Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 26-July-11
Mileage: 62 miles
Climbing: 2500’
Weather: Cloudy and cool. Highs up into the low 70s.
Highlights of the day:
It’s definitely a day of mixed emotions. Part of me is truly excited to see this ride to completion and celebrate the accomplishment with the riders. The other part of me wants to keep going! I really love this little summer family of ours and, if it’s not obvious already, I love the cycling. Everything about it. Whether I’m on the bike or supporting the riders. Learning, growing, and doing. I think I’m really hooked.
It was a nice day for the last leg of the tour. A bit cloudy but nice and cool. Sun poked out for a bit once we reached the beach. Along the way we had few more New Hampshire style hills. They were short but with enough of a grade to challenge the riders one more day.
We all gathered at the Rye Junior High at mile 50 for one last group photograph and opportunities to say goodbye. All riders, including the staff, were then escorted to Wallis Sands Beach by a police cruiser. We owned the road and heard lots of cheers from passers-by, friends, and family.
At Wallis Beach, we performed the necessary ceremonies. Front wheel dipping. Emptying the official water bottle containing seawater from the Pacific. Lots & lots of pictures. More hugs. More tears. And grins from ear to ear.
The last day comes to an end. One more motel for the final luggage drop. Bikes prepped for shipping. Last dinner shared with new friends. Vehicles return to the ABB office. It’s time to go our separate ways but with a wealth of new experiences and friendships that will last a lifetime. This ends the Cross Country Challenge blog for this year. I know the ABB Challenge staff leaves for home each of us planning his or her next ride for this summer & looking forward to doing this again next year. I hope we’re not the only ones!
Be safe! Have fun! 
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 25-July-11
Mileage: 84 miles
Climbing: 5500’
Weather: Cloudy. Upper 60s to start. Mid 70s to end. Rain held off until most of the riders were in.
Highlights of the day:
Ok, I admit I’m a bit biased but it was another amazing day to be on the bicycle. Great climbing. Even the steep stuff was fun. That rush of adrenaline and endorphins at the top? Hazaah!! Follow that up with a great run along the Piscataquog River and a downhill run into town and you get a good day to ride a bike.
The weather was definitely in our favor. Cool temperatures to start. Low humidity and low 80s for a high. It remained cloudy all day so it was great weather for climbing. We did have a bit of a head wind for most of the day but I don’t think we can complain too too loudly. Maybe just quietly whine a bit??
We crossed our 12th (and final) border into our 13th (and final) state. New Hampshire. That’s the official last border crossing. I think some riders will add Maine to their list of states visited tomorrow. But that’s “unofficial”.
The feature of this day? Hills. We rode up some of the steepest grades we’ve hit to date. Depending on whose cycle computer you believe, Sullivan Road bumped up to 15-20%. It’s enough to make just about any cyclist sit up and take notice but with the miles these riders have on their legs – not insurmountable. Add to that Pitcher Mountain and lots & lots of typical New Hampshire hill repeats and you end up with the second most vertical climbing day of the tour. According to my computer, it was 5500’. That’s right behind the day into Truckee.
Another feature – small towns with lots of little white buildings and churches. Oh, and Dunkin Donuts. We’re definitely in ye olde New England.
We had our last official tour dinner tonight. A great barbeque dinner was followed by an opportunity for everyone to talk about his or her tour experience. Lots of warm thoughts, hugs, and tears were shared.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 24-July-11
Mileage: 80 miles
Climbing: 5050’
Weather: Cloudy to start the day. Mid-60s to start. Warming to mid-80s to end. A few scattered showers around the first SAG but clearing to a gorgeous sunny day.
Highlights of the day:
I know the riders will say that I use this phrase too often but today is one of my favorite days of the tour. Really. I mean it. I’m not sure if I’m excited to be back in mountains or with people who start dropping their R’s or both. I am sure that I think it’s beautiful, challenging, and a lot of fun. Oh, and I do get to watch the Red Sox on NESN for the first time in nearly 2 months. A selfish note but I am from the Boston area, I can’t help it.
Full disclosure. We did not make it out of the state of New York completely dry. We did get a little rain on our way to the Vermont border, mostly scattered sprinkles but it was precipitation. One rider said it was because I wrote about our dry weather yesterday. If that is the case, I do apologize. But what power!
