Northern New England 2008

How to Pledge

Please go to the following web site to pledge:

http://www.lungme.org/pledgejohn.htm

You may use a credit card there. Thank you for your support. Your dollars go to the important programs of the American Lung Association of Maine.

4 June Wednesday Van Buren, ME – Presque Isle, ME (Day 24) and 5 June Thursday – Rest Day (Day 25)

Starting Point: Van Buren, ME
Ending Point: Presque Isle, ME
Via: Hamlin, Caswell, Limestone, Fort Fairfield, Maple Grove and Easton.
Mileage: 52   
Time: 5:14
Mph: 9.9
Terrain: hilly after leaving St. John Valley
Temperature High: 70
Temperature Low: 50
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: vegetable alfredo
Weather: partly sunny
Lodging: Northern Light Motel
Cumulative Mileage: 1,208
Miles to Go: about 566   
Projected Distance: 1,774
Percent Completed: 68%

    On the way out of town I stopped at The Ski Shop which also doubles as a bicycle shop. I wanted to see if the owner might have a solution for a creaking problem that my trailer was having. Both he and the mechanic were very friendly and helpful. It wasn’t too long before Lyn came up with the solution. He didn’t donate money to ALAME (he was already sponsoring several people on a Trek Across Maine team), but he did donate his time to my mechanical issue.
    Along the road in Hamlin and Caswell were countless homes that were abandoned and boarded up. Downtown Limestone had no café and many of the storefronts there were empty as well. I stopped in front of the Catholic Church to eat lunch but the black flies had the same idea, only I was the menu. So I went to the nearby town office and the lady there let me sit inside to eat lunch. We had a good conversation about why there wasn’t a café in town; what happened to the previous one and so forth.
    Today was the day that was supposed to be short and a very welcome easy day to be able to fully enjoy and benefit from tomorrow’s rest day. I had a voice message on my cell phone from my Fort Fairfield host that he had an emergency. Sadly, it turned out, that his ex-wife had just passed away today (though not totally clear) and there was no way that I could stay at his house. He said that he would call around to try and arrange something for me elsewhere in town. After a bit, I decided that he needed to focus his energy in the necessary direction and called him to tell him I would just roll on to Presque Isle and find a place. It was a sad stretch; I could only thing of him and his daughters, whose mother it was that had just died. The other sad aspect to the whole situation was that I wouldn’t get to see him and his wife this time around. I had stayed with them in 2005 on the circumnavigation bike ride and they were tremendous hosts, so I was looking forward to seeing them again.
    Since I was focused on Shawn’s situation and trying to think of positive things to say to him, I rolled on and barely noticed some of the huge hills that I had to ascend to make it over to Presque Isle.
    The motel owner was extremely generous, as have been so many others. She volunteered to drive me down into town to go to dinner and to come back and get me after I was done. I had asked her to purchase a couple of grocery items for me, as she was going shopping as well. When we returned to the motel and I asked what I owed her she said, “Absolutely nothing.” The bounteousness I keep experiencing with all my hosts and lodging owners continues to be such a fantastic uplifting part of the ride.
    Tomorrow is a rest so unless there is some major event to report I will take the day off. Next stop: Houlton.

3 June Tuesday Fort Kent, ME – Van Buren, ME (Day 23)

Starting Point: Fort Kent, ME
Ending Point: Van Buren, ME
Via: Upper Frenchville, Frenchville, Madawaska, Fournier, Grand Isle, Lille and Keagan.
Mileage: 44.5   
Time: 4:16
Mph: 10.4
Terrain: gently rolling hills
Temperature High: 60
Temperature Low: 55
Lunch: pea soup, egg rolls and cocoa
Dinner: taco soup
Weather: partly sunny
Lodging: at the home of a Lung Association supporter
Cumulative Mileage: 1,156
Miles to Go: about 598   
Projected Distance: 1,754
Percent Completed: 66%

