I woke up at 5 a.m. on a wet bed. My neck and shoulders were in a puddle of sweat. 9 hours of dead-to-the-world sleep literally drained me. I rolled over onto a dry spot and conked out for another hour.

Once I was out of bed I made myself motel breakfast. I had gathered the components last night from the closet the motel calls the “breakfast nook.”

A wee sized bowl of Raisin Bran, a nectarine, a cherry yoghurt, a muffin, two cups of motel-room coffee and a pint of milk. Sounds like a lot but it wasn’t.

I rolled into Middlebury and hit the grocery store for a new razor, shaving cream, an apple, two bananas, and a pen.

Across the street was Middlebury Bagels so I had a mini second breakfast: real coffee and an everything bagel.

Properly fueled, I lit out on the route right through Middlebury College. Impressive place, I must say.

The route continued with an annoying number cod short climbs all the way to lower Lake Champlain where I caught the cable ferry to Ticonderoga, New York.

Today was supposed to be a zero day but I wanted to get back on schedule. My plan was to take it easy, go with the flow, and stop when the mood hit me.

After a roast beef sammie and an iced tea at a diner in Ticonderoga town, I headed west into the Adirondacks.

Eek.

I discovered that the map app on my iPhone shows elevation profiles. I selected a camp ground the route to which had 2,800 feet of climbing, much of it at the start.

And so for the next three miles I climbed a 4 to 5 percent grade, stopping as usual to let my body calm down from the effort. I was feeling a bit disoriented. After a couple of miles of this nonsense I remembered that I had an albuterol rescue inhaler in my handlebar bag.

Puff. Puff.

I felt the tension in my lungs ease up and could feel them expanding with each breath. The fog lifted from my weary head. What a maroon! I should have done this weeks ago.

I did the next 3/4ths of a mile without stopping. No problem!

Along the way I saw a deer lying in a field 100 feet off the road. A driver in a pick up with one of those ridiculously high front ends had hit him. A woman in a nearby driveway watched in sadness as the deer struggled to get up then plopped down again.

I rode to the top and pulled over to have a drink of water. I heard a bang in the distance behind me. Somebody’s having venison for dinner.

After that bit of drama the road leveled out nicely. I had completed my escape from the Champlain valley.

It is amazing what a difference that albuterol made today. I won’t hesitate to use it again.

I rode past Paradox and into Severance. In Severance I found a campground on route that was pretty nice for $30. Time to stop for the day.

I’m now only 6 miles shy of my original schedule. It looks like I’ll be able to find camping or a motel for the next couple of days. My only real concern is finding food along the route.

It’ll work out. It always does.

Miles today: 42

Tour miles: 1,572

As usual, I didn’t sleep all that well in my tent. At least I was comfortable.

After a breakfast of two PB&J English muffins and a banana, I left camp at around 6:30.

It was gloomy and cool, requiring my jacket and long pants. Again.

And, of course, I went up. It turns out I didn’t camp in Thetford Hill. Thetford Hill was another steep mile away.

After Thetford Hill I immediately rode downhill to Thetford Center. These hills separate river ways which means…

After Thetford Center came another short, steep climb requiring me to stop to get my breathing and heartbeat under control. Five miles into the ride and I’m already burning out.

Again I plunged down to a river but this time I took a road along its course. South Stratford, then three Royaltons (South, plain vanilla, and North), then Sharon where I stopped at a gas station deli for second breakfast. Alas, the portions were so small that it was ineffective in stoking my engine.

I was now following the White River upstream. It was mighty pretty and sounded good too. I kept following the White River, slogging boy way through Bethel, Gaysville, Stockbridge, and Rochester. Every so often the road would turn away from the river and I’d be grinding up yet another short steep hill. Ugh.

After Bethel the sun came out. I stopped to finally peel off my cold weather gear.

