Fleeter Logs: August 2006

#37g Kancamagus

New England Acadia Run

August 20-27, 2006

Day 7 - Saturday
August 26, 2006
268 miles

Kancamagus!

Mount Washington is the Highest peak in the northeaster US at 6,288 above sea level. The mountain boasts some of the planet's most severe weather -- It is not unusual to be enjoying mild weather in your shorts at the base and find a blowing snow storm at the top making you wish for a parka!

Cloudy view of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
The peak holds the world record for wind speed at 231 mph.

I've heard a lot about going to the top of Mount Washington.

You can drive up or take a train to the top. But we don't have time today.

Put it on the list...

Onward! The Kancamagus awaits our arrival.

Covered bridge in Jackson, New Hampshire.

The Kancamagus Highway is NH112 running east/west through the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Found another covered bridge along the Kancamagus Highway.

Some roads were not in the best condition. The worst was several miles of a one lane gravel mud rut. Not the best surface for a cruiser like Fleeter.

But the views were worth it.

Don't know why there was a USA rocket in Warren, NH. But there it is!

Crossing the Connecticut River into Vermont.

Another covered bridge over the Connecticut River near Windsor.
Cornish-Windsor Bridge, built in 1866.

The sign says it all...

After leaving Windsor, we headed home. We ride as far as Springfield, Massachusetts and stop for the night before making the final big push back to Fredericksburg, VA.

Day 8 - Sunday

August 27, 2006

433 miles

Eight states plus DC to Home!

Sunday we make it about 75 miles down the road and it starts to rain. And it rains as we ride through NYC, down the New Jersey turnpike and didn't let up until we entered Maryland. Riding the Jersey Turnpike, all 100+ miles of it, isn't the most pleasant ride ... especially in the rain. But it could have been worse. The rain varied in intensity so we weren't getting hammered the whole time. The sun set as we ride through Washington, DC and we made it home just before 9pm.

Two weeks after returning from New England, I left for another trip to Texas.

So I am still out fleetering ... this time back southward again.

#37f Moose Hunt

New England Acadia Run

August 20-27, 2006

Day 6 - Friday
August 25, 2006
200 miles

The Great North Woods!

Paul Bunyan kept watch over the Holiday Inn we stayed at in Bangor, Maine.

We played chicken with this storm. We won. Rain left us alone.

This diner was a great little place to eat in Farmington, Maine. Cheap, good food and service.

When we saw this sign we took the moose issue very seriously. Knowing what a deer can do to a car and worse to a motorcycle, I can only imagine what a moose wreck would be like.

Little did we know that the bigger threat of the day would be the road under construction.

The road was only open for traffic one direction at a time. The old pavement surface had been completely removed and we were riding on/in a rocky, muddy rut of a road for over a mile. And that happened a few times..

But we kept our eyes out for Bullwinkle since the signs say they are plentiful.

Rangeley Lakes, Maine.

See that one tree getting a head start changing color?

And in August!

Good bye Maine, hello New Hampshire.

Welcome to New Hampshire!

Welcome to The Great North Woods!

Haven't seen a moose yet, but maybe there's still a chance. Seems they're in New Hampshire also.

The road we traveled followed this river for miles.

We did! We did! We saw a moose. Not for very long, but it still qualifies.

By the time I made a U-turn and got the camera out, she was swimming back to the far shore.

If you look close in the water in front of the dead tree, you will see her ears sticking out as she swims away. Looks kind of like jack rabbit ears.

Sorry about the poor picture, but she was the only one I saw and she didn't stick around for the photo shoot.

This was supper tonight. There's lots of "you name it, we got it" kind of stores/shops.

Here we have pizza, steak, seafood and a lounge in one. The front of this place even had a walk-up window for ice cream and shakes.

This night is spent in Gorham, New Hampshire.

Tomorrow we'll make to the Kancamagus!

#37e Acadia National Park

New England Acadia Run

August 20-27, 2006

Day 5 - Thursday
August 24, 2006
104 miles

Acadia National Park

We stopped for breakfast in Bar Harbor before heading into Acadia National Park.