    The one regret I have about this day is that I didn’t take the time to go back into the center of the town of Fort Kent to take a little time to explore. There was a certain amount of ambivalence in going into town, mostly because of the fact that Fort Kent had just suffered tremendous losses due to the flooding back in May and it seemed a little voyeuristic to go and see what was left. Along the way into town and in some spots along my actual route, there was evidence of flood damage; road wash-outs, road shoulder damage and the like.
    After leaving town the road follows the St. John River very closely and thus Maine gets its rounded shape at the very top from the flow of that river. The places across the river looked healthier economically; there were fewer dilapidated homes and more productive fields.
    In Frenchville I stopped at, what else, Frenchie’s Restaurant. As I rolled into the combination service station/grocery store/outdoor sport supply/restaurant, a woman came out of the front door asking a lot of questions about the bicycle. She mentioned that I was “going pretty fast down the hill” in front of their establishment. As she went back inside another woman came out to marvel at the bicycle. She wondered if I had made it myself – a common question with a common answer: if I had made it myself, it wouldn’t be rolling. She mentioned, too, that they had never seen such a bike.
    Walking inside was like going into any small town diner one might find anywhere is Québec. Virtually everyone was speaking French. The friendly couple sitting behind me in a booth wanted to know all about what I was doing in their town. They spoke with strong Franco-American accents. When I mentioned that I was raising money for the American Lung Association of Maine, they seemed to lose interest quite quickly. Later on at the cash register the female half of the couple was struggling to not light a cigarette while inside the store; which could have explained their waning interest.
    The second woman who had come out to see my bike turned out to be the cook, and a good cook she was. I had an interesting bowl of pea soup; the kind with which I’m familiar uses split dried peas, but this one had whole regular peas with some other tasty stuff thrown in. The server was Anglophone; when she spoke French to the people at the other tables, I could hear her English accent. She would ask the others, “Tout fini?” When she came to me she asked, “All finished?”
    As I sat there I tried listening in on the French conversations going on around me. In most cases I could understand virtually nothing. Every now and then a word might pop out and be recognizable, but it was a French dialect that I wasn’t used to at all. I’ve had many years of being in the midst of foreign language conversations among native speakers that have been indecipherable, so this was nothing new.
    Some people I had spoken to before the ride said that there was nothing in Madawaska except a paper mill and a store. Maybe it had been years since they went there, but I found a town. Certainly there were many closed businesses as with many of the towns up here, but there was activity and cultural resources.
    Fortunately today was somewhat a break from the challenging bicycling terrain of prior days. The road gently undulated along the river and the road was not over crowded with traffic.
    This evening was spent with a family in Van Buren. It turned out that it was true serendipity that I ended up staying here. My contact in Ashland had called The Ski Shop in town. She spoke with the owner who said he would see what he could do to find me a place to stay. When Janet, my contact, called back Linda by chance answered the phone and quickly ascertained that the store owner had actually done nothing to secure me a place to stay so she offered their place.
    I spent the evening having long conversations with Lou about the trucking business, McCain Foods, gas prices, Aegis Bicycles (a company that used to be located there), careers, exercise and fitness and other interesting topics. He was a generous friendly host surely. I was just settling down in the living room for an evening of relaxing in front of the TV when he came in and asked if I wanted to go for a ride. Of course, I said sure. We drove through “down-town” Van Buren and Lou told stories of all the businesses that used to be there and how the downtown area was bumper-to-bumper traffic years ago. Thanks to local politics and the town elders being unwilling to embrace new arriving businesses, the place withered. We drove into Canada to Grand Falls, New Brunswick for a quick tour of that area. It certainly was livelier than Van Buren. When we were at Canadian customs, the guard spoke French and wanted to know where were going. Lou told him we were just sightseeing. The guard virtually told him to take me to Grand Falls. For some reason, most of that French conversation was easy to follow.
    In the morning, Linda was there (she had arrived home late last night) and we all had breakfast together. Right after eating, I figured I should get on the road and said as much. Linda suggested, though, that we go and sit on the front porch, take in the scenery and have more time to chat. That was a fine time and it seemed unusual to be sitting watching scenery and not pedaling.
    They were extremely fine hosts and wanted to send me off with snacks, sandwiches, water and money. I did accept a few chocolate bits and some water. I certainly didn’t wish to accept money even if I put it in the kitty for fund-raising, because they gave so much. Their generosity was wonderful and, as always, a fantastic support to this rider to make it through many miles on deserted roads.

