It wasn't good planning, but it sure was good luck that we opted to call it a day in Ticonderoga. After passing through the downtown, and then the freeway section of town with the big box stores, was a doozy of a climb. About 2 miles long, and STEEP. Not the kind of thing you want to start at 5 PM and still plenty hot at 9 AM. Laden logging trucks were driving the opposite way, geared way down, and inching down the hill. This was the gateway to the Adirondack Mountains. For whatever reason, Adventure Cycling elected not to include an elevation profile on this map so the rest of the day's terrain was a surprise. It offered lots more climbing. Climbs that bend around a corner and trick you into thinking the end is near, spiraling upward in the heat, teasing and taunting you. The granny gear was my friend during these stretches - keep the rotations smooth, light on the knees, spin the pedals, just keep going.
It also featured beautiful alpine lakes with forested islands in the middle, lots of summer cottages and cabins, and long stretches of solitude on the road - interrupted by the occasional semi truck. We stopped at a gift shop and farm stand that had buffalo grazing in a field below us. In the lafte afternoon we made it to a small town called Newcomb for a milk shake break. We had about 18 miles to go for our proposed destination and I was wary about what the road might challenge us with along the way. Thankfully the terrain was rolling and much gentler than the long ascents earlier in the day.
When we arrived intact in another small town called Long Lake, it was time to find the Whispering Woods campground. We set off north on Highway 30 and could not find the street we were supposed to turn on. Rach got out her phone, did some sleuthing, and we set off on what we hoped would be the right way. After another mile or so, and plenty of confusion, we found a wooden sign that said "Whispering Woods." We must be on the right track. Unfortunately, no. All we found was a dirt road and homes tucked into the trees. A woman driving by told us the campground had closed long ago to make way for lots for houses. Oops. Another few miles of riding and we finally made it to the Lake Eaton State campground and our new home for the night.
Yesterday we took the day off to celebrate the 4th and did the following in no particular order: read books, took naps, rented a canoe and paddled around the lake, bought tons of treats at a nearby general store, splashed around in the water, generally took it easy. There were fireworks in the town, but that was a few miles back down the road now so we opted to lounge about the campground instead. Now it's time for a breakfast and another day of riding.
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| Buffalos |
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| Out of service |
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| Lake Eaton |
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| Early morning |
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| Canoe |
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| Fun times |
Granny would be thrilled to hear about the granny gear!
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Not all fun and games, eh? Be sure to tell Adventure Cycling to update their maps so the next poor users don't get burned. Just keep telling yourself that the worst day riding is better than the best day sitting around an office wishing you were doing anything else. Today would have been a good day for a sail. Hotter than Hades with a warm wind blowing. Now, if you only had a mast.....
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