54 miles 

I woke up to a roar of rain on the barn roof off and on last night. It was extremely loud. Otherwise I slept well, and woke up rested. I was on the road by 7:30 am.

The first few miles were an uphill struggle, just like Dan said they would be, and (also like he said) after that it was really pleasant, with long gradual hills, smooth pavement, curves, shady evergreens, and moist air. 

I stopped in Old forge, at a bakery/cafe called Doe A Deer, and ate a big bowl of fresh spinach with well seasoned chicken. It was the perfect lunch. I had a nice big cup of cold brew there, and walked around town a bit. It was touristy—almost every shop was antiques or jewelry/gifts. I looked at my maps for a long while, to sort out what the end will look like. I’m going to ride to Quoddy Head State Park, via Acadia, via Auburn, via Windham. I think I can do it all by the end of the month when Jeanelle can pick me up and drive me back to Auburn. Apparently, there’s a nice beach at Quoddy Head. I’m looking forward to that. It’s weird to think how soon it will all be over. I’m looking forward to seeing Jenny. She invited me to work as a server at a wedding with her on Saturday—I think this will be a great weird addition to my adventure. 

The road and the riding felt great today. I think I must have had a tailwind, because I even felt strong and content riding up the hills. The elevation has not been too extreme. I stopped at a book shop in Inlet, another tourist trap town. An older man asked me if I was interested in local history, and I took the bait and he talked my ear off for 20 minutes about land ownership in the Adirondacks. Evidently he wrote the book. Literally. It’s a huge hardcover book that probably weighs as much as my loaded bike. I tried to get away, but he kept returning, so I left the store. 

Speaking of land ownership, I composed a song today, inspired by my surroundings:

this land is my land 
this land’s not your land 
all the trees and mountains 
everything you see 
and I put up signs so
that you won’t trespass
this land is here for only me 
this land is private property 

I counted “posted” signs today. There were 76 of them within one mile. I didn’t see a single person. I did see a lot of orange spotted salamanders, mostly roadkill, unfortunately, but one was alive. I tried to help him cross, but he resisted. I introduced him to my plastic crocodile, but I can’t be sure they struck up a quality friendship in their brief moment together. I realize this sounds insane, but I’m finding myself leaning into whimsy lately. I have no one to impress around here.

I’m at Golden Beach Campground now. A loon is calling out on Raquette Lake. I had a picnic on the beach, then set up my tent as a storm began to break. Tomorrow morning I want to roll out early. I’ve been enjoying the days when I can get an early start. Hoping for more tailwinds tomorrow.