Reflections return!
Easton to Canada: Days 24-31
Helloooo everyone! I’m so sorry I stopped posting regular updates from my bike tour to Canada. I got caught up in wanting to make them perfect, which took more time and energy, which took time and energy away from the experiences themselves. Then, once I missed a couple I felt like I was so behind that I didn’t even want to bother going back. But now I’m home and have a lot more time and motivation to write. Plus, it’ll be fun revisiting these days and solidifying more memories. I still typed (almost) daily reflections into my notes app, so I’m really excited to share them. I plan to post reflections from 7-day stretches every week until I’m all caught up. I hope you enjoy reading more about my experiences on the road!
Day 24
Albany, NY — Rest day
Total miles: 1,009
Wow! What a fun and full day. This morning I worked on and posted a blog after what felt like FOREVER. It was very gratifying to click post. Once that was done I biked to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. Even though I only lived/worked there for 10 months it feels like a second home to me. I guess the whole Capital Region (including New Lebanon) feel like a second home to me. Maybe even the whole Hudson Valley!
At Five Rivers I really do have a big second family. Everyone was so happy to see me and I got hugs like a family gathering. I walked and talked with Robin — my old biking buddy — for close to an hour. Then I sat and talked for another hour with Nancy — one of my wonderful mentors at Five Rivers — who never fails to give me chills and make me a little bleary-eyed with her honesty, integrity, and genuineness. Drew — another colleague and mentor — and I chatted for a while, too. Gina — the site director — got the fixings for salad and some of us had lunch together before I hit the road again to see Jaimy — another colleague who was off today but lives nearby. We had a lovely conversation, too! It was such a great day! I have tons of energy and encouragement to fuel me for the rest of the trip.
On the way to Jaimy’s house I stopped at a Stewart’s and found sandwiches, brownies, donuts, and cherry pies in the dumpster.
Before returning to Ruby’s, I went to my favorite grocery store — Honest Weight Food Co-Op — and stocked up on dry goods and got some veggies for dinner. I cooked a simple stir fry for everyone which was fun and we stayed up pretty late talking and laughing. Again, such a great day!
On paper tomorrow is just about the hardest day of the trip so far. 67 miles and almost 6,000 feet of elevation gain (we’re starting at sea level and ending at 3,000 feet!). So it’s probably not great that I am awake at 11:41 pm. Goodnight!
Day 25
Albany, NY to Grout Pond, VT — 70 miles
Total miles: 1,079
Rained on while camping again!!! This time the rain didn’t arrive until further into the night, but boy did it arrive. I passed out early after we watched a beautiful sunset over the pond so I’m writing this from inside my tent at 5:30am (my typical wake up time). The rain has stopped, but it’s still dripping from the trees all around. My bike bags are probably soaked. Life.
Our ride into the 4th state of the tour was a doozy. Probably our most physically challenging day of the trip. 67 miles and over 6,000 feet of elevation gain. I think we’re also at the highest elevation so far at around 2,500 feet above sea level. We ended the ride with a 9.5-mile, 2,000-foot climb up a gravel/dirt road to our campsite. Though exhausting, Jima and I both had a really good time. Jima pulled ahead of me pretty early on which was surprisingly nice for both of us. We each found our own rhythm and I really enjoyed the slow ascent by myself. I reflected on why I’m here, what I’m learning and how I can translate it to life after this tour. I didn’t find any concrete answers, and honestly it was tough to think clearly at this point in the day, but I did make progress.
Before the climb the ride was very pretty. It was epic to see the mountains that we’re on top of right now getting closer and closer all day.
We passed a furniture store (I think) that also sells maple syrup (basically every store in Vermont sells maple syrup) and they had this sign outside:
I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited and then so disappointed in such a short span of time. When we pulled up to the store, there was a sign saying “had to step away, be back around 1:20pm”. It was 12:50 at the time, so we decided it wasn’t worth the wait. I still can’t believe it.