In Rochester I stopped at a country store where I had a wonderfully delicious turkey and cheese sandwich and an iced tea. It seem to revive me for a few miles. Before leaving town I stopped at a bike shop to top off the air in my tires.

Even with the sand which working its metabolic magic I could tell that my legs didn’t have their usual bounce.

More river tracing brought me to Hancock where I turned uphill toward the dreaded Middlebury Gap.

I was doing quite well for about five miles. Then the grade went from 4 percent to 9 percent. My granny and I persisted but it became very clear that if I wanted to get over this mountain with my knees and back intact I’d need to walk. It was my first walk since New York about three weeks ago.

I car pulled up and the shotgun passenger asked if I wanted a lift. I shook my head and grunted “I got this.”

Truth be told, This got me. The grade had to be 12 percent near the top. Even pushing The Mule required frequent stops.

At 3 p.m. the deed was done. There were no signs to pose under just the 12 percent truck-on-a-cheese wedge sign.

I put my jacket back on pointed The Mule down. I’m pretty sure I could have made it without breaking but not knowing the curves and dips and such I had to play it cool.

One thing I’ve learned on this ride is the smell of brake pads disintegrating.

I stopped a couple of times to make sure my rims weren’t overheating (this can cause a tire to explode which is not something I ever want to experience.

The steep part of the descent was over quickly. The rest of the descent had a few rollers in it, causing me to use my granny gears a few times.

I passed the Middlebury Snow Bowl which is ask venue created by Middlebury College on the 1930s and still very much in use. Next, I passed Bread Loaf, a Middlebury College retreat for writers, artists, and other creative people. All the buildings have a matching color scheme. Robert Frost taught here.

After Bread Loaf I came to Ripton where the road briefly declines 15 percent. As hard a time as I had getting over the Gap, I can’t imagine starting my climb with a 15 percent knee-wrecker like this.

As I crawled through East Middlebury, I knew I was running on fumes. Soon I spotted an A&W Drive In restaurant. A root beer float seemed the perfect ending to a brutal ride. (To be honest, the float couldn’t hold a candle to the root beer floats at the Dairy Godmother ice cream shop back home.)

I managed to squeeze The Mule into my very small room. Then I cleaned up and headed out on foot (glad I brought my cane) for a family restaurant about a half mile away where I inhaled a bowl of pea soup and a plate of spaghetti,

Tomorrow was a planned rest day (what Appalachian Trail hikers call a 0 day). I am a day behind schedule so I’m going to see how I feel in the morning. Psychologically, it would be good to get out of New England. I have no idea what the terrain is like going through the Adirondacks because my map set doesn’t have an elevation profile of that part. I hope this means no more monster climbs.

Miles today: 69

Tour miles: 1,530

I slept reasonably well in the hostel. I backtracked for breakfast at a place a mile east. I had eggs Benedict, home fries, toast, and coffee. The price was right but it didn’t sit well in my tummy.

After a bio break at the hostel, I hit the road.

Up.

The first eight miles involved a climb to Kinsman Notch where the Appalachian Trail crosses my route for the fourth and final time. The climb steepened near the top. Add a headwind and rain, and this made for serious work. I had to stop about five times. It was not much fun. At least I had the day’s 1,600-foot climb out of the way early.

I zipped up my jacket, put on my buff under my jacket’s hood, and slid on some long-fingered gloves for the descent out of the clouds. Visibility was much better than yesterday so I could actually enjoy the ride down. It was big fun especially when my helmet started lifting off from my head. (The straps had worked their way loose.)

I had two more short, steep climbs in the next ten miles. The rain had let up but the gloomy overcast and headwinds persisted.

In North Haverhill, after stopping for a gas station food snack, I turned south and the wind became my friend. But for a few climbs away from streams it was a reasonably flat ride to Orland, where I learned the bridge I was planning on using to cross the Connecticut River was closed. After a chicken-finger lunch and a resupply of my food stores, I crossed the river not 100 yards from the country store I had stopped at.

