Update #26 - July 19, 2005
Reading, MA - 8772.8 miles (14,036.5 kms.)

The ride through the mountains to the Maine coast went well. I was lucky that I found a route that didn't have too many steep climbs. From Waterbury, VT, I stayed on U.S. 2 for the ride through Montpelier. In Montpelier, I got on VT 302 which took me through Barre and then on to Wells River. There was a climb (that I was able to pedal up) south of Signal Mountain (3348 feet) near Groton but there was a long downhill coast to Wells River on the VT-NH state line and the Connecticut River. The climb was a little harder than the one I had between Burlington and Waterbury.

I crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire and rode on to N. Haverhill where I got permission to camp out in the yard of the Nazerene Church. The ride from Waterbury, VT to N. Haverhill, NH was 55.1 miles. From N. Haverhill, it was an easy ride and climb through the White Mountains on NH 25. I crossed the Appalachian Trail at Olivepan Notch near the small town of Glencliff. I stopped at the Hiker Hostel for a short rest and was able to talk to some of the Appalachian Trail Hikers. From Glencliff, it was a coast down to Warren and then Plymouth. I only had a short day of 40.1 miles from N. Haverhill to Plymouth. In Plymouth, I had a home visit with a friend who I had met in 1998 through the Warm Showers Cycling Program. It was good to see Steve again. He let me have full reign of his house while he went out with friends.

From Plymouth, it was a tricky ride to get on NH 109 at Moultonborough. I spent some time riding along the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. I stayed on 109 when it crossed into Maine and took it to Sanford. At Sanford, I got on ME 99 to Kennebunk. It was around 8:30 p.m. when I got into Kennebunk. I tried to get in touch with my Warm Showers contact but they were not home. I headed south on U.S. 1 and found a place to camp out in some woods behind a rest stop. The 2562 mile ride from Langdon, ND (north of Devils Lake) to Kennebunk, ME took me 33.5 days. I averaged 76.5 miles per day. The ride from Plymouth, NH to Kennebunk, ME was 88.8 miles. I did take time off to go to church in the morning.

I had a good night even though it was hot in the tent and there were a lot of mosquitoes. I got up early and was on the road about 7:30 a.m. for the ride down the highway through coastal New Hampshire and then on to Massachusetts. In Portsmouth, NH, I switched over to NH 1-A. It was quite foggy along the coast. I stayed on 1-A in MA and rode it to Newburyport. I wasn't able to connect with the Warm Showers person in town so I rode on to Beverly. It was late when I got into Beverly and I wasn't able to connect with the Warm Showers person there. Using my headlight, I headed west on MA 62. I found a place in the woods behind a Catholic church in Middleton to camp out. It was around 10:30 p.m. when I got settled in my tent. I had done 81 miles yesterday.

Last night was really oppressive in the tent. Because of a threat of thunderstorms (that never came), I had my rain fly on the tent. I really sweated like I was in a sauna. It was good that I had lots of water on hand. I got on the road around 7:30 a.m. I stopped here in Reading to see if my Methodist minister friend was still here but they had moved on. I'm making my way around Boston and will be taking a Southwesterly route through Connecticut to the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River. This year, I've decided to not ride the coastal route through Rhode Island and Connecticut and will not attempt to ride through New York City. I might not attempt to ride through Philadelphia this year also.

I'll try and post and update as often as I can if my plans change.