September 3, 2018
Into the endless mountains
Will these mountains last forever?
I’m on the road at 7:15 and riding through Ithaca. Which brings me to “you CAN go home again #1” I visited the Finger Lakes region in early-2000s and walked the solar system through town. It was good to see it again, although I had more to ride today than the Planet Walk.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Once through the downtown area, I hits the hills to escape the town, then found the South Hill Recreation path. It was slow going but being able to ride on the trail made it worthwhile. I also found the woods next to the trail would have been a great place to stealth camp the previous night.
Once up onto the plateau, I rolled along heading SSE towards Owego.
Thankfully, I only had a quartering headwind rather than a straight full-on headwind. The roads were decent, and had more than enough shoulders to them, but ore not here to read about the roads, you want to see what you can see along the route. And I don’t disappoint.
Just prior to rolling into downtown Owego, I passed a dairy (ice cream) stand, sitting on an interesting plot of land. On one side of the parking lot was a mock retro Texaco gas station. On the other side, a lighthouse with a houseboat on land behind it. And it looks as though the boat is lived in as a permanent land-based residence.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
By the time I arrive in Owego, it’s 10:30 and the heat and sun is in full swing. I have a protein bar by the bridge and refill my water bottle from my platypus. The road to the east out of town has the most amount of cyclists I’ve seen all day. I have some quick conversations with the riders (I was the only one on a tour). I rolled up to one couple and I asked how they were. “Hot!” Was her response. And it was. NY-11 was a road with a good shoulder, but it was in the sun for almost its entire length, and the heat index was 103. I thought I left the heat in Georgia.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
I roll through Binghamton 12:30 and pass by the high school, which had gates and a guard booth on the way in. Is school really that violent they need these?
Rod Serling (of “Twilight Zone” fame) was from Binghamton and there are (were) several memorials and plaques explaining his involvement with the community. But I found the area around the Walk of the Stars completely deserted with closed-down stores and empty store fronts.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
There was a bright spot in Binghamton, especially for Communications (or history) nerds. The only remaining Marconi tower, erected in 1913 to test wireless communications with the trains of the Lackawanna Railroad, still stands.
The last 10 miles to Hallstead, I pass by multiple closed shops. I wonder about the stories behind these businesses. What made them close? Is it the owner passed away and their offspring didn’t want to inherent the business? Or is it due to the shift in the residency of the patrons? Are there not enough patrons to support these rural businesses? I wonder about when they closed? How will the death of one shop deny those local residence the services and force them to go farther to get those same services. Anyway, it’s something to think about in the hot sun as the sweat drips down the back of my neck.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
2:15 I roll across the state border into Pennsylvania, and then find a motel where I can sit in some A/C for the afternoon. I fall asleep for 30 minutes after the day’s ride and then go out in search of food.
Today's ride: 69 miles (111 km)
Total: 132 miles (212 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 4 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |