Riding Day 64 - August 18th, 2019
Start: Somerset, PA
End: Schellsburg, PA
Miles: 47.6
Feet climbing per mile: 75
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/38774404
Last night I was considering a substantial revision to my itinerary between Somerset and Harrisburg, but this morning, after a refreshing sleep, it occurred to me to return to the place where I left my route yesterday and continue from there according to my original plan. That would delay my return home by one day, but it would avoid the possible problem of navigating with Google Maps in places where there is no cellular service (which I experienced yesterday just before I left my route and rode to Somerset). It would mean that I would not avoid the tough climbs that were just beginning yesterday before deciding to cut the day short.
I’m so glad I completed the route I did not complete yesterday. There were several steep climbs, but none of them long. I walked two or three times but only because I had chosen a gear too high and after stopping could not get started again uphill.
When I first saw the windmills I thought they weren’t turning, but as I got closer I realized I was mistaken.
After stopping to take pictures of the bird on a wire I noticed that one of my water bottles was missing. I knew that I had it a mile back on the road when I stopped at a restaurant for ice cream and root beer. The roads from the restaurant were all smooth, so I didn’t think the bottle had fallen out of its cage. I called the restaurant and was told they had it.
If it hadn’t been for that bird I might not have noticed the bottle was missing so soon. So I have the bird to thank for saving me the trouble of riding more than two miles to retrieve the bottle. This was a Gran Fondo New York bottle given to me by Nelson Diaz, one of the proprietors of Casa Hudson in Haverstraw, NY, when I was on a ride through Haverstraw and Nelson told me I needed to have a second bottle.
After four and one half hours on the road I arrived at Shawnee State Park Campground, where I will spend the night.
On my ride to dinner I stopped at Shawnee Lake where I had a refreshing swim. I would enjoy swimming again tomorrow morning but I have 58 miles to ride with 105 feet of climbing per mile, so I need to get an early start. We’ll see whether I swim in the morning.
Shawnee’s Country Market is both a grocery store and a deli, but not a restaurant. In order to have the sort of dinner I wanted I asked whether they could cook me one of the steaks and make me a salad from a tomato and a bag of spinach, all of which were sold in the grocery store. Clay, Cole, and Jade were more than willing to satisfy my requests. After the steak and salad I had a ham and cheese sandwich and a double scoop of White House Cherry ice cream (both items on their menu). When camping, getting dinner is always a problem to be solved, often with the help of others. Tonight’s solution to the problem was unique.
I neglected to start recording my ride to the lake and the restaurant until after one fifth of a mile. As a result, when I returned in the dark after dinner, I was initially unable to find my campsite. For 48 minutes I rode around the campground, eventually riding a mile. Several times I was very close to my campsite but didn't see it. This fiasco is recorded here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/38783593
Below is an animation of my wandering around looking for my campsite. The green icon is where I started recording my ride to and from Shawnee's Country Market. The red icon marks my campsite. The blue dot shows my movement.
It’s 10:30 as I write this while sitting at my picnic table. The sky is clear and filled with stars. The air is fresh after the short but heavy rain that fell soon after I set up my tent this afternoon.
End: Schellsburg, PA
Miles: 47.6
Feet climbing per mile: 75
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/38774404
Last night I was considering a substantial revision to my itinerary between Somerset and Harrisburg, but this morning, after a refreshing sleep, it occurred to me to return to the place where I left my route yesterday and continue from there according to my original plan. That would delay my return home by one day, but it would avoid the possible problem of navigating with Google Maps in places where there is no cellular service (which I experienced yesterday just before I left my route and rode to Somerset). It would mean that I would not avoid the tough climbs that were just beginning yesterday before deciding to cut the day short.
I’m so glad I completed the route I did not complete yesterday. There were several steep climbs, but none of them long. I walked two or three times but only because I had chosen a gear too high and after stopping could not get started again uphill.
When I first saw the windmills I thought they weren’t turning, but as I got closer I realized I was mistaken.
After stopping to take pictures of the bird on a wire I noticed that one of my water bottles was missing. I knew that I had it a mile back on the road when I stopped at a restaurant for ice cream and root beer. The roads from the restaurant were all smooth, so I didn’t think the bottle had fallen out of its cage. I called the restaurant and was told they had it.
If it hadn’t been for that bird I might not have noticed the bottle was missing so soon. So I have the bird to thank for saving me the trouble of riding more than two miles to retrieve the bottle. This was a Gran Fondo New York bottle given to me by Nelson Diaz, one of the proprietors of Casa Hudson in Haverstraw, NY, when I was on a ride through Haverstraw and Nelson told me I needed to have a second bottle.
After four and one half hours on the road I arrived at Shawnee State Park Campground, where I will spend the night.
On my ride to dinner I stopped at Shawnee Lake where I had a refreshing swim. I would enjoy swimming again tomorrow morning but I have 58 miles to ride with 105 feet of climbing per mile, so I need to get an early start. We’ll see whether I swim in the morning.
Shawnee’s Country Market is both a grocery store and a deli, but not a restaurant. In order to have the sort of dinner I wanted I asked whether they could cook me one of the steaks and make me a salad from a tomato and a bag of spinach, all of which were sold in the grocery store. Clay, Cole, and Jade were more than willing to satisfy my requests. After the steak and salad I had a ham and cheese sandwich and a double scoop of White House Cherry ice cream (both items on their menu). When camping, getting dinner is always a problem to be solved, often with the help of others. Tonight’s solution to the problem was unique.
I neglected to start recording my ride to the lake and the restaurant until after one fifth of a mile. As a result, when I returned in the dark after dinner, I was initially unable to find my campsite. For 48 minutes I rode around the campground, eventually riding a mile. Several times I was very close to my campsite but didn't see it. This fiasco is recorded here: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/38783593
Below is an animation of my wandering around looking for my campsite. The green icon is where I started recording my ride to and from Shawnee's Country Market. The red icon marks my campsite. The blue dot shows my movement.
It’s 10:30 as I write this while sitting at my picnic table. The sky is clear and filled with stars. The air is fresh after the short but heavy rain that fell soon after I set up my tent this afternoon.
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| My campsite at Shawnee State Park Campground |
Who goes up gets to come down. -John Link
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