Starting Point: East Middlebury, VT
Ending Point: Gaysville, VT
Via: Ripton, Bread Loaf, Hancock, Rochester and Stockbridge
Mileage: 37.6
Time: 3:49
Mph: 9.9
Terrain: extremely mountainous(grades of 10%, 12% and 16%)
Vertical climbing: 2,382
Temperature High: 75
Temperature Low: 67
Lunch: turkey/cheese sandwich
Dinner: spaghetti with veggies and sauce, cheesecake
Weather: partly sunny
Lodging: White River Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 3,993
Miles to Go: 207
Projected Distance: 4,200
Days completed: 81 (including 8 rest days)
Distance Completed: 95%
Days to Go:
6
To pledge:
http://pledgejohn.lungne.org
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| East of Middlebury Gap on Route 100 |
Middlebury Gap is as challenging as it ever was and an idea occurred to me and made me wonder how many more climbs like this remain in me. Certainly the Vermont scenery is a high point and steep hills don’t detract from it very much. It just is difficult to enjoy it when one is breathless and feels like one’s chest is going to explode. That is a slight exaggeration, but I hope my meaning is clear.
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| Dylan, The Mechanic Extraordinaire at Green Mountain Cycles |
Today was a fantastically gorgeous day with cooling breezes and partly sunny skies. There were perfect conditions throughout the day with the road dappled with shadow from trees all along. Except for construction vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and cars on the road up to the top of the gap, the air was pure, cool and refreshing. I stopped in Ripton at the General Store for a quick drink of something to get me the rest of the way up the mountain. It was an old store with a cash register from 1810 (National Cash Register Co.) I was a bit remiss in that I didn’t get a photo of it.
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| White River as Seen from the Campground |
In Rochester I made the usual pilgrimage to Sandy’s Books and Bakery to catch up on email and coffee drinks. I always stop at Green Mountain Cycles there, too and I have a correction to make…For those of you who might have read my blog about my Northern New England tour in 2008 to raise money for the American Lung Association, I published a picture of a mechanic there and I called him Doon. Today I found out that his name is actually Dylan. I’m sure many of you are relieved at having that cleared up after all this time.
While at Sandy’s I got caught in photo with the owner and employees which was a promotion because they had just been covered in Yankee Magazine.
Just a few more day. I'm wondering if you are savoring every last minute of it, or if you just can't wait to get home. Maybe both? I'm going to miss keeping up with your blog when your trip is over. I've savoring every last minute of it.
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