2 June Monday Ashland, ME – Fort Kent, ME (Day 22)

Starting Point: Ashland, ME
Ending Point: Fort Kent, ME
Via: Portage, Winterville, Eagle Lake, Plaisted and Wallagrass.
Mileage: 47.1   
Time: 5:28
Mph: 8.6
Terrain: extremely hilly; with two hills large enough to have their own names (Soucy Hill and Pinette Hill)
Temperature High: 65
Temperature Low: 52
Lunch: turkey club
Dinner: salmon, potatoes, broccoli, salad and cheesecake (a true hardy cyclist’s delight)
Weather: partly sunny
Lodging: at the home of a Lung Association supporter
Cumulative Mileage: 1,111
Miles to Go: about 641   
Projected Distance: 1,752
Percent Completed: 63%

    I had been forewarned by Janet about Soucy Hill and logging trucks along Route 11 on the way north. The expectation was that the hill would be like Mattawamqeag Hill from the other day only longer. The line of logging trucks along the way was sure to be astoundingly long. Fortunately neither dire prediction came true. Riding through another peaceful unincorporated section of Maine was lovely until, in the distance, I spotted what was sure to be Soucy Hill. There was a road visible through the forest cover that seemed to go straight up a mountainside and disappear into the trees up on top. A rider would have plenty of time to dread what was coming before actually reaching the beginning of the upward slope. The reality of it, though, was that it was a steady reasonable climb. Janet had told me it was a mile long so I was measuring it all the way. Sure enough, it was exactly one mile to the very top. As I approached the top, I came upon a house with a pick-up truck just in front. Two men were getting out and they had what looked like beekeeper outfits on. I was passing just as one of them was reaching into the bed of the truck to pick up one of the beehives. I asked if this was Soucy Hill. One of them replied, “Yes it is. You made it. Pretty good for sitting down.” I thanked them and rolled on.
    In one boggy area I was passing, I came upon a moose, finally. It didn’t run away in one second; but rather, it just stood there staring at me as I stopped and got out the camera. I was worried for this particular moose as to what would happen to it in hunting season with such a lackadaisical attitude toward the presence of humans.
    In Portage I stopped at Dean’s Restaurant (the only place in town that I could see) to eat a snack/lunch. This was all of eight miles into the ride; but I had started late and it was indeed lunchtime. As I sat there eating, a guy came up and starting asking about my bike. He was curious about how difficult it was to ride (not any more than a regular bike) and about how it was on hills (the same as a regular bike, just slower when pulling forty pounds in a trailer). He sat down and we had a long conversation about the wood business (he was a “loader”…one of the people who puts the cut trees into the long logging trucks for transport). I mentioned to him that I had stayed in Ashland the night before at the Jandreau’s house. He knew them, of course, but also, it turned out that his son, Bart, was currently working with Lonnie Jandreau in the woods. What a positive surprising thing it was to have such close contacts up here in the wilderness. I certainly hadn’t expected that.
    The long lines of logging trucks never materialized. There were a few, certainly, but every single one going in my direction pulled into the other lane to give me plenty of room. There were several “truck-on-cheese” signs which are always enjoyable on the downhill sections, but often exhausting on the uphills.
    At one point around Eagle Lake the scenery changed drastically. There had been mostly pine forest so close that it wasn’t possible to see beyond it, but after one long downhill, the trees thinned out, the distant mountains became visible and there were more farms visible. There was a sign: Welcome to St. John’s Valley/Bienvenue à la Vallée de Saint-Jean. Further along there was mention of a St. Froid. I had never come across this particular saint in my travels around France; there had been a Ste. Foix. Froid, in French, means “cold.” Thus, a fitting name in any case for the region.
    As I was riding to my destination a pick-up truck passed me going the opposite direction and the driver, a woman, yelled out, “Dinner is waiting for you at home!” It was my host for the evening, Phyllis, who happens to be Janet’s sister.

1 June Sunday Patten, ME – Ashland, ME (Day 21)

Starting Point: Patten, ME
Ending Point: Ashland, ME
Via: Hersey, Moro Plantation, Knowles Corner and Masardis.
Mileage: 50.5   
Time: 5:36
Mph: 9
Terrain: extremely hilly
Temperature High: 60
Temperature Low: 55
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: pasta and salad
Weather: partly sunny
Lodging: at the home of a Lung Association supporter
Cumulative Mileage: 1,064
Miles to Go: about 688   
Projected Distance: 1,752
Percent Completed: 61%