While we were finishing dinner, our campsite neighbor walked by and told us she had just seen a young Black Bear in between their site and ours. She was slightly concerned because we’re on bikes and don’t have a car to put food in. We were really grateful for her heads up and her offer to let us leave food in their car. Normally we’d be fine with my bear can, but we just restocked on food so not all of it fit. So this was perfect. She’s gonna drop it off this morning :)
This is a lovely place. We saw a handful of people paddle boarding on the pond which looked like a lot of fun. We both got in soon after arrival which felt very good. Cool mountain water can really work some magic on a tired body and mind. We still haven’t seen a Bear but lots more Chipmunks today and a Beaver in the pond! I did however have a moment of panic last night when I woke up convinced that there was a Bear right outside. I sat with my bear spray in hand for at least 5 minutes before I realized it was just Jima breathing…
We’ve got another long day ahead but should be a bit easier than yesterday. Time for me to get up and see how wet my stuff is 🙃
Day 26
Grout Pond, VT to Lebanon, NH — 82 miles
Total miles: 1,161
It’s hard to believe I’m still awake right now. 82 miles and 5,000 feet of climbing didn’t break me. I wonder what will. I’ve been curious about ultra endurance sports ever since I learned of them, but haven’t really thought I’d ever partake myself. I can happily say “our bodies are capable of much more than we think” and believe it, but shy away from exploring that for myself. Long distance bike touring is getting close to finding my limits, but even after a long day like today I feel like I have plenty left in the tank. That’s not at all to say today wasn’t hard as hell or that going longer would’ve been easy for me. I just know I could. But that’s for another time… maybe.
We expected a difficult ride today but we didn’t expect 4 flats, getting separated, or arriving at our host after 8pm. It was a beautiful start to the day after a rainy night. The pond near our campsite was lovely and peaceful and the trees in Vermont were smelling SO good. Not long into the ride Jima had a flat. He’d fixed a flat yesterday and it seemed the same thing happened this morning. Our surroundings were gorgeous but the tire was making us both a little anxious. Finally we got it pumped to full pressure in Stratton — a ski town that felt odd to be in at this time of year.
Before we knew it, the gravel road gave Jima another flat. We had just passed a bike shop so I rode back to buy a new tube. In my haste, I got a tube with the wrong valve. I went back to get the right tube and a new tire because I misunderstood Jima who just wanted me to see what types of tires they had and let him know. In hindsight I should have just let Jima ride my bike back to the shop so he could get exactly what he needed. I returned for the second time and the new tube/tire were not cooperating. Right when we were talking about throwing in the towel, a man offered us a ride back to the bike shop.
So we finally got moving again but it didn’t last too long. There was more gravel and Jima’s new tire wasn’t up for the challenge either. I enjoyed a long downhill but turned around to no one riding behind me so I biked backwards a half mile to find Jima walking his bike. This time he did throw in the towel. Or so I thought.
I continued on the route after Jima insisted I let him figure something else out. It was sad to split up but I think the right thing for both of us. Jima needed space and didn’t want to feel like a burden (of course, I didn’t think he was a burden). I also feel like a burden at times because I want to go a little slower, enjoy the unpaved sections, and stop to check dumpsters. It was nice to be alone for a change. And it was a very good thing Jima didn’t stay on the route with me because there was even more rough gravel plus a huge gravel hill that I eventually had to push my bike up.
Soon after that hill I noticed my rear tire was a little slack. I pushed off replacing the tube by periodically pumping the hell out of it until I had to accept I needed to change it. I texted Jima to see how he was doing and he was ahead of me! He fixed his tube again and took paved roads instead of our original route. I was shocked and elated. Initially we thought we could meet and finish the ride together but it made more sense for us to carry on as we had been.
Jima beat me to our host and I rolled in after 8:30pm. Almost 13 hours after leaving Grout Pond. What a great day.
Our host, Freddie, was awesome to accommodate us at such a late hour. He even made us bean burgers, salad, grilled corn on the cob, and watermelon. He’s a really cool guy who I will always be grateful for.
