savor these next 4 days! Well, time to feed that little gremlin in my belly. Heck, last night after dinner, like a couple hours later, I pulled a sausage sandwich out of the cooler and scarfed that, and then we all ate this big watermelon that Bill had brought. Can you say: 6000+ calories a day and growing? Yup, the eating sessions are back on the high side again.
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