    A gorgeous day with scenery dominated by pine forest close to the road and then, at one point from Masardis, the road rose out of the forest and it was possible to see the western mountains north of Baxter State Park. There were miles and miles of woods and nothing else. Behind me I could still Mt. Katahdin way behind me. Those mountains in the west were unfamiliar to me, but I knew that the Allagash Wilderness Waterway flowed through that area; so it was clear that this was truly the “wilds” of Maine.  There were many perfect environments that would have been likely areas to spot moose. The only moose I did get to see on this day were dead ones alongside the road. It was a little disconcerting since now the number of live moose I’ve seen matched that of the deceased ones.
    Even though some of the hills were relentless, the route was enjoyable. There were several times when the road had those “truck on cheese” signs to indicate steep downhill. As in 2005, I dreaded those, because even though the downhill was a chance to relax, it meant that there would be an equally steep uphill shortly beyond it.    
    I stopped in Masardis (the only place to stop) to find water at what looked like a service station. It turned out not to be open but three guys came out and wanted to have a conversation. One of them was planning on opening that building as store with a unique menu: chilis and chowders. He offered me a couple of bottles of spring water, which was really a wonderful gesture especially after the desolate stretch I had just completed. He and his friends told me about one of the hills I had gone up (the worst one) and they told me they knew about it: Mattawanqeag Hill. They admitted that it was hard on cars and, of course, trucks as well.
    Today would be the second time that I would be hosted by another Lung Association supporter, so I was looking forward to seeing them again. In the evening after dinner near dark, Lonnie mentioned that there was a bull moose strolling through their backyard. This was the closest one yet and indeed it seemed to be in no hurry to go away.   

31 May Saturday Medway, ME – Patten, ME (Day 20)

Starting Point: Medway, ME
Ending Point: Patten, ME
Via: Grindstone, Soldiertown, Herseytown, Siberia, Sherman and  Stacyville, .
Mileage: 36.6   
Time: 3:37
Mph: 10.1
Terrain: hilly
Temperature High: 48
Temperature Low: 43
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: chicken soup, pizza
Weather: rain
Lodging: Shin Pond Village
Cumulative Mileage: 1,014
Miles to Go: about 739   
Projected Distance: 1,753
Percent Completed: 58%

    This was one of those days that are well summarized by a comment by a clerk at a service station by Route 95 in Sherman, “You gotta be dedicated to be out there today!” Fortunately the day was less difficult thanks to the presence of my wife on one of her last days as support vehicle driver. We arranged to meet at shorter intervals along the way, which turned out to be truly needed. It was a challenge to stay warm. Again, this is fine training for the weather that has traditionally plagued the second day of the Trek Across Maine. With any luck, it won’t be needed.
    As I was conversing with a customer and the clerk at that same station, I related the nature of this ride. The customer invited me to stop in at his house further north and the clerk donated the cup of hot cocoa I was having. Even though I couldn’t take advantage of the customer’s offer, I was happy to accept the cocoa.
    Thanks to the intensity of the rain, the lateness of the day, the thickness of the fog and the exhaustion of the rider, I did throw everything in the car from about 3 miles past Patten and we drove to Shin Pond. Originally I had discussed a campsite with the owner, but that was a distant thought on this day. Susan and I graciously accepted staying in a “suite.”
    We had heard from some of the guests that a bull moose had been seen recently in the field behind our building. All evening Susan and I kept looking out the window to see it. I guess its weekend schedule was different; it never showed.
    The next morning the owner donated breakfast to us as a token of her support for ALAME. Susan drove me back out the Route 11 in Patten which marked the start of the day and Susan’s return to Brunswick.

30 May Friday Milo, ME – Medway, ME (Day 19)

Starting Point: Milo, ME
Ending Point: Medway, ME
Via: Brownville, Brownville Junction, Mill Brook, Deans, West Seboeis, T4 Indian Purchase, Perkins, Millinocket and East Millinocket.
Mileage: 48.5   
Time: 4:34
Mph: 10.6
Terrain: somewhat hilly
Temperature High: 70
Temperature Low: 55
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: ravioli lasagna
Weather: sunny and windy
Lodging: Katahdin Shadows Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 977
Miles to Go: about 783   
Projected Distance: 1,760
Percent Completed: 56%

