Starting Point: Stetson, ME
Ending Point: Anson, ME
Via: Etna, Newport, Palmyra, Canaan, Skowhegan and Madison.
Mileage: 54.2
Time: 5:24
Mph: 10
Terrain: extremely hilly
Temperature High: 85
Temperature Low: 60
Lunch: turkey sub, pear and juice
Dinner: Chinese
Weather: hot and humid; sunny
Lodging: at the home of a Lung Association supporter
Cumulative Mileage: 1,424
Miles to Go: about 352
Projected Distance: 1,776
Percent Completed: 80%
After a fine night in an 1841-era house with a python for a roommate, I rolled onto Etna and finally figured out the creaking problem. Duct tape wasn’t the solution, but rather 3 or 4 mm nylon cord solved the problem. The brackets that hold the arm of the trailer that attaches to the bike itself have become very loose and it’s that looseness that allows the arm to move about and create a noise that is absolutely maddening.
Today I began to clearly observe notable changes in the kind of forest surrounding the route. It’s possible that it was due to the fact that I’ve moved into more populated areas, but it seems that there are a lot more deciduous trees than further north. It’s certainly noticeably hillier as well.
With two days to go before my arrival at Sunday River, it’s difficult to keep focused on today. Already I’ve begun composing an overview article about the ride and what I learned or experienced. It’s not that the countryside isn’t beautiful; it’s more an expression of perhaps a certain amount of impatience and also unease at there still being a week to go. People have asked me what I’ll be doing for the rest of the summer, now that I’ll be in Maine and not moving across some vast expanse of land. Certainly there will be a time to reflect on what this trip has meant and I will share that with my readers once or twice once I’m back home.
I’ll be staying with a couple who are not only Lung Association supporters, but also, personal friends. That is always something to look forward to; that fact certainly makes the day seem to pass more quickly even though by the clock it was just as long as yesterday.
Today’s roommates are kittens who seem to be cute and gentle, but they’re actually vicious blood-thirsty varmints as you can see from the photo.
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