Goodbye New Hampshire. Hello Vermont.

I turned south on US 5, a two-lane highway between the river and I-91. With five miles to go, the impossible happened; the sun came out.

I descended an 8 percent grade into East Thetford then turned west to begin the climb away from the river.

My campground was at the top of a hill naturally. (Just another one I don’t have to climb tomorrow.) The ground is a bit damp but my tent site is quite nice. I even get to hear the white noise of the traffic on the interstate through the trees.

Tomorrow looks very much like today but longer and in reverse. I hadn’t noticed it before but the climb over Middlebury Gap looks very similar to the one over Kinsman’s Notch. I have booked a classic 1950s Vermont motel for tomorrow night. I expect it will be a long hard day.

Miles today: 49.5

Tour Miles: 1,496

I slept on the top bunk last night. I practiced getting down so that I wouldn’t kill myself going to the bathroom in the early morning hours. I learned 2 things: barefoot works better than sandals and face the bed when descending. I am getting old man privileges, the lower bunk, at tonight’s hostel.

After eating a greasy breakfast at a town diner with a really cranky owner, I headed for the day’s big test. Last night my friend Ursula told me that the climb over Kancamangus Pass isn’t nearly as hard as it looks. It turns out she was right.

As for the scenery, the Kancamangus Highway has to be one of the most scenic roads in the US. Even in the rain it’s gorgeous. I can’t imagine what it looks like with fall foliage.

Riding once again in rain gear, I found the first 18 miles of gradual climbing to be no problem at all. I couldn’t believe it. I knew some steep stuff was ahead but I put that thought out of my mind and enjoyed the cruise, even with a steady rain.

Who would have thought that today’s first two hours would be the easiest of the trip?

The scenery at the lower elevations was the bomb. Rushing water over rapids. National Forest land with dense stands of trees. More ferns than an 80s yuppie bar. Three covered bridges. Alas, no mooses. I did spot long chains of motorcycles, Jeeps, and Mini Coopers though.

After 18 or 19 miles the game changed. The climb into the clouds to the pass had begun. Instead of a 1 or 2 percent grade I was dealing with 6 to 9 percent inclines. Granny got a workout. My perineal nerve started to bark so I stopped now and then to unweight my bottom.

The pass came about a mile later than I expected. Regardless I was impressed that I made it to the top before noon.

It was cold and dank up there in the clouds. I took the obligatory selfie and had a snack. I had been running my red blinkie light but now I put on my helmet-mounted headlight.

The road was wet and the grade was -9 percent. I’d have loved to let The Mule run free but I couldn’t trade the chance of not making a sharp curve or hitting a pot hole. As it turned out the pavement was in very good condition. Even at 25 to 30 mph I had no trouble controlling the beast.

I did have trouble staying warm. Descending in the cold rain had be shivering by the time I arrived in Lincoln, 12 miles below the pass.

I had lunch in a restaurant more to warm up than to satisfy my hunger. (The burger, beans, and rice were mediocre, but the coffee was hot.)

After lunch I rode two miles to my hostel in North Woodstock where I took a glorious hot shower. I learned while washing up that I had left my razor in Conway. just another thing I don’t have to drag up a mountain.

I secured a campsite for tomorrow night about 35 miles away. It is supposed to stop raining sometime early tomorrow; my hope is that I won’t be camping in mud.

Today has given me more confidence that I can do three more climbs to get to Middlebury on Monday. Fingers crossed.

Miles today: 39

Tour Miles: 1,411.5

Super 8 Motels were once a reliable brand. The one I stayed in in Lewiston was pretty shabby. For my needs it was fine.

The motel breakfast was Raisin Bran, toast, and coffee. I ate my fill and headed out. Today marks my first full day on the Northern Tier route.

Lewiston to Danville to Shaker Village to Webb Mills to Naples to Bridgton to Sweden to Lowell to Fryeburg to Center Conway NH to Conway.

