December 12, 2020 - Milford, PA, to Shohola Marsh Reservoir and Return

Start and end: Milford, PA
Turnaround: Shohola Marsh Reservoir
Miles: 30.0
Feet climbing per mile: 84
Record of today's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/60208485

Having decided the previous night that I would not ride the 87 miles I had previously planned, I slept in and waited until the temperature rose into the mid 40s before setting off about 11:15. Sunset would be about 4:30, so I had a little more than five hours of daylight remaining. I knew that might not be enough to ride the 55 miles to and from Lake Wallenpaupack I had considered the night before, so I decided to ride to and from the 402 Cafe, which would be about 45 miles. I would follow the 87-mile route which had a southern segment to the lake and a northern segment for the return, except that at mile 22 I would head to the northern segment, bringing me to the 402 Cafe.

Although it was in the mid 40s, it felt chilly due to the heavy fog. In cold weather the battery of my iPhone drains quickly when mounted on my handlebar. To solve this problem I keep the phone connected to an external battery that does not drain quickly. I carry the external battery either in my handlebar bag or a small bag that mounts to the top of my top tube. I had left the small bag at home and the handlebar bag in my room, so I kept the phone and the external battery in my trunk bag. I couldn't see the map on the phone but my Bluetooth earpiece provided aural directions. Perhaps I should bring the small bag on trips for times when I leave the handlebar bag in my room or tent.

A foggy day near Milford, PA        

The climbing began after a mile and a half and I immediately felt how tired I was from the previous day. After riding six miles I decided to abandon my plan to ride to the 402 Cafe and instead make the Shohola Marsh Reservoir my destination, for a trip of 30 miles. Using Google Maps I found a road two miles ahead that I would take to the northern segment of my original route. As I reached that road I saw the sign in the picture below and was concerned that I would need to revise my plan yet again. I was reminded of the ride in June of 2018 on which I encountered a similar sign telling me to not enter military property (a shooting range) without authorization. The detour I had to make added 20 or so miles to my already long day. I needed to determine the seriousness of the sign I now faced so I googled "PWLPOA" and discovered it stood for "Pocono Woodland Lakes Property Owners Association". I was relieved that this was not military property. I saw a booth and an entrance gate to the private community, but there was nobody in the booth so I continued riding the beautiful roads with almost no traffic. It seems the sign was strategic rather than informative.

After riding another five and one half miles I came to the northern segment of my original route. I was pleased to see the wide, smooth shoulder on which I would ride three miles to the Shohola Marsh Reservoir. As I enjoyed a two-mile descent I knew I would be climbing this portion of my return. A tenth of a mile off the main road I came to where I thought I would see the reservoir but the fog prevented that.

The Shohola Marsh Reservoir beyond the trees

As I was returning to the main road I noticed a road to my right that led to a better view of the reservoir.

After I left the reservoir the fog was so thick that my goggles collected enough water to impair my visibility. I removed them so I could see gravel or any other hazards on the shoulder. For several years I've always worn sunglasses or goggles while riding. Riding without them I noticed how much they add to my comfort.

When climbing while out of the saddle I noticed I would sometimes press the right pedal mostly near my first toe, and at the same time feel a slight twinge on the inside of my right knee. I could avoid any twinge by pressing the pedal mostly near my fourth and fifth toes. I realized I need to change my habitual use of my right leg and foot in order to increase my comfort while riding.

After the two-mile climb I enjoyed eight miles of mostly descending as I returned to Milford. A quarter mile from my motel I stopped at the Sparkomatic Cafe & Talkhouse where I bought lunch to take to my room (indoor dining was prohibited starting that day). Sparkomatic would be a cool place to hang out when indoor dining is allowed. I arrived at my motel just after 3:00, well before sunset. I flattened the cardboard box in which I had carried a variety of middle-eastern dishes and spread it out on the low table in front of the loveseat (both the table and loveseat benefits of choosing the larger room) to act as a sort of large plate. After lunch I enjoyed a hot bath as I had done the day before.

While drinking from one of my two water bottles I noticed water coming from the bottom of the bottle, suggesting a leak. I found a crack in the bottle which I thought I might be able to repair with Bondic when I arrived home. When I told this to Lori, my wife, she urged me to discard the bottle and buy a new one. Despite my love of fixing things, I put the bottle in the trash.

A fingernail file inserted into the crack

Upon my arrival at the motel the day before I was told that the nearby Balch's Fish Fry was serving prime rib throughout the weekend. That's what I had for dinner, along with mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, salad, and carrot cake. I again used the box I had gotten from the Sparkomatic Cafe as a sort of large plate, and I used the plastic flatware from the cafe instead of that supplied by Balch's. The dinner was delicious and would have been more elegant if I had brought my stainless-steel camping flatware. I will do that for my future bike trips on which I'm not camping in case I end up eating take-out.

I was comfortable staying at the Myer Motel, and glad that I had chosen the larger room, with its king bed, bath tub and shower, desk, loveseat, low table, and enough open floor space for me to get down and do some mini Feldenkrais lessons.

I went to sleep looking forward to my 80-mile ride home for which I would have nine hours of daylight.