Day 27
Lebanon, NH to Montpelier, VT — 63 miles
Total miles: 1,224
Wow. If we stuck with our original plan we would be in Montreal in 4 or 5 days! Instead, we’ll be in Portland, ME in that timeframe and Montreal after another 4ish days. Either way, we’re so close! It’s a little sad but still exciting.
That’s all I wrote the first night in Montpelier. We had fun hanging out with my friend and host, Amelia, after arriving and by the time I opened my notes I was exhausted.
The ride was one of the flattest of the trip aside from a massive hill 5 miles away from Amelia’s in Barre (pronounced Barry). We were on low-traffic roads nearly all day which was great. It was a very peaceful and fun day. I got some dust or something in my eye with 20 miles to go and I just could not get it out. That was irritating.
In Montpelier we went to the grocery store right before it closed to get some vegan ice cream and I checked the dumpsters/food waste bins. In Vermont it’s illegal to throw food waste into the garbage so a lot of places have bins specific for food waste which is an awesome step in the right direction but I found a bin entirely full of bread and pancakes. No idea why. Compost is way better than landfill, but getting eaten is way way better. When food gets wasted, so does all of the time, energy, and resources that went into planting, growing, harvesting, packaging, shipping, stocking, everything! To me, that’s a real tragedy.
I recognize how challenging it can be to perfectly balance supply and demand, and I don’t know if zero food waste is realistic. Still, what happens in our country right now is unbelievable. Somehow it’s profitable to overproduce and throw away all this food instead of occasionally running out? Doesn’t make any sense.
Day 28
Montpelier, VT — Rest day
Total miles: 1,224
Rest days really fly by. I guess every day flies by. But it feels different on rest days. I simultaneously wish I could spend more time doing stuff with friends and more time doing nothing with friends. We got to spend a lot of time just cooking and chatting with Amelia here in Montpelier and it’s been really nice. As usual, it’ll be a little sad to leave in the morning. After this tour I’m gonna have 10 or more cities that I want to move to…
I planned to go back into town after dinner to dumpster dive but I decided to stay in. It was getting late and Amelia lives on top of a decent hill that I just did not feel like coming back up. This led to more nice conversation, so yay! As I wrote yesterday, it’s illegal to throw food waste in the trash in Vermont — which is amazing! — but there isn’t enough infrastructure to support this. There are bins specific for food waste outside stores and restaurants that I assume goes to a big compost facility. But they aren’t everywhere. And I found unopened boxes of cream cheese and a bag of strawberries in a random trash can today (they were hot and gross, so I did not take them). So it seems like stores workaround the law. But it’s definitely way better than everywhere else I’ve been!!
I’m very happy that Jima got new tires today so his bike should be able to handle the gravel sections from here on. We walked around Montpelier a little, but mostly just hung out with Amelia at home and then went to a small river to take a dip and explore. I also checked out a thrift store and a community bike shop. I love community bike shops because I feel like they exude all my favorite things; community and bikes (duh), scrappiness and reusing, and constant curiosity and learning.
I’m spending more time pondering my options for after this tour. I feel far from a clear path but I like the way things are progressing. It’s really hard to explain but it just feels like my ideas and goals are becoming more tangible. At this point, in an ideal world I would come home for a little while, go to my best friend’s wedding, then get back on the road and tour full time. I’d have to figure out how to finance it and use it to serve others. I don’t feel satisfied if I’m not doing something for others for too long. As much as I love the independence of bike touring and being in nature, I can’t be content to keep that to myself. I’d love to bring it to other people either through more writing/social media or with bike tours. Next year I will need to find my own health insurance so I think that’s the biggest reason for me not to continue touring. I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve had almost no significant health or medical challenges and have always had insurance. I don’t know what it’s like to worry about not having coverage. Even though it’s in my consciousness now, it still doesn’t feel like a big deal to me. And I want to recognize the privilege to be able to say that. Anyway, I don’t think it would be wise to spend months riding my bike without some coverage in case I get in a serious accident.