We crossed the Hudson River today, seems we’ve finally made it back east. Roads were a bit rough in New York but the scenery more than made up for it. Rolling hills. Green and lush. Beautiful. We crossed our 11th border into our 12th state. Vermont. We are back in the mountains, the Green Mountains to be exact.
The route out of Bennington featured a great 8-mile climb towards Wilmington, VT. It is mostly gradual at 4% with a few short kicks up to 8%. If you put the strong legs these riders have developed with a cooler / drier day, you get a really enjoyable climb.
Out of Wilmington, the riders went up a shorter 3-mile climb to the top of Hogback Mountain that boasts a “100 mile view of three states.” Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In addition to the view, riders were rewarded with a very nice descent into Brattleboro, VT. It is mostly down hill for the better part of 14 miles. Non-technical. Just fun. A very nice way to end great day on the bike.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 23-July-11
Mileage: 76 miles
Climbing: 2100’
Weather: Cloudy to start. Low 70s. Cleared and heated up to the low 90s. Add in a healthy dollop of humidity and you get a heat index around 100.
Highlights of the day:
Not to obsess on this but the weather in upstate New York has confused us. Us being the staff. We have not had any rain, no rain at all since we entered the state on the day out of Erie. If the Weather Channel is to be believed, we will make it into Vermont tomorrow morning without any precipitation. That just doesn’t happen! So, we the staff of the Cross Country Challenge give a hearty ‘Thank you!’ to Mother Nature. Now if we could get the temperature to drop a bit…
The route spent most of the day on rolling hills along the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River. We’re not quite into the Adirondacks but bumps to our left & right seemed to indicate that we’re getting closer to the eastern mountains.
We had our second SAG stop and food stop du jour at Jumpin’ Jacks Drive In. It is an old fashioned drive-in that has great burgers, clam rolls (we’re getting closer-ish to the Atlantic), fries, and all kinds of ice cream based drinks. It was another highlight on our health food trail. But so good!
Our route into Latham took us along a really nice bike path. I don’t always put really nice and bike path together but today I do without any hesitation. It was a beautiful quiet bike path along the Erie Canal for most of the last half of the ride. Tree lined. Views of the canal. More locks. Very nice.
We got a few peeks at the peaks that will be challenging us tomorrow. Time to rest up for the Green Mountains.
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 22-July-11
Mileage: 79 miles
Climbing: 1600′
Weather: Sunny. A little less humid. A little less hot – low 90s.
Highlights of the day:
A big highlight of today? It didn’t rain. We rode to Little Falls and it didn’t rain at all. It always rains on the day into Little Falls but it didn’t rain today. It was 4 for 4 for me. And even higher odds for other members of the staff. Were we lost? Had a wormhole transported us to another dimension? Were we in an alternate reality? Not complaining, mind you, just a bit confuzzled.
Our route followed the Erie Canal for most of the day and then took a parallel route along the NY Throughway. We’ll have more opportunities tomorrow to get a little more up close and personal with the locks along the canal.
An interesting touring attraction today was The World’s Smallest Church. It was built back in 1989. It seats two people. It sits in the middle of a small pond. You might, as I did, ask yourself why one would build a church that seats two people in the middle of a pond. If you find the answer – please send it along.
Big excitement? A Laundromat. A Laundromat right across the street from the hotel. A Laundromat that is probably the last Laundromat for most of the riders & staff on the tour. Hazaah!
Talk has begun at route rap in reference to the end of the tour logistics. Hard to believe that we only have 4 more riding days. or 
??
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 21-July-11
Mileage: 70 miles
Climbing: 2150’
Weather: Hot & humid. Highs in the upper 90s with humidity taking the heat index close to 110. Winds out of the SSW.
Highlights of the day:
Today’s forecast was for an oppressive scorcher. (as opposed to an un-oppressive scorcher??) Mother Nature did not disappoint us with a heat index well above 100. We did leave a little early today to get in before peak temps. Crossing fingers that a cool(er) front will be pushing through to take a bit of the heat and humidity with it.
The first part of the route followed along the top of two of the Finger Lakes. Canandaigua Lake and Seneca Lake. The early(ish) morning sunny was just stunning on the water. At the top of Cayuga Lake, the route went through Seneca Falls. Here riders were able to visit Women’s Rights National Historical Park & Visitors Center. Seneca Falls was home to the first Women’s Rights Convention back in 1848.
The route crossed paths with the Erie Canal for the first time. The canal will be a feature over the next two days. Riders will have the opportunity to explore locks, bridges, and the towpaths.