    One thing I neglected to mention about yesterday’s evening meal in Milo was that Valerie Jean’s Restaurant served the most delectable portion of fiddleheads that I have ever tasted. It’s not something I eat normally, but they were delicately spiced with butter and tender. Surely it was one of the high points of the meal.
    The stretch between Millinocket and Milo is fairly devoid of distractions from the tall magnificent pine trees and the fine pine smell often sensed along the way. I bicycled this stretch in 2005 on my Maine circumnavigation and it seemed a lot longer and a lot more desolate that time. I was going in the opposite direction this time and I did have sag wagon support this time which I’m sure made for a very different experience of the wildness of the area. When I was a bike tour leader back in 1976 as part of Bikecentennial, I led a van supported group; we referred to the driver of the van as the “sag hag.” I think it wise now, for the purposes of long-term health though, to refer to the driver of the support vehicle this time as “my wife.” She will return to Brunswick soon and I’ll be back to hauling the full load and dealing with long stretches alone; but her presence has been a wonderful gift, both for this trip and for the extended nature of my birthday celebration this year.
    As Susan and I were having a snack break alongside the road, a car stopped to check that everything was alright. That driver told us of a moose up ahead that was “thinking about crossing the road” and that we should drive up to see it. We thanked her and finished our snack. By the time I passed on my bike, there wasn’t hide or hair of any thoughtful moose. Again as I rounded every bend or rode over every crest of every hill, I fully hoped to see a good batch of moose. At one point I did finally see one, just as it was scurrying back into the woods as it heard me pedaling up.
    We had arranged to meet at a rest area up ahead on South Twin Lake where the view of Katahdin was unobstructed by trees. When I arrived, Susan told of having seen a mother bear and two cubs cross the road. Unfortunately she didn’t have a camera with her to produce proof of this. This was an interesting occurrence in light of what the Mainer at the restaurant the day before had told about me the lack of bear in Maine and that, no, I wouldn’t be seeing any bear. Technically he was correct. As we sat there soaking in the view of Katahdin and the lake, Susan noticed that a hummingbird was hovering around my fish flag; its colorful red parts must have attracted it. I didn’t see that bird either, though.
    I stopped in the library in Millinocket to catch up on some blogging and email. A local guy, Charlie, invited Susan and me to come stay at his now defunct bicycle hostel just down the street. Had we not put a credit card deposit down on Katahdin Shadows, I would have accepted. He seemed like a very interesting cordial local; it’s always a joy meeting locals and hearing about the goings-on of a place.
    As I rode through East Millinocket, I found a lot of people sitting alongside the roadway either in beach chairs or on blankets or in cars parked perpendicular to the roadway. It certainly looked like people ready for a parade. It seemed, though, that I was the only parader! Further down the line of people I stopped and asked a motorcyclist about what was happening. It turned out that the town always has a parade on the REAL Memorial Day and that parade was supposed to start only shortly after I passed through.
    That evening as I was returning from the restaurant down the hill with my headlamp on, I saw a group of kids sitting at the playground with glow sticks alight. I mentioned that I liked their glow sticks; they were that fluorescent green color that is so eerie in the dark. They said thanks and said that they liked my headlamp. I said that it had no bulbs but was LEDs instead. One of the kids, a guy, asked how many lights it had. I said it had four. He then went on to say that he had one with five and that he could press a button and light four, three or two lights or make it flash. I then pressed the buttons on mine (three or two or flashing) to check to see if that was what he meant. I said, “You mean like that?” He responded, “Yeah, but I still have five.” I kept walking to our cabin to get some well-deserved sleep.

29 May Thursday Greenville, ME – Milo, ME (Day 18)

Starting Point: Greenville, ME
Ending Point: Milo, ME
Via: Shirley Mills, Monson, Abbot, Guilford and Dover-Foxcroft.
Mileage: 48.8   
Time: 4:15
Mph: 11.5
Terrain: hilly
Temperature High: 55
Temperature Low: 50
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwich, potato salad, hot coco
Dinner: delicious (early) birthday dinner at Valerie Jean’s in town
Weather: sunny; strong tail winds
Lodging: CC Polaris Country Cabins
Cumulative Mileage: 928
Miles to Go: about 830   
Projected Distance: 1,758
Percent Completed: 53%

    One of the most thrilling aspects about this portion of the ride is that I’m not in prime moose country with a possibility of seeing even bear. I’m ready around every corner, over the crest of every hill, in every bog to see one of these creatures. This day, however, proved disappointing in this regard.
    At the lunch stop in Abbot, I had a long conversation with some natives and some people from away who had settled here decades ago. They were happy to discuss everything from the situation with the dearth of bears in the state, to the fact that some hunting guides bait bears so that their rich New York customers (who are willing to put $1,000 cash each right in the hands of the guide) can “hunt” bears as though they were in a shooting gallery, to the state of industry in the area. They were a friendly group of people with strong Maine accents that made lunch interesting indeed.
    I have had a “sag” vehicle for a day and will have one until I leave Shin Pond. A sag vehicle provides the cyclist the opportunity to carry less in the trailer and have company more often on the lonely stretches of road found in this part of the state. I’m happy to have my wife here temporarily to share in the experience out here. It also is making the time around my birthday much more enjoyable.