The other options floating around include returning to my gradually growing dogsitting/dogwalking business, entering into a PhD program, working at a bike shop, substitute teaching, or doing another AmeriCorps term. Maybe it’ll be a combo of these or none of the above! All I know is I want to be active, find community, and help the planet and people on it. An unexpected joy of this trip is how much inspiration I’ve gained from people we’ve met along the way. They all have their unique lives with nuggets of gold that I can learn from and possibly follow for my own life.
Forgive me if I keep repeating myself but these double as my personal journal (with some editing) so often it’s just how I’m processing things.
Day 29
Montpelier, VT to Wildwood campground, NH — 54 miles
Total miles: 1,278
I’m beat! Depending on how tired I get while writing this entry, I may go back and finish previous days. We’ve had a lot of long, tiring days lately. Today wasn’t actually that long and yesterday was a rest day… but I’m still quite pooped. I guess a month of biking will do that to you. I also think I’ve been in a calorie deficit most days recently. I’m trying to plan my meals and snacks as best I can to make them last while creating minimal waste, and I think I’m just learning how to adequately fuel myself in this way. I haven’t had any big dumpster dive scores to supplement my bulk food and bananas. Overall, I think I’m falling short of my goal to produce little waste. And that’s okay(ish). I’m learning what works and what doesn’t, and what’s realistic to expect in terms of food rescue, bulk stores, and loose produce. I don’t love buying a new jar of peanut butter or tortillas in a plastic bag, but they can feed me for a while. My dinners have been great — lentils or soy protein with pasta, tahini, nutritional yeast, and spices. I mostly just struggle during the day when it’s not convenient to stop and cook food.
We finally saw a state sign today! We’ve crossed into Vermont and New Hampshire twice and this is the first one since New York. It wasn’t a very exciting sign, though.
I wish I could just lay down, sleep, and wake up when it’s time to start the day. But no, I gotta be all restless. Now that I think of it, I’ve been sleeping pretty well this trip. Not as good as I would at home, but better than I usually do while camping. So that’s really great. And I have myself to blame for most low-sleep nights; I stay up late trying to write or doing something else that is less important than sleep. Cumulative subpar sleep is probably contributing to my fatigue lately too.
Today was really pretty. We spent about half of it on the Vermont Cross Trail, which is mostly a bike trail but also goes on main paved roads. I enjoyed all of the trail sections, but a few parts were frustratingly unrideable for both of our bikes. For me, the questionable trails are a lot of fun and really add to the adventure. But it’s also always nice to get back on a smooth road afterwards.
As we approached the White Mountains National Forest we had spectacular views of the mountain range around us. It fascinates me when we’re riding along on an unremarkable road and then all of a sudden there’s a stunning view of the mountains. There was one house with a bench that faced perfectly at the maintains and I imagined sitting there every morning.
It’s pretty crazy we’re going to be in Portland in 3 days. Then Montreal 4(?) days after that! Then I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’d like to stay in Montreal for a few days, then see what I’m feeling. Maybe the people I’ll meet in Montreal will have recommendations. One thing I will definitely do is visit Acadia National Park in Maine. And there are a few friends I still want to see. I’m also thinking about going to Rhode Island just because I’ve never been, and back to Five Rivers so Robin can ride with me a little. Then there’s all of Eastern Canada that would be epic to explore. But I gotta admit, thinking about all of those things is a lot. I’m not sure I have all that in me. Good thing I don’t have to decide right now!
Maybe I’m too much of an idealist but camping at campgrounds seems kinda lame to me. Even coming here on bikes. I never went camping as a kid other than my backyard, and my first real camping was primitive camping while backpacking. It’s cool to be here for sure, but it feels artificial. There are cars everywhere and it’s just not really in nature. I dunno.
I was thinking today that it’ll be so weird to type on a computer whenever I do that again. I’ve been doing everything on my phone which has its pros and cons. I’m not using it very much but I’d still like to use it less. I haven’t watched YouTube or any movies since I left which is pretty crazy. At home I was watching a movie almost every day. It’d be nice to sit back and relax to watch something but I don’t really miss it. When we’re not biking, eating, exploring, or hanging out with friends, I have my writing and kindle to keep me occupied. I’ve been reading the Artemis Fowl books which I wanted to read my whole childhood but never did. They’re fun and great for relaxing before bed. I have some other more serious titles that I’d like to read next.
