Wednesday, 30 August 2006

Killington to Harmonyville (Vermont)

I didn't sleep very well for some reason - I'm sure it wasn't the rain dripping off the tree onto the tent. Oddly the noise of the rain dripping down through the trees sounded just like the crackle of campfires all around. By the morning it had stopped raining - at least from the sky; underneath the trees it was still raining. I was tired and slow to get up which of course wasn't helped by the gloomy conditions under a grey sky and dark tree canopy, so it was nearly 9 am by the time I set off.

From Killington there was along downhill section which can be either good or bad depending on whether there is an 'other side' to climb back up. This seemed to be good. I couldn't find anywhere open for breakfast so I stopped at a gas station in West Bridgewater to buy a breakfast muffin and tea. I was still following the SR 100 south; at times it would be busy and at other times quiet as other roads joined and left at various places along the way.

When I got to Ludlow I had the choice of two route south, so I stopped for another breakfast roll and tea to study the map. Sometimes you need to force yourself to take a break, not just for a rest but also to take time to think and plan properly. As far as I could tell the distances were the same both ways so I opted to follow the SR 103 as this might offer more chance of places to stop on the way.

A few patches of blue sky started appearing in the sky around noon, and with the appearance of the sun it started to warm up quite a bit once again. From Chester I turned onto the SR 35 which had quite a steep climb, and as I was about half way up I felt that annoyingly familiar ping of spoke #9 letting go. I carried on as far as the next village, Grafton, which turned out to be a beautiful little place - all the more so as it was now basking in glorious sunshine. I stopped at the Public Library and did a quick email check before setting about replacing the broken spoke on the library's lawn.

I was sorely tempted to stay in Grafton a little longer and visit the old tavern or the cafe at the museum, but having had one bike failure I thought I ought to keep going even though I didn't have too much further to go. The distances I am travelling each day at the moment are mostly governed by the availability of campgrounds and daylight hours rather than any physical capability. Around Townshend I had the choice of three campsites, but after that nothing for quite a while. In the end I decided that I'd stay at the most convenient - Camperama in Harmonyville. (A really naff name is always an indicator of high prices in my experience. $27 - ouch. Showers free) Since I was stopping early enough in the day, it was not quite 5 pm, I would have enough time to do some laundry too.

As it is my birthday tomorrow, I stopped at the Harmonyville store and bought myself a tub of Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide ice cream and a bottle of beer. Since I don't know if I'll get the chance to 'celebrate' tomorrow I thought I'd better celebrate tonight just in case.

Distance: 55.9 miles
Cycling time: 4:44
Total distance: 4442.5 miles