And two days home. Some interesting mixed feelings. Glad to be done with that ride mostly as it was now covering relatively known terrain but the attraction for being home is even greater. And now that I'm home, chores seemed to pile up (not really) and need to get done (not really). Most importantly Tina is here and the yard is going gang busters in a good way. So, very happy.

Summary of the ride: This was the semi completion of the NT ride we started last year but needed to end due to a family situation. It was fun riding from home to start. Going through the  ADK's was a treat. Unfortunately, it was basically through tourist towns. On the upside the riding was great (especially along the Moose river) and the forest was magnificent. The black flies were scary bad. Getting to the plains of upstate and western NY was a bit of a revelation. Revelations regarding the landscape is a principal reason for my touring, so success! Didn't get to see much of Lake Ontario which was a bit of a disappointment. Onto Canada, Niagara falls was spectacular. So glad to have experienced it. The riding along the Niagara River was also fun, though the ostentatious houses got to be too much at times. From Fort Erie for about 50 miles the riding along the lake was great. After that you're inland with pretty flat farm fields and orchards . And that kind of held true through eastern MI (notable excepting Bay City) until you start up the coast of Lake Huron. From there, until I got to Saginaw it was fun. Along the coasts, there usually was plenty of lake to see. Then back through MI / CA  flats until the fun riding into Fort Erie. Taking the Peace Bridge back into the US was a great idea. The trails out of Buffalo are really very good and quite scenic. Doing the Erie Canal again was actually quite fun this time. Pretty sure the strong tail wind had a major influence on my mental state. I love going through the old towns along the canal and seeing the once magnificent houses and factories. Google maps did a very good job getting me from Amsterdam, NY to Fort Edward (with two notable exceptions). Lots of bike trails and residential area of Saratoga. 

Random thoughts: Where to sleep is often a challenge. Not so much on this trip, especially in MI and CA. Both have a good deal of state / provincial parks (though sometimes costly). I had some weather anxiety which led to bigger mileage towards the end. Also phone battery anxiety. Neither ended up being much of an issue.

Gear review. This is probably my sixth longer bike tour. So, I feel I'm relatively dialed in, until I'm not. My bike and gear, with food and water weighed in at 62lbs just before I left. The water purifier was never used, as was anticipated. Glad I brought the smaller, light weight one. My Big Agnes tent is now beginning to show a bit of wear but is still going strong after 3 or 4 major outings. I used a jet boil propane/butane stove for the first time, In the past I've used a alcohol stove. Loved the Jet Boil for this trip. Basically used to make hot water for breakfast only. Dinner I tried to eat salads or something that didn't need cooking (yes, Ben & Jerry's was on the menu more then once). If it was colder I think the alcohol would be better as it seems to lasts longer (though weighs more).  My 30 degree Nemo quilt continues to work great down to the high 30's (with a liner and clothing). Using two riding shirts and shorts continues to work out fairly well. I tried hand washing after each ride but wasn't always successful. The Arkel lite bags are showing their age but should have at least one more good trip in them . 

Thank you all for joining.