Shelburne to Westport, NY - Northern Tier Modified - CycleBlaze

August 14, 2021

Shelburne to Westport, NY

Another wet night of camping. Hmmm… this is becoming common on this tour. Everyone keeps telling us that this summer has had a lot more rain than usual. We are getting skilled at fitting all panniers and other bags inside our tents, covering our bike seats with shower caps, and generally adapting to the rainy nights. 

After the morning rains cleared we proceeded on to the Charlotte-Essex Ferry. The ferry is scheduled to leave on the hour and half hour. We arrived at 10:57am. I was glad we were able to get on the 11:00 ferry. 

On the Charlotte-Essex ferry
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From the ferry
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John ScanlanKimsan,
Take good notes on New York state. It's on my to-do list.
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2 years ago

After disembarking the ferry we began cycling in New York. This is our fourth state on the trip so far. We will be riding through NY for about two weeks. 

First day riding on the Empire State Trail
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The route eventually took us off Route 9 for some quiet miles. Many homes along that stretch had signs in their yards for Slow, 25mph, This is Not Route 9, and similar words. The most unique one, however, was this one. 

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Although the route was a major north-south road in the area,  the Saturday traffic was light. The area contained a lot of farmland.

I named him “Vitiligo” in my honor
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John ScanlanKimsan,
What's the story about "Vitiligo"? What does that mean?
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2 years ago
Kim DiorioLike my skin these days
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2 years ago

I love to stop for interesting sights, and this was just so cool. 

More geometry
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Octagonal Schoolhouse
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We stopped for lunch at the Dogwood Bread Company in Wadhams, NY.  My quiche and sandwich were both very good and provided energy for the afternoon. 

Delicious lunch
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John ScanlanWas that a spinach quiche? That bread looks soooooo good on that sandwich. It looks so fresh.
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2 years ago

Just as we were leaving Wadhams, we stopped for this roadside photo op. 

Wadhams, NY
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We proceeded on to tonight’s campsite. It was located about three miles off route and in a very quiet area. The owners were really nice and allowed me to set up on a covered deck attached to an unoccupied RV they also rent out. We were also able to dry out our tents from last night’s rain 

Tonight’s campground
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John ScanlanKimsan,
Don't you just hate carrying the dead weight of a wet tent? Thank God for a covered night.
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2 years ago

Rose's perspective:

Decided to pack it up early, like way early for us gals, starting at 545am. Rain in the forecast 7am to 9am. As we rolled out, I stopped near the tent of a pair of touring cyclists who came in late yesterday. I woke them up, letting them know rain was on its way. Their panniers and gear were not packed up. Moments later we  were at Dunkin donuts for an extended coffee and breakfast sandwich, rain break. The two cyclists stopped by to say thank you for the heads up, then rode North.

Record time for us being packed up!
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After 9am, it let up for the day and we rolled down to the Charlotte Ferry. Once across we climbed our way out of Essex and stopped in Wadham for lunch.

Sourdough bread from the Dogwood Bread company
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We arrived at Barker RV Park mid afternoon. Super nice campground owners. We set up camp and decided to take a hike to Lake Champlain.

We took the stairs to the Lake.
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Lake Champlain, Westport, NY
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Sun is setting on our campsite.
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We really enjoyed the cooler weather. Welcome to New York!

Today's ride: 26 miles (42 km)
Total: 363 miles (584 km)

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