What would a riding day be without a featured food stop? Today several of us hit Heid’s, a local landmark in Liverpool, NY. It’s been there since 1917 and claims to be one of the oldest drive-ins, anywhere. We enjoyed hot dogs, coneys, and sea dogs. Oh, and ice cream. Hey, they earned it in this heat!
Don’t try this at home. He’s a, um, trained professional. Yea, that’s it!
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 20-July-11
Mileage: 94 miles
Climbing: 3850’
Weather: Muggy, muggy, muggy. Guaca-muggy. Lows in the 70s. Highs in the low 90s. Getting very hot again.
Highlights of the day:
Today, we worked our way into NY farmland and then into the Finger Lakes region. There were lots of rolling hills covered with corn fields, grazing land, and vineyards. We didn’t have any real long climbs but lots of repeats and a few steep ones tossed in for good measure. Total climbing was somewhere between 3500-4000, depending on whose computer you want to trust.
Our second SAG stop was at Tom Wahl’s in Avon NY. It’s a great place for floats, shakes, and burgers ala the 1950s. Health food heaven! We were visited there by two 2007 Challenge alumni, Gene and Jane, who live in the area. It was a nice chance to catch up on their latest cycling escapades.
The day ended for some riders with lunch at a café on the shore of Canandaigua Lake. There are rumors that others might take advantage of an evening cruise. It sounds like fun but I just don’t know how they can stay awake!
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 19-July-11
Mileage: 85 miles
Climbing: 1450’
Weather: Low 70s and cloudy to start. Upper 80s and sunny to end. Very humid all day. Winds SSE > NNE.
Highlights of the day:
We crossed our 10th state border and entered our 11th state, New York. Only two more to go…
The first part of the ride hugged the shore of Lake Erie. Riders had nice views of the lake and some cliffs (yes, cliffs) along the coast. We also saw vineyard after vineyard. I never thought of this area, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or New York, to have a wine industry. Lake Erie wines?? We did see lots of signs for Welches, so I am guessing that there are a fair number of fields with concord grapes. You learn something new every day…
We had a nice long stretch on Route 5 & Route 20. Wide shoulders. Mostly in good condition once we got into New York. Gentle rollers. It was a good day to just spin & relax or hook up with a few other riders to push the pace.
Some of us ended the ride with a stop at Fowler’s Chocolate & Ice Cream. Chocolate shakes made with chocolate ice cream. Happy, happy riders.
CCC Day 44: Erie, PA
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 18-July-11
Mileage: 0
Weather: Highs in the upper 80s with scattered thunderstorms.
Highlights of the day:
Today is the last day off of the tour. It is a well-earned one after riding over 480 miles in 5 days. Riders are talking about road trips (in cars) to Niagara Falls, local trips to Presque Isle, or just resting. The staff is prepping for the last leg of the tour.
Full disclosure. OK, so I cheated. I posted this a day early. If anything happens contrary to what is indicated above – I promise to amend the post. How’s that?
Crew’s Log…
Cycling Date: 17-July-11
Mileage: 97 miles
Climbing: 1450’
Weather: Sunny. Lower 60s to start. Warmed up to the mid 80s. Winds out of the SSW.
Highlights of the day:
Today was the last of four long days in a row. 2 centuries, one 95 and one 85 miler. Some riders even extended the “short” days routes just to say they did 4×100. It’s crazy. But I understand. I’d do the same thing as a rider.
The roads of Ohio treated us much better today. We had a few bumps here or there but nothing like the bone-jarring potholes of yesterday. There were great stretches of road for miles through beautiful countryside with the usual corn, soybeans and a smattering of trees. A large portion was on an old chip seal road that has been worn mostly smooth by use. It was a great stretch to do a little cleaning and reorganizing in the head while watching the landscape go by.
Our second SAG stop was at the White Turkey Drive-In in Conneaut, OH. A local favorite that’s been around since 1952 – it was a grand place to stop and truly appreciate a Richardson’s Root Beer float. I had my usual (for Richardson’s), a Black Cow. For those of you saying, “A what?” A Black Cow is root beer shake, like a root beer float that’s been gently blended. Tastes like childhood – the really good parts.
We crossed yet another state line today. A quick stop through Pennsylvania. That’s our 9th border crossing and 10th state. 28 miles today and another 21 miles on Tuesday & we’ll head into New York State.
We said goodbye to two riders who just joined us in Indianapolis. That was way too fast.
