July 7, 2019
Ideal Conditions for a Long Ride
Raquette Lake to Schroon Falls
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Jackie’s avg speed: 9.9 mph
Scott’s avg speed: 11.1 mph
Weather: 60-70 degrees, slight breeze, no humidity
The Tap Room crowd had fun until the bar closed about 02:00. Crowds of revelers took up seats on the picnic tables below our windows, keeping me awake.
Paybacks are hell. We made our own racket at 05:30 tromping up and down the creaky wooden stairs in multiple trips carrying our gear outside to load up. Breakfast was a new flavor of instant oatmeal, blueberries and cream. A little sweet. With almost 70 miles ahead, we were on the road at 06:40, our earliest departure so far.
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The weather was sublime, almost chilly the first 13 miles to Blue Mountain Lake. The sky was clear blue. The humidity had passed and it was marvelous to be out in the fresh air continuing our roadside tour of lake towns.
We paused briefly in Blue Mountain Lake to use the restroom and buy some expensive goods for the road: $17 for a pound of Adirondack white cheddar cheese, Triscuits, and coffee. That’s life in these lovely tourist towns that make their profit in the summer months from all the visitors. Rowers and runners were out enjoying the morning.
The conditions were ideal for going up Blue Mountain, a mile with a maximum grade of 10.8%. Steep, but good prep for longer slopes ahead in Vermont and New Hampshire. The cool, dry air and wide shoulders were a blessing. Highway 28 was smooth and gave us 10 feet of space to chug up the steep slope without thinking of cars rushing by. At 08:00, traffic was light in any case.
After making it to the top, we had almost 30 miles on this perfectly graded highway of rolling hills where you can use the downs to make it up the next slope. At the Newcomb volunteer firefighter building, we sat on the steps to eat the pricey cheddar and Triscuits.
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Blue Ridge Road was the hard part of the 67 miles. It took about 13 miles of pedaling up successive terraces to get to the top. In some places we had shade and temps stayed in the upper 70s. It had been a while since we felt a cool breeze coming off the top of a summit, but when it reached us, we knew we were almost there. It was then seven miles of coasting down to the hamlet of North Hudson. (Yes, New York still calls these small towns “hamlets.”) No ice cream there, so we pushed on the last five miles to the Silver Spruce B&B located across the road from Schroon (pronounced “skroon”) Falls.
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The minute we stepped inside, we felt at home. Phyllis and her husband Eldon let us park our bikes on the glassed in porch and asked what our dinner plans were. When we said we would rehydrate whatever meal Scott had left in his panniers, Phyllis offered to drive us to the town of Schroon Lake four miles away or share leftover barbecue with her and Eldon. Simpler is better, so we gratefully accepted the barbecue offer.
The 9,100 square foot inn has hardwood floors with throw rugs everywhere. Quilts are hung on the western cedar-paneled walls, and Adirondack-themed flourishes are scattered throughout. After showering, we laid down on the four poster bed and would have been fast asleep, but Eldon came about 17:30 announcing dinner was ready.
We ate in the kitchen, family style, where everyone pitches in to get supper on the table. Eldon microwaved the barbecue beef and pork, I toasted the hamburger buns, Scott scraped and cleared the plates afterward. Conversation turned to our respective backgrounds. We mentioned our tours of duty in Moscow and the former Soviet Union. Phyllis told us about a Russian TV correspondent expelled by the Soviets who, through a complicated chain of events, came to live with her and her husband who worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. As for what’s next, Phyllis said she and Eldon are ready to sell their inn so they can travel. It would be a worthwhile investment, since it’s often full to capacity from mid-June through Labor Day.
Breakfast would be served at 08:30 for us and another guest who has stayed with them many times in the past. After the satisfying end to a long day on the road, we were ready to sleep.
Today's ride: 67 miles (108 km)
Total: 2,596 miles (4,178 km)
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