There were several steep climbs along the route. One, near the village of Sweden, required three stops to catch my breath. It was just too steep. Each uphill had a descent afterwards so it’s all good. Moreover, there were many stretches of a mile or two each they were flat or mildly inclined either +1% or -1%.

I stopped in Webb Mills for a second breakfast of sorts. A huge blackberry muffin, a small container of pasta salad with chicken, bacon, cucumbers, and carrots, and an iced tea.

In Naples I stopped to try to straighten out my eye drops prescription. It’s all a mess. Long story short, I’m going to go without for a couple of weeks. I’ll sort it out when I get home.

I also picked up a couple of bananas, a chef’s salad, a cherry pie, and two bottles of water at a grocery store. As usual I only ate a few of these so I’ll be carrying the rest for emergencies.

Clouds were threatening all day, about 40 miles into the ride, after some rumbles of thunder in the distance, it started to rain. with temperatures in the high 70s there was no need to put on rain gear. Once you’re wet, you’re wet. It was hard to see the road surface so the rain cut my speed a bit. The salmon brake pads that Mechanic Beth put on my bike are working very well, even in the rain.

I passed a sign saying “Moose Crossing Next 3 Miles”. They lied. Still no mooses. I’m staying at a hostel on the Appalachian Trail. The through hikers told me they have seen many piles of moose scat. But no mooses for them either.

I had a 10 inch pizza for dinner while waiting for the hostel to open. What a pig.

I had to keep reminding myself to take it easy. “You’ve got all day” was my mantra. The next three days will be absolutely brutal. Four huge climbs punctuated my so short steep stuff in between. I will be doing a lot of walking.

To make matters worse there is a stretch of 62 miles with nowhere to stay. The place I had planned on in the middle of that stretch is closed.

Tomorrow is a 2,200-foot climb over Kancamangus Pass. Ugh.

Miles today: 76

Tour Miles: 1,372.5

I’ve said goodbye to Maine. I’d rate it one of the best states to ride in.

I had no trouble finding my way back to the route.

Last night I supped on spaghetti and salad, prepared by Tom and Kate, my Warmshowers host. I had stayed with them about a week ago so we had a fun reunion.

Kate was interested in my 2018 ride across Washington state so she pulled out a road atlas and I brought her along down memory lane.

In the morning Tom and Kate fed me a huge bowl of Raisin Bran, some honeydew melon, and some much needed coffee. I hung around until 9:30 hoping that Walgreens would fill my prescription. Tom, a retired federal employee like myself, and I talked about our 401k plans, Medicare Part B, and investing in no load S&P 500 index funds. He’s my investing twin.

The drug store didn’t come through so I hit the road in shorts and a t-shirt, a nice change from the rain gear I’ve been wearing recently. I flew all the way to Bath where I stopped for lunch at the same ice cream parlor/deli that I ate at last week. A blackened chicken wrap, chips, a rather dry biscuit, and iced tea. No ice cream.

I couldn’t believe how strong I felt; there had to be a tailwind or maybe Tom put anabolic steroids in the marinara.

In Brunswick I left the Atlantic Coast route for good and headed west on the Northern Tier route. I spent a frustrating half hour trying to find my way out of town. Brunswick doesn’t put complete street signs at its intersections. Very frustrating.

Once out of town I encountered a very steep 200-foot climb. I had to stop before the top because my legs and lungs had maxed out.

After my punishment, I handled the rollers reasonably well.

I decided not to camp at a Warmshowers place off route past Lewiston. Instead I booked a room at the Super 8 south of Lewiston on the east side of the Androscoggin River. To get there I left the route to cross the river at Lisbon Falls.

I came to a traffic light on a bluff on the left side. Road work had closed the left lane, requiring alternating traffic going north and south. I followed a big black pickup through the green light and went down the steepest hill of the trip. Big fun.