See my new L.L. Bean reflector bands I velcro-attached to the back of the bike? My way of showing support of the local economy.

After breakfast, we drove through downtown Bar Harbor and by the waterfront. Cool ship pulling in to unload.

Stewman's Lobster, Bar Harbor, Maine. See the lobster tracks leading down to the restaurant?

Time to tour Acadia National Park.

I'm going to say it now. Then I won't repeat myself except for those times that I may not be able to help myself.... Acadia is home to some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.

Of course I took pictures, but nothing you will see in the Fleeter Log will come close to what it was like to actually ride through the park and experience the views first hand.

Looking down on Bar Harbor from Acadia Park.

Bug break. This little guy was hanging out on the sign.

Looking down where we were. With our binoculars we could see the cool ship still at the pier. Egg Island is not visible in my photo.

This is me calling Barb, my IBA-NPT connection...

(I'll explain that in a later Fleeter Log for those that don't comprende IBA-NPT.)

This is about the time I decide that I might be visiting a lot more of the national parks.

We decided to fore go the full face helmets while in the park. It was just too cumbersome to don the helmet, drive 1/3 mile to the next overlook and take it off again.

Still heading up...

On the way to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Notice the dramatic clouds? They were with us all day.

It doesn't get much better than this if you like to take pictures from mountains...

Notice the trail marker rocks past me?

Still on our way up... the views only get better.

There it is, the top of Cadillac Mountain. This the highest point on the Eastern Coast.

Those of you that know Enchanted Rock in Texas might have something for comparison. But this is higher. A lot higher. The road goes up to near the top. Then you hike up the rest of the way and around the peak.

If you are the first to see the sun rise while atop Cadillac Mountain, you will be the first person in all the United States to see the sun that day.

Me in action on top of Cadillac Mountain.

Interesting little water puddle on Cadillac Mountain.

The little kid thought so too.

There's Bar Harbor again. This time from the back side.

See the clouds' shadows behind me as they move across toward Bar Harbor.

On our way back down and into the rest of the park.

The CAT is the ferry that goes from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia.

http://www.catferry.com/

"Carrying up to 775 passengers and 240 cars across the Gulf of Maine at highway speeds from mid May to mid October. The CAT is the best way between Maine and Nova Scotia."

The fares are rather complicated, but for example:

Peak season, one way, with motorcycle $85.

But I hear it's a great place to visit and it is on the list of things to do.

More lighthouse info...

There's Egg Island with it's Lighthouse.

Still winding our way down.

See? One hand on the handle bar and one hand taking pictures...it's all under control.

Think this looks like fun?! You have NO IDEA!

This is the best fun I can think of...

Sunny, upper 60s, and fleetering in Acadia National Park.

One of the best views...

Even a sandy beach can be found in the part.

But the water's cold ... 50s even on a warm summer day.

Regretfully, we must leave the Acadia. One last picture from atop Fleeter on the road as we are leaving the park.

This from the "Perils of Biking" files:

At a final stop on our way to Bangor for the night, I felt a stinging sensation on my abdomen. I opened my jacked and pulled up my shirts, but saw nothing. I went back to writing notes in my notebook and the stinging got worse. I thought there has to be something causing that. So I pulled them up again. Ouch! There it goes again...and a bee flies out! It got one more sting in on my thumb as it headed for freedom with me swatting it away. Apparently, it was somehow between my two close fitting shirts...inside my jacket. How that happened...I have no idea. But if I were allergic to bees, I'd be in trouble. Those stings were swelling up and causing a bit of discomfort.

Treatment: Stay on schedule...go take my restroom break, wash face with cool water, gear up, get back on Fleeter and get back on the road. Forgot all about that lousy sting bee! But had the welts as a reminder for the next few days.

The ordeal was too much for the bee. I don't think he survived to tell about it.

"Bee safe" is my motto!

Tomorrow we ride the Kancamagus Highway through the White Mountains in New Hampshire.