Day 9 – Montpelier, VT to Lincoln, NH – 64 miles – 4,706 ft of elevation gain

That end of the day climb from yesterday turned out to be just to get to the hotel (brilliant job on my part for picking that hotel). But we did get the benefit of starting the day with a really nice descent, and there was the unlimited soda and cookies, so maybe I’m forgiven for the uphill climb.

The theme of the day was climbing, with 3 very challenging mountain passes to cross. It was also a hot day, just putting my shoes and socks on had me sweating. Right after that nice descent from the hotel we were on a steady climb winding around some back roads. Vermont definitely improved on the worst roads list with today’s path, but I can’t take them off of the list all together. We reached the top of the first climb by mile 14 and then had about a 3-mile descent, which had a few potholes and cracks to keep us awake.

At the end of the 3-miles, it was time to climb again for about another 3 miles up for our first break of the day at the top of the second mountain. There was a cool breeze blowing, but when the sun wasn’t behind the clouds it was hot and the humidity was intense. I was definitely glistening and totally soaked all day (so lovely). Those climbs become a distant memory or at least a forgivable offense when followed by a gloriously long descent. And the 6-mile descent that followed was awesome with a smooth road that stretched on with a clear view for letting your hands off the brakes (shh don’t tell my mom 😉). Vermont was really trying to improve our impression with this stretch of road.

Our next stop was roughly at mile 36 for lunch in a small town on the border of Vermont and New Hampshire. So after a lunch of sandwiches, fruit, and goldfish, we said goodbye to Vermont. Shortly into New Hampshire we hit a short section of unpaved roads, but it was the nicest unpaved road I’ve been on. We left this section and turned the corner where I spotted an old covered bridge to the left. Kyrell was with me, and we turned around to grab a quick picture. The rest of the afternoon was a steady climb until the real fun started. We were split into a few ride groups for the climb and we all gathered at the top where the van was waiting for us. The climb got really serious for the last 2.5 miles and was intense as the sun was out and the heat off of the road was cooking too. I was struggling to keep the sweat out of my eyes while continuing to pedal. This was a tough day and that last push to the top took grit to continue to push the pedals. All of the guys did great and no one complained about what we just made them do.

At the top, the van was waiting for us with cold drinks and fruit. There was a picnic table that called my name, as it overlooked the lake. There is something calming about being near water. The clouds were looking like they wanted to spit rain, but it also seemed like it was going to pass us. After everyone reached the top and had some time to rest, we jumped back on the bikes for our last descent. This one was beyond amazing! I think most of us topped our record for speed. For a few of us that left in the back of the group, we hit some rain on the way down, but it was intermittent. However, when we got into town the serious rain started. We met up with the van at a stop light and I threw my phone inside, so did a few others. We made the file push to the hotel in a downpour. Just a .5 mile before the hotel there was a railroad crossing. The guys in front were stopped by a train crossing. When they went to cross the tracks, one person almost wiped out from his back tire sliding on the wet tracks, and one guy actually wiped out. My group rolled up to the tracks right after this, and I pointed to the tracks for the guys behind me and then angled my bike approach to hit the tracks perpendicular to the tracks. Well, to my surprise, my back tire slide out, but somehow I recovered and managed to keep upright. Unfortunately, the guy behind me bit the ground, but was unharmed.

We got to the hotel and rang out our gear. A few of us hit the pool and others just sat in their rooms staring or something. Our dinner spot was within walking distance and was just what we needed. We came back to the hotel for devotions outside (with the sun dropping the temperatures were much cooler). We have another big climb tomorrow, so resting our legs is necessary, which is why we played a little basketball shooting game. Let’s finish the Kancamagus Highway tomorrow!! We are learning about how pedal strokes compound to take you to amazing places, but not without some grit and will-power to take you through the tough times. Thank you for your prayers, our safety is a testament to God’s protection.