The group seems to sense that our time together is growing shorter. People take a lot more pictures of each other. Meals tend to last a little longer than normal. Some of the intense competitiveness at the front of the pack has diminished. Summer camp still has a few days left to run, and we seem to want it to last as long as possible. One of my friends asked me how I felt about the trip coming to an end. The fact is that I have mixed feelings. I really want to see Laurie, and I have some nagging injuries I want to let heal up. At the same time I don't want the adventure to end.
We had another easy day today, although our sense of "easy" has certainly changed since the trip began. I covered 78 miles and finished before 12:30 p.m. The weather was wonderful once again, but it got hot towards the end of the day. We went walk-about in Little Falls after the ride and it was East-Coast hot and humid. More of that expected for tomorrow.
I took advantage of the more relaxed attitude today. I rode with the fast kids for the first 30 miles. I let them do all the work and then ran over to the van at the SAG stop and signed in first. I know it's cheesy, and I don't actually care who gets anywhere first, but I figured it would be my only opportunity to add my John Hancock to a blank sign-in sheet. Notice the #1 next to my name.
Little Falls is an interesting town with some colorful history. There is an amazing lock on the canal that runs alongside the Mohawk river. It's one of the largest river locks in the world. This photo shows a boat that had been at the watermark just a few minutes earlier. It's quite an impressive operation to watch. The volume of water pouring out of the gates is amazing. I have a series of photos in the Google Earth file that show how it operates. Pretty cool stuff.
The town itself used to be a major industrial center. Factories produced all sorts of things, including bicycles interestingly enough. That's all gone now. A lot of the riverside buildings have been converted into lofts. We see a lot of towns out here that have seen better days, but the scenery through all of upstate New York has been wonderful, and the roads continue to be a delight to ride on.
2 comments:
I suppose there should be a little sense of melancholy at the end of a journey. How fortunate you are that most of your memories will be good ones. You have made wonderful, and I imagine some long term, friends. I am so glad that it has been such a wonderful adventure.
I am glad that you aren't far from being home however. I miss you.
I'm sad your adventure is coming to an end, and I'm not even riding with you. I love reading your blog each day and will miss it when its over. I think it is causing me more anxiety than when you ended the Body For Life updates. :-) I am looking forward to seeing you in person and getting the REAL 411 on what it is like on your body to ride across the country. I want to pick your brain for tips while you still remember. Then, I'll be ultra-prepared for my trip (7 years and 5 months away!). Be safe, Bev
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