28 May Wednesday Jackman, ME – Greenville, ME (Day 17)

Starting Point: Jackman, ME
Ending Point: Greenville, ME
Via: Jackman Station, Blair, Long Pond, Sandwich Academy Grant, Taunton and Raynham Academy Grant, Rockwood and Greenville Junction.
Mileage: 49   
Time: 4:15
Mph: 11.5
Terrain: hilly
Temperature High: 55
Temperature Low: 38
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, frappacino, popcorn
Dinner: extremely delicious pasta and sauce, salad, strawberry-rhubarb pie
Weather: sunny; strong tail winds which explains the record speed!
Lodging: trailer of a Lung Association supporter in their yard
Cumulative Mileage: 880
Miles to Go: about 875   
Projected Distance: 1,755
Percent Completed: 50.1%

    The day started rather early (5:20am) with some truck driver idling his truck outside the motel in Jackman. He was speaking loudly; I suppose to be heard over the idling engine. It wasn’t clear to whom he was talking, but the puppies who had been barking yesterday were exercising their yelps this morning as well. I was tempted to go to  the front desk and complain, but I had gotten a fantastic deal to stay there. It wasn’t too long though before the driver and his rig drove off. The puppies calmed down, too, so it wasn’t too difficult to go back to sleep.
    Today was a relatively short day and I was in no rush to leave the town. The coffee shop in town, Jackman Java, was a place I wanted to get to before I left. Every time I’ve been in Jackman, I’ve stopped in and the atmosphere and people there have always been warm and friendly. Amazingly I went in and met José, a sponsor of mine and someone who works at Bowdoin College in the building right next to the one where my wife works, and his son. The incredible serendipity of meeting someone from Brunswick in Jackman in the shop I was going to at the same time was striking.
    Gail, the owner of the store, was her usual friendly welcoming self. She not only remembered me from other times I stopped there; she also remembered something I had written about her mother when I was there in 2005 (my circumnavigation of Maine). For those of you who never heard about it, here’s what happened. This was Jackman, Maine, a very quiet town most of the year. I was in the shop at the time drinking a delicious coffee. There were two customers in line at the counter and Gail’s mother came in the front door. She saw the customers and said, “I’d better come back later, when you’re not so busy.” It was a little surprising that Gail remembered that and remarkable too in that I often don’t remember that my blog/newspaper comments are remembered. It’s a somewhat scary thing only in that I hope to not meet again those people of whom I haven’t been that complimentary, for example, Mr. “I’m the law” from last year.
    I suppose that this is a good point to state an important disclaimer. I’m aware that I’ve expressed many opinions and ideas in these articles that might well offend someone. All opinions expressed here are mine alone and not necessarily those of either the American Lung Association of Maine or its affiliates or the Times Record newspaper. I like Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.”
    The ride was certainly gorgeous but cool. It was the kind of Maine summer sun that makes everything in the landscape stand out crisply in a visual way. Even though there weren’t many landmarks to see, the countryside was wonderful. There was Long Pond, Brassua Lake and the Moose River. The smell of pine was often distinct, but especially when a logging truck with trees or pulp drove by. I did ride by a couple of road workers who yelled as I rode by: “Bet it’s good on gas miles!”
    There was one bald eagle to see and I did hear several woodpeckers but, as usual, they were invisible. The only moose I saw was a deceased one in a ditch.
    This evening was a wonderful time staying with a Lung Association supporter. We had a fine carbohydrate-loaded dinner of pasta and good company. My route will be taking me over the rooftop of the state and there will be several other supporters who will be hosting me as well. Again this kind of generosity and spirit makes the trip pure joy.

