Friday, July 22, 2011

Adirondack Loop - Day 5

Lake Placid to Port Henry. 43 miles.

The miles are quickly passing under my wheels. Well, actually they're only zooming by at a rate of about 10 mph. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today's ride had a couple major climbs. I was definitely in the thick of the mountains today. However, I am about ready to leave them all behind. I have about 30 miles left in the mountains, with one more major climb, after that its downhill and rolling hills the rest of the way into Saratoga Springs.

To be perfectly honest, it is bitter sweet to bid farewell to these mountains. You may find that strange, especially considering how much I've suffered in them. Mountains have a way of causing you to dig deep inside yourself and discover what you're really made of. There's no hiding from them. There's no cheating them. They are there. They do not move. If you want to get past them, you either have to detour around them or go over them. Just be forewarned, if you choose the easy path and go around, you'll never enjoy the view from the top. While I'm philosophizing, let me make one more point. When you find yourself climbing a mountain, breathing hard and sweating profusely, remember, there are but two outcomes that await you at the top, the finish line or an amazing downhill on the other side.

The weather is really hot (90s) and thunderstorms were forecasted for the afternoon, so I got an early start. I made it to the campground around 11:30 am. The campground sits on the shore of Lake Champlain. I've seen a lot of lakes over the past week, but none as big as this one. It's impressive to behold.




No comments:

Post a Comment