DAY 50 OF 54: JULY 20: LATHAM (NY) TO BRATTLEBORO (VT)

Time Zone : Eastern (GMT -5)
Todays Distance: 77 miles
Cycling time: 5 hrs 08 mins
Average Speed: 15 mph

Today’s cumulative ascent: 2038 ft

Average Heart rate: 111 bpm

Distance so far: 3663 miles

Ascent so far: 115,519 feet.
Centuries so far: 13
Punctures so far: 10

Today’s Profile:

Today’s Route:
Dedication: Today I cycled for students in Providence that I have not mentioned by name (except Kiran, Christopher and Bantimai) If you are in Providence, this cycling effort is for you.

A new state and back to the mountains as we line up for the final descent to the Atlantic.

Providence [8] Since Abbey India Project started, 32 Abbey students have gone to assist in Providence and the whole experience has made a deep and lasting impression. Ten more students are preparing to travel out in Oct/Nov 2008.

Pulling out onto the quiet Sunday morning roads of Latham at 7 a.m. there was a bit of drizzle and it seemed we were in for an unpleasant day. However by the time I had got 3 miles done the rain jacket was off and stayed off for the day. Just 80 miles lay ahead but we knew that mountains lay between ourselves and destination.
After 4 miles I crossed over the Hudson as it flowed south to New York City. Immediately across the bridge lay the entrance to Troy, home of Uncle Sam. Initially Troy didn’t look appealing but as I climbed up to higher ground it was quite impressive. This was a short sharp climb of just over a mile and it set the tone for the rest of the day
Countryside was very green with the rising ground appearing ahead. No long stretches of road or large tracts of corn to be seen. . If the sun were strong there would have been plenty of shade.
On my right I spotted the workshop and display of a chainsaw artist who fashioned large pieces from trunks of trees using a chainsaw . The finished bears and lions looked most impressive. No sign of the artist himself about yet. It was a bit early for business.
First SAG was in New York (but just about) Everyone was well warmed up at this stage and eager for the climb ahead. Still no great heat from the sun and fingers crossed that it would remain overcast for the next hour or two. Each group moved out with a stateline as the next item of interest.

State No 12 of this long list. We are entering the Green Mountain State (Vermont in French) and cycling west to east across the very southern end of the state. Dairying is the mainstay of its agricultural economy…. not surprising, it is the first home of Ben and Jerry ice-creams. Maple syrup seems to be on sale at most farmers places. Hunting of moose, black bear deer and wild turkeys bring huntsmen to its 80 0,000 acres of conserved wildlife habitat. Moose crossing were indicated as I passed the way but no sightings. Vermont is famous for its vivid colours in the Autumn.
Bennington was the first town in Vermont. It had some quaint buildings as I approached but the main street was showing more positive signs. Cars lined the roads near the various churches and both sides of the street had pieces of art depicting people in familiar poses. I could only catch a few of them as I moved up the main street.
Out of Bennington the 8 mile climb started, gradual at first but building into a crescendo of 9%. Luckily the weather stayed cool with some drops of rain falling for a period. I maintained a speed of 6 mph as I moved up. No point of trying to catch up to anyone or to keep ahead of someone. Into the zone and plough along in the groove. Actually, I was surprised when the levelling-off came just over 2000 feet; I was resigned to a few more miles. Plenty of lakes about and obviously holiday homes. This area is just 4 hours from New York and 2 hours from Boston by car.

Some of the shoulders were a bit awkward to deal with. The main carriageway had been resurfaced but the shoulder left to carry on. Normally, this wasn’t a problem until it cropped up on a busy descent.
Second SAG was in Wilmington a town with busy Sunday morning tourist traffic.
The final summit of the day came on Hogback Mountain (mile 60) with a reputed 100 mile view. With today’s overcast sky it was a lot less than that, but it was a refreshing change from the lowlands we have been accustomed for the last number of weeks. This is ski area during the winter months and is famous for its covered bridges.
The 12 mile descent to Brattleboro was worth all the climbing. At times it levelled out and a chance to view the scenery. At one cemetery I thought it had elements of the west of Ireland with the stone walls.
I arrived at the motel at 2 p.m. as the sky was beginning to darken. Within 2 hours the sky opened with a downpour and as I write there is a thunderstorm outside. Brattleboro is on the Connecticut River and has a population of just over 12,000. In a hilly state it is quite low (300 feet) and so is one of the warmest places in Vermont.

A day of cycling that didn’t turn out to be as bad as I was expecting. The overcast weather helped and hopefull the thunderstorm outside will have blown over by morning.
Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.