Full Speed Ahead

Having seen that the winds were going to rise throughout the morning, and that Watertown was predicted to get rain starting around 2, I was determined to get on the road as early as possible, and to ride at a good clip with a minimum of breaks. It was a very different than yesterday’s sedate pace, but I felt rested and strong.

The winds were calm when I began, and I benefited from a gradual net downhill, meaning I climbed 900 meters throughout the day, but descended about 1300 meters.

With the air so still in the morning, the fog lay heavily over the rivers and lakes, making for some spectacular views as I crossed Raquette River. It really was the highlight of the day, other than the fact that Route 3 is also an official bike route, so once again I had a nice wide shoulder, and almost no traffic.

Other than stopping a few time for supplies and bathroom breaks,  I flew along, until about 30 km outside of Watertown, when the wind started to kick up, and the first drops of rain fell.

I tucked down over the bars, and battled through the last hour. My final gauntlet was Watertown itself, as I rode from its eastern boundary right across to its western end, seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly in between. There were some beautiful old homes and some lovely buildings downtown, but there were also quite a few weary looking houses, and people. I pushed onward until I reached the strip where I saw the red Ramada sign shining through the darkening sky. How happy I was to arrive.

The lovely woman at the desk let me check in early, and I was soon showered and doing my laundry. That may seem like a banal task, but when you are travelling, the joy of clean clothing is much greater. While doing my laundry, I watched the downpour begin. It was brief and fierce, and it would not have been pleasant to navigate in it.

Once the rain stopped, I headed out to shop at the grocery store beside the hotel. I got some fresh pasta from the deli counter, and lots of treats for tomorrow, so I am all set. It is only 6:30, but already my eyes are feeling heavy.

Tomorrow will be a big 200 km ride to Webster, so once again, I will leave as soon as it is light, especially as I am going to have some wind with which to contend. For now, though, I am going to enjoy my pasta, and a bevy, and maybe enjoy a few reruns of MASH.