Day 3- Wellsboro to Williamsport PA- Bear Left
Today was a schizophrenic day- the first half of the day was cool and mostly downhill, and the second half of the day was hot with a lot of ups and downs. We had mountains on either side of us (often both sides) for almost the entire 76 miles. And there was a second bear sighting in as many days! First the bear...
We've been going through some very remote areas, with deep forests and lots of mountains. Meaning, we're often in bear country. Bruce's room mate, Glenn, saw a huge bear yesterday on the road and had to stop to wait for him to cross (why did the bear cross the road?). And then today, Glenn saw another bear alongside the road. We are all trying to find out what cologne Glenn wears so none of us use it. Maybe he uses Moschino?
So back to the riding. The first 42 miles were glorious, with temps in the 60's to start. We had a climb out of Wellsboro, and then we rode along the Pine Creek Gorge, the Grand Canyon of PA, for 30 miles. Spectacular riding- shady, cool with amazing views of this lovely gorge and valley. Highly recommend vacationing here if you like camping and kayaking- it seems under-subscribed and it shouldn't be. Here are some pics of the gorge:
When we weren't overlooking the creek and gorge, we had plenty of gorgeous (or gorge-less) countryside to enjoy. There were plenty of bail out options if needed, but hay, we're riding for the kids, so that would always be the last straw.
The last 30 miles of the day were a different beast (or bear if you will). The temperature really heated up and we experienced a touch of the heat that we will have this week. Ice cream at the second SAG stop was definitely in order.
But when we weren't eating ice cream, we did our best to stay cool on the bikes. We had our steepest climb of the week today, and we took a break 3/4 of the way up under a large shade tree to catch our breaths and wipe our brows. The scenery was lovely for this second half, as we closed in on Williamsport (and the Jersey Shore??)
I'll close with a note about remembering people we have loved and lost. Today was Anchor House Memorial Day- a tradition started several years ago when we lost our friend, Doug, on the ride in a tragic crash. My friend Ken Naglak wore a Navy cycling kit today to remember his son, Joseph Naglak. Joseph was a Navy sailor who was killed last year in a training exercise on an aircraft carrier. Ken wore Joe's dog tag around his neck. I knew Joe for most of his life, and thought of him often through the day. Our hearts go out to Ken and his family on today.
We also think of those who we are helping on this ride- the kids of Anchor House. Every pedal stroke brings us closer to our goal of raising $500,00 for the Anchor House Foundation.
We've been going through some very remote areas, with deep forests and lots of mountains. Meaning, we're often in bear country. Bruce's room mate, Glenn, saw a huge bear yesterday on the road and had to stop to wait for him to cross (why did the bear cross the road?). And then today, Glenn saw another bear alongside the road. We are all trying to find out what cologne Glenn wears so none of us use it. Maybe he uses Moschino?
So back to the riding. The first 42 miles were glorious, with temps in the 60's to start. We had a climb out of Wellsboro, and then we rode along the Pine Creek Gorge, the Grand Canyon of PA, for 30 miles. Spectacular riding- shady, cool with amazing views of this lovely gorge and valley. Highly recommend vacationing here if you like camping and kayaking- it seems under-subscribed and it shouldn't be. Here are some pics of the gorge:
The last 30 miles of the day were a different beast (or bear if you will). The temperature really heated up and we experienced a touch of the heat that we will have this week. Ice cream at the second SAG stop was definitely in order.
But when we weren't eating ice cream, we did our best to stay cool on the bikes. We had our steepest climb of the week today, and we took a break 3/4 of the way up under a large shade tree to catch our breaths and wipe our brows. The scenery was lovely for this second half, as we closed in on Williamsport (and the Jersey Shore??)
I'll close with a note about remembering people we have loved and lost. Today was Anchor House Memorial Day- a tradition started several years ago when we lost our friend, Doug, on the ride in a tragic crash. My friend Ken Naglak wore a Navy cycling kit today to remember his son, Joseph Naglak. Joseph was a Navy sailor who was killed last year in a training exercise on an aircraft carrier. Ken wore Joe's dog tag around his neck. I knew Joe for most of his life, and thought of him often through the day. Our hearts go out to Ken and his family on today.
We also think of those who we are helping on this ride- the kids of Anchor House. Every pedal stroke brings us closer to our goal of raising $500,00 for the Anchor House Foundation.
I see you are still the king of puns. I did not get an email with the link to donate to your ride. Send it to me when you get back. Have fun and be safe.
ReplyDeleteI found the donation link at the top of your blog.
ReplyDelete