Rested and Ready to Go

Yesterday morning I awoke to pouring rain and howling wind. I rolled over and tried to get more sleep, not wanting to deal with any of it. The rain let off later into the morning but the wind was still raging, it was bitter cold, and it was definitely going to start raining again soon. So I called it in, and asked my hosts if I could take a rest day. The kind souls they are, they let me stay the day. I rested, contacted hosts up the road, read, was provided more excellent meals, chatted more with my hosts, and generally had a wonderfully relaxing day.

And today, with the weather clear, and better sleep than I've had in some time, I was reading and ready to go again. After a hearty breakfast, some on the go food generously provided for my ride today, and goodbyes, my host was kind enough to take me over the dirt road and back to the highway. Bree got to travel in style in her vehicle, which has enough space for a bike to stand upright, bungied in place.

Once on highway 116, I made my way back west for a bit to highway 10, followed that up to 302, got off highway for a little while to take a nice, scenic road around a county airport, and then took 115 to route 2, where I stayed for almost the rest of the day. It was a beautiful ride, up and down short hills (and one lengthier one before Gorham), with a view of mountains, far and near, forests, and rushing streams. I couldn't ask for much better scenery. The weather was warm, but not hot, sunny and clear. And most the day I was on highway with good shoulder too, so traffic wasn't much concern either. It was a good day. I made good time and felt full of energy.

Which is why as I reached the campground I had considered staying at, I decided it was too early, around 3, to quit for such a lovely day, and decided to keep going. I crossed the border into Maine. Around that time I realized I had cell reception but no data. I had to play a game of calling a friend to look up information for me. I had sent out some last minute requests for places to stay in Bethel, but was figuring I would have to camp. But as I was searching with wifi at a gas station for a campground that was affordable, one of my feelers came through and I was told I had I could camp on their yard. Another 8 miles up a lovely side road, making it a more than 90 mile day, though it didn't feel it, and I arrived. I actually ran into my host going out for her bike ride on the way, and she told me she hadn't informed her husband I was coming, but if I just showed up and explained I would be good.

I got to the house, explained, then went right to work setting up my tent. The mosquitoes bit the heck out of me in the time it took to get set up. They're quite nasty out here. But after that I got a shower, a beer, cookies, good conversation (my hosts did a trans-America/Canada trip almost a decade ago), and access to wifi before it was bed time out here in my delightfully bug free tent. And now, if I am to keep up my rested state, I best be bound for sleep.