27 May Tuesday Bingham, ME – Jackman, ME (Day 16)

Starting Point: Bingham, ME
Ending Point: Jackman, ME
Via: Moscow, Carrying Place, Caratunk Plantation, Caratunk, The Forks, West Forks, Johnson Mountain, and Parlin Pond.
Mileage: 51.1   
Time: 6:24
Mph: 8.0
Terrain: last 25 miles were basically uphill
Temperature High: 70
Temperature Low: 45
Lunch: turkey sandwich, fries, coke and beer
Dinner: sweet and sour chicken, cole slaw, mashed potatos, hot coco
Weather: partly sunny; strong head winds (10-20 mph)
Lodging: Boss Motel
Cumulative Mileage: 831
Miles to Go: about 924   
Projected Distance: 1,755
Percent Completed: 43%

    A striking aspect of my rest day in Bingham was how different the first evening in the restaurant/bar area of the rafting company was from the second evening. As I was sitting in the restaurant having dinner the first evening, more and more people came in until the din from the crowd was almost too loud to be able to concentrate on writing to the blog/newspaper. The place was indeed packed. The second evening’s crowd was non-existent. There were just two other people besides sitting at the bar watching TV. The bar was closed as was the restaurant. Most of the lights were off. In some ways, of course, this was more restful but it was still shocking to have an atmosphere not too unlike a wake. Since the restaurant was closed, there was no way to order dinner. One of the staff there was willing and able to go into the walk-in fridge and get me some plain pasta that had been cooked up for salad later on. The only thing they had available to put on it was salad dressing. So, it was a very simple meal. The price was right, too: free.
    The next morning I rolled into Bingham to have breakfast at the same place as yesterday. There was a couple going in ahead of me and the man commented, “That’s quite the rig you got there!” We had a brief conversation on the way in. I let him know that I was riding for ALAME. He was originally from the area visiting family who stilled lived here. His wife was from Wisconsin. I mentioned that my wife was from there also. I asked her whether she really preferred Wisconsin to Maine and she said that Maine had “too many trees” and really liked Wisconsin. Immediately I thought of the comment from the film Amadeus where the king commented to Mozart that his opera was fine but had “too many notes.” I didn’t ask her, however, which trees should be gotten rid of.
    Since I was somewhat rushing to get out on the road, I finished eating quickly. As I was walking away to pay, the man came up to me and said that I ate too fast for him to keep up but he wanted to give me a pledge for the ride. He also expressed belief in the fact that I did seem to be who I said I was and he felt trusting enough to give a pledge. Apparently he had had bad experiences with telemarketers (as have we all I think) so he was skeptical of anyone collecting money. I was happy to accept his pledge, of course.
    This day was slated to have a very difficult second half; the topography profile showed what looked to be a continuous uphill from The Forks all the way to Jackman, so I was dreading that. I came upon Northern Outdoors, one of the many rafting companies along this stretch, and wanted to stop in and have a Coke for energy. As I neared the place, there were signs that advertised “food, fresh beer.” I was intrigued. As I came in the door, a man who looked like an owner type rather than a guide type, commented on the “fine rig” I had.     We had a conversation about what I was doing out here. He mentioned that their company had some individuals who were going to do the Trek Across Maine as well. I asked him if he was the head of the place. He said that there were really three heads, so I didn’t actually know his role. I also asked him how he could have fresh beer all the way out here. It turned out that they actually brew it in their basement. He offered to let me have a free sampler of it. It was only noon and I’m really not much of a beer drinker, but I wasn’t going to turn down hospitality. I was served what looked like a cutting board with six large holes drilled part-way through. Each hole contained an approximately 6 ounce glass of each beer that they brew, from the lightest to the stoutest. I mentioned that it was unlikely that I would finish all that. He was happy to suggest that I just drink what I like and leave the rest. I mentioned that I would definitely be eating lunch here along with having that Coke that I had originally wanted. There was a guide down the bar from me having what looked to be delicious, so I ordered the same: turkey sandwich with gravy and cranberry sauce.
    We had a good conversation about rafting and bicycling. As I prepared to leave, I went over the cashier to pay. One of them came over and asked if I needed help with anything. I replied that I wanted to pay. She said that the president had taken care of the entire thing to “help me get up the hill.” Of course, I found him and thanked him profusely as I wasn’t expecting that at all. This was yet another example of how generous people have been along this entire route. These kinds of interactions and surprises make the tough climbs doable and the long stretches of nothing but trees manageable. Indeed, it turned out that every calorie from that lunch was needed to get up that “hill.”