In Lisbon Falls I took state highway 136 eight miles straight to my motel. It was a busy road leading to Lewiston and the Maine Turnpike (I-95). I rode with caution.

Storm clouds were building so I pulled into a covered bank drive-through (the bank was closed) and put on my rain jacket. It rained lightly for two minutes. Yeah, well.

The motel desk clerk (yet another Gujurati!) started chatting with me. He could not believe how far I had ridden. He was so blown away that he upgraded me to a room with a king sized bed.

Dinner at the restaurant next door was beef teriyaki stir fry, a salad, and iced tea. It was mediocre but filled the tank. I topped it off with a two-day old gas station cherry pie back at my room.

Tomorrow I enter New Hampshire. Because of my motel choice, I’ll need to ride 70 miles. I’m going to take my time and snack a lot. I hear there’s an excellent brewery pub in the town I’m staying in. Hydration is my middle name.

Miles today: 54

Tour miles: 1,296.5

I had a great stay with Peter and Emily, my Warmshowers host. Peter and I talked about running back in the day. Peter was quite the elite marathoner, once placing 30th at Boston. Emily, a sailor, is a school nurse at a small school on Islesboro, an island in Penobscot Bay. We talked about books and documentaries. I recommended Wasn’t that a Time, a documentary about the folk group The Weavers, and Say Amen Somebody, a documentary about gospel music that I slept through after running 20 miles in grad school.

Peter cooked dinner, a fish stew that was delish (I passed on the mussels, though) and breakfast, oatmeal with strawberries from the garden.

Peter advised me on my route. At about 8 a.m. I headed out in the fog for Camden. Instead of using the roundabout Adventure Cycling route, I simply rode US 1 along the shore. It was about 15 miles shorter and less hilly. It did have much more tragic but I put on my red blinkie and stayed alert.

In Camden I stopped at a bagel shop named The Bagel Shop for second breakfast, an everything bagel and an iced tea. By this time the fog had lifted.

Leaving Camden I took another shortcut, Maine Highway 90 goes straight toward Newcastle instead of meandering along the coast. It shaved 25 more miles off the Adventure Cycling route.

It was hilly from time to time but the road had brand new asphalt. Until, they is , I rejoined US 1 which was being repaved. I had to slow down to avoid gashes in the paved shoulder. Had I hit one at speed I could have blown a tire or bent a rim.

Near Waldoboro I stopped for lunch, corn chowder and a tuna salad sammie washed down with more iced tea.

By this point the temperature shad risen from the 50s to a relatively toasty 69 degrees.

I turned off US 1 to take US 1B to Damariscotta. The pavement was a mess along the shoulder so I had to be extra careful of vehicles passing.

I stopped at Round Top Ice Cream for a cherry vanilla cone., a bit of a self-treat for an honest day’s ride. A mile later I went into a Walgreens to get my eye drops refilled. My prescription had run out of refills so my doctor had to be contacted. I left empty handed but felt sure I’d get the drops soon.

I ended the day at Tom and Kate’s Warmshowers home again. We spent another fun evening talking about bike tours.

I made reservations at hostels in Conway and North Woodstock in New Hampshire for Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Tomorrow I have a Warmshowers host booked but am considering switching to a hotel in Lewiston, Maine because the Warmshowers house appears to be off route in the mountains.

My son is coming home the morning of my last scheduled tour date. I will either take a day out of the schedule or simply take the train home from Pittsburgh which will shorten the tour by five days. (I’ve already done Pittsburgh to DC several times so it’s not a big deal.)

Still no moose but I did see a snapping turtle laying her eggs off the side of the road.

Miles today: 52

Tour miles: 1,242.5

I think today was the first time I’ve backtracked on a bike tour. With the exception of a few miles along the coast road on Mount Desert Island, the route was exactly the same.

I waited for the early morning fog to lift. It did, but I eventually ran into more on the road. I have a red blinkie light on my helmet so no worries.

