Adirondack Loop - Day 2

Caroga Lake to Blue Mountain Lake - 70 miles.

How do I begin to put into words today's ride. I have been riding a bike for many years. Today was hands down the toughest day I've ever had in a saddle. I knew today was going to be my longest day, but I didn't expect the amount of climbing it required. I lost sight of the number of hills/mountains I climbed, water bottles I consumed, gallons of sweat I expended and the number of gears I shifted through. They are all a blur of pain and fatigue. At mile 38 I had been in the saddle for nigh on 4 hours straight. I was dead beat. I wanted to cry! I wanted to quit! Yet I had come to far to turn around. All I could do was put my head down and pedal. 3-1/2 hours later, after over 7 hours in the saddle, I pulled into Lake Durant State Park.

Two things made my already unbearable position even worse:

First - Every time I climbed a hill, honey bees and horse flies took it as an opportunity to annoy me. They buzzed around my head and bit me on the a$$. I was expending all my strength keeping the pedals going round and couldn't take my hands off the handlebars to deal with them.

Second - when I got to Indian Lake, which was 8 miles from my destination and the prearranged beer stop for the day, I just couldn't brook the thought of lugging a 6 pack over 8 miles of mountains. So I skipped the beer. So now, here I sit in the campground after a long, hard, hot day in the saddle and I DON'T HAVE ANY BEER!!!!!!!