After dinner we walked down to the creek near our campsite and sat for a few minutes. It’s a very beautiful and calming place. As I watched the minnows dart around at the bottom I thought, “how can we protect you? Like, really protect you?” Everything feels like not enough. It feels like no one else wants to change their lifestyle for the betterment of others. I think most people think they’re doing something(s) to make a difference, but are they really? Am I being too harsh? I just think we’re all so caught up in our own lives that we don’t think about how our actions hurt others. We feel entitled to do our thing and can come up with reasons for why we deserve it but others don’t deserve their thing. Is that what I’m doing with this bike trip? Probably…
Day 30
Wildwood campground, NH to Long Island campground, NH — 52 miles
Total miles: 1,330
I’m starting this entry at 7:30 in the morning because we got ready a little too quickly this morning. We stored half of our food in a fellow camper’s car and they’re still asleep, so we’re just waiting around. It’s a bit of a bummer but worth it to not risk inviting a bear into the campground.
I’m getting bored with these entries. It feels like basically the same thing every time, and I’m not articulating very well. Maybe I’m just being overly critical of myself. I wish I could write more eloquently and share more interesting stuff.
I was thinking yesterday how there’s such a fine line I think we need to balance between having goals and being content with ourselves/our lives in the moment. It seems to me that having goals to strive for is crucial for a happy, fulfilling life. And yet, if we’re always striving for more with the wrong mindset, we’re doomed to be unhappy and unfulfilled. There has to be joy in the striving and the achieving. Always more excitement for the next step, but never expectation that it will be the final one. We need to be satisfied with what we have but not complacent to the point that we stagnate. It’s almost like, “which one is it? Should I be happy with who I am/what I have now? Or should I try to improve?” I truly think it’s both. Somehow we live with both existing alongside each other.
Isn’t so cool when things seem like they’re going wrong, they end up working out in ways you never expect? Sometimes things just simply go wrong, but in my experience magical things come from difficult/frustrating/uncertain times. Today was a prime example of that. We were ready to get on the road at 7am and just waiting for our new friends — who were very kind to let us leave our food in their car — to wake up. I took a walk down to the creek, and on my way back said good morning to another pair of campers. They had a big sprinter van and mountain bikes on the back. My “good morning” led to them asking if there was a road bike race nearby because they saw our jerseys. Before I knew it I was giving them the whole story of our trip, and Jima walked over to join the conversation too. Not only was it a lovely chat, but our other friends woke up during this time. We started riding shortly after and met the mountain bikers again at Beaver Brook Pond at the top of the first hill. They took our photo and offered to host/help me if I pass through Boston on the way home! To top it all off, the guy goes by “Magic”.
The rest of the ride was pretty cool too. It was a fun downhill stretch after we opted not to pay $28 for entry into Lost River Gorge, and the day was beautiful like almost all have been. Unfortunately, we were on busy, no-shoulder roads for a good chunk of the ride which made me sour. But that also made getting to our campsite and jumping in Lake Winnipesaukee even more rewarding. There was one moment when we could see the lake after climbing a huge hill and I just yelled “wow! Lake!!” Because it was so incredible. Later in the ride the same thing happened and I yelled “water!!! Oh my gosh it’s huge! Wait no, I’m an idiot!” It turned out to be another forested mountain in the distance that looked wildly like a giant body of water. We had a good laugh about this. I felt less dumb when Jima agreed it looked remarkably like water.
Lake Winnipesaukee is huge and beautiful. It made me a little sad to see so much tourist activity there. The disconnect between our modern culture and the actions of our past that hurt so many, and continue to hurt more, is heartbreaking. I’m embarrassed by my ignorance when it comes to American history and indigenous people in general, but I know for sure that people who look like me have done some horrific things. Being at this lake whose name remains indigenous while nearly everyone using it is white and materially wealthy hit me as extremely ironic. Not only that but we’re actively making the lake sicker with plastic pollution (I found trash all around and in the lake) and fossil fuels.