Todays ride featured a tailwind making the ride a literal breeze. The weather apps called for a rainy day, But for 20 minutes of sprinkles, the weather was dry.

The rest in Bar Harbor did me good. I covered 54 miles by 2 pm. No problem. I stopped for breakfast after 15 miles and a snack after 35.

I had hoped to get lunch in Searsport but the cafe was closed. So I opted for ice cream but the ice cream shop was closed. I suspect a conspiracy.

US 1 becomes Main Street in Searsport. It’s insane. The crosswalks advise pedestrians to wave. Personally I think a single digit salute is preferable.

Miles today: 55

Tour miles: 1,190.5

How’s the bike? So far The Mule has been doing quite well. I’ve been attentive to the chain, cleaning and lubing it every third day or so. Likewise the tire pressure. I’m keeping the tires inflated to 70 psi which most people would disagree with as being too high but it’s worked for me in the past so that’s what I’m sticking with. I’ve thrown the chain twice doing awkward downshifts to my granny gear. Not bad for three weeks and 1,100+ miles. A couple of days ago the chain became entangled but I fixed it and the problem hasn’t recurred. Occasionally it feels like the front wheel or tire is out of round but I can’t see any problem. I think there’s something about the pavement that is causing this sensation.

How are the roads? I’m getting used to the irregularities in the road surface. Every so often I get a road that’s all messed up like the Old Mine Road in the Delaware Water Gap. Repaving operations often involve milling, roughing up the surface for the application of new asphalt. For some reason eastern states don’t seem to mill as aggressively as western states. As often as not, I get fresh pavement which is a joy to ride on. Yesterday the roads I was on had expansion joints. Ugh. Thud. Thud. Thud.

How’s the rider? To be completely honest I never thought I’d get this far. I’m feeling very good now that the tree pollen levels have fallen. There is some haze today from the fires in Canada but it only seems to be affecting the higher elevations. If need be, I’ll use my N95 mask while riding. Despite valiant attempts to eat mass quantities, I’m losing weight. I guess about five pounds. Mentally the first week was hard. It always is. I’m very much in the bike touring groove now. My age and the terrain are keeping me from very long days in the saddle. These are necessary out west where the towns are 70 or 80 miles apart. I’ve done one 80-mile day but half of that was on a rail trail.

Where are you staying? I’m using Warmshowers much more than ever before. (Warmshowers is a voluntary service in which people host bicycle tourists.) I’ve stayed with Warmshowers hosts seven times. I’ve used hotels and motels six times. I have camped three times. I stayed at my daughter’s apartment for two nights. I stayed one night each at my friend Mark’s house, a B&B, and a hostel. I already have Warmshowers hosts set up for the next three nights. It looks like I may be doing another hostel after that. I expect to camp more after the Adirondacks.

Am I seeing other bike tourists? Ive seen six or seven bike tourists along the way. We exchange info about good and bad places to stay, road conditions, detours, etc.

Are you going straight back home? No. The plan is to head west across New Hampshire, Vermont, and upstate New York. There will be walking. I think the next ten days will be very hard. After that I will only have two or three hilly days.

Did you pack the right things? I pretty much nailed my gear. I’ve used my rain jacket and pants far more than any other tour. I’ve been carrying two spare water bottles but there are so many towns along the way that I’ve never needed them. The one thing I forgot was my eye drops for glaucoma. I’m pretty sure I can get my prescription filled at a Walgreens so no worries. I’m glad I brought a cable lock. Bike theft isn’t much of an issue where I’ve been riding but the lock gives me peace of mind.

What have been the best and worst parts so far? The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and the Walkway over the Hudson were both fantastic. Not having to do a nasty detour in Pennsylvania was fortunate. My Warmshowers hosts have all been truly wonderful to me. For every slog up a hill there’s been a screaming downhill. The worst parts have been the tree pollen and the cool, wet weather.

I hope this answers the questions I’ve been getting. Feel free to ask more in the comments.