As I’ve mentioned a lot recently, I’ve been thinking more and more about what I will be doing after this trip, and my night at the lake was ripe with these ponderings. Indigenous culture was top of mind and made me wonder how useful it would be for me to study in greater detail (like a PhD). Since childhood I’ve been fascinated by the people who lived in America before us, but I’m ashamed to admit I really don’t know anything about them. And what I do know is probably mostly wrong. Would studying Indigenous culture/Native Americans be appropriate for me to do? On one hand, I feel like I (a white man) should just leave this to actual Indigenous people, and their descendants who can speak from their own experience and wisdom. On the other hand, I feel like I could be an additional voice with a valuable outside perspective that might resonate with more people. I just wouldn’t want to overstep and cause more problems than I’m helping. Would I learn valuable information that could be used to improve the world? I have no doubt I’d learn a ton and I think I’d enjoy it a lot, but would it be fulfilling for me and my goals?
Day 31
Long Island Campground, NH to Berwick, ME — 57 miles
Total miles: 1,387
I feel very content right now. For all the distaste I have for social media, posting photos usually makes me feel happy and grateful. It gives me a reason to look through photos and remember the moments.
We got moving earlier than ever (around 7am) and finished our ride before 1pm today! It wasn’t a remarkably beautiful ride, and I think our speed was fueled by a desire to get away from busy roads with tiny shoulders. Luckily, we had more time on ~mostly~ empty roads that winded through New Hampshire forests. I noticed myself thinking “what a great day” less than an hour after I was thinking the exact opposite while on the busy roads. It’s funny how quickly moods can change when bike touring. The overarching emotion of gratitude is never absent, though. Even in the most frustrating, annoying, or downright dangerous times, I’m always able to remember how lucky I am to be doing this and how happy it makes me every day.
Our warmshowers host let us swim in their pool while we waited for them to return from a doctor’s appointment. I jumped in almost immediately to cool off before making my lunch and doing all the usual end-of-ride stuff. Now Jima and I are showered and waiting for what smells like an amazing vegan meal. It seems that our first night in Maine will be a really great one :)
We’re barely in Maine, though. New Hampshire is a 10-minute walk away and Boston is just 85 miles from here! Tomorrow we head to Portland where we will stay for two nights before the final leg of the trip to Montreal!!
I really love staying with warmshowers hosts. It’s one of my favorite parts of bike touring. I was interrupted by our host while writing that sentence to eat a delicious dinner of grilled zucchini, mushrooms, tofu, and pasta salad. The only thing better was the vegan yogurt with black raspberries for dessert.
And the only thing better than that was the company. I feel like I’ve said that so many times it’s getting quite corny, but it’ll always be true. No matter what we’re talking about, it’s just the feeling you get from becoming friends with strangers. It’s especially nice when they tell you that you give them hope, ask genuine questions about veganism, and share poem & book recommendations. I’ll be reading “Questions From a Worker Who Reads” by Bertolt Brecht tonight.
Whenever I am settled in one spot I hope to host many bike tourists. It might sound crazy but I think it’ll even play a role in deciding where to live. Not a big role, but a role nonetheless.
I remain insecure when people ask me what I do. I feel pathetic following Jima’s description of his PhD studies with “I had an internship last year, then I did some dogsitting, and now I’m here!” Maybe people appreciate it more than I think. Regardless, I should just stop worrying so much about what they think. I’ve made conscious choices that I’m happy with. I made them for reasons important to me. So why not be proud of it? One day I’ll figure out how to say it all concisely without sounding like I’m trying to prove anything.
Life is good. There are a lot of problems. They seem insurmountable. It feels impossible to figure out what to do. People are crazy. But people are good. The world is beautiful. Human life is as mysterious as ever and we get to play around in it.
