Catching up

    So we have been in a few places with little or no cell service and no internet access so I will be catching people up on a lot here in this post.

1) Rochester Vermont to Silver Bay, NY
- We left Vermont by having to climb a big mountain pass called Brandon Gap, but it was not as bad a Bethel mountain.  I had the fun opportunity of drafting behind a tractor during the ride for about 5 miles.  There are a lot of farm vehicles on the road in rural areas.  Drafting means to ride behind a bike or vehicle so there is no wind resistance.  It was a luxurious ride.
    At the first lunch we all had to meet up as a team to take a ferry from the Vermont border over Lake Champlain to get into NY State.  It was a very quick ride and we finished the last 14 miles to get into Silver Bay, NY.  We stayed in a YMCA Conference Center there which has been around since the early 1900's.  Everyone was able to get their own bed there and a great night's sleep.

2) Silver Bay to Indian Lake, NY
     This was probably the toughest day to date on the trip.  There were a few very steep and very long climbs out of the Silver Bay.  It was a tough ride to the lunch stop, which was about mile 34.  The whole day was about 60 miles in total.  The 2nd half of the day was incredibly tough as the headwind kicked up and the hills continued.  I got in with a fellow rider Baxter at about 3:30.  All riders are supposed to get in by 4pm.  Many riders failed to make that time cutoff and had to be picked up by the Bike and Build van.  We slept in a campsite for the first time and cooked our own dinner.  Sleeping under the stars is great, but I prefer an actual host site where the conditions are more mosquito free.

3) Indian Lake- Boonville, NY
     This day of riding was our longest so far--- 75 miles.  We left at 7am to make sure all people would get in by the cutoff time.  I rode with Donnie from Wisconsin almost the whole day as we looked forward to getting into the next host site, which was a church.  The wind really kicks up a little before 12 so it is best to get as many miles as possible in before it picks up.  There were a few really nice towns on the way including Inlet, where we had our lunch stop; and Old Forge as well.  This ride was in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains which was really scenic, but tough to climb at points.

4) Boonville to Palermo, NY- 64 miles
       This riding day (Sunday the 1st) was just what the group needed.  We breezed through the morning riding as the roads contained many downhills and smooth pavement.  There was not much to look at on the way, but I did have some great conversation with one of the leaders as we rode into the lunch stop at mile 32.  It is great to try to ride with different people and get to know everyone on the trip well.  There are 33 of us in total.  We have ridden 5 straight days and have three more in a row before our build day in Niagara Falls.  This is a tough stretch!
    Lunch was in this nice little town of Camden, NY. At the host site, a church in Palermo, the Pastor told us of how she has been hosting Bike and Build since about 2004 every year we come through.  She told us that Bike and Build was really instrumental in her beginning to fight in her county in NY for more affordable and now she sits on the county committee for the cause of affordable housing.  Very interesting!!!!

Tomorrow will be our new longest day.  About 89 miles into Rochester and it will be our first day with 2 lunch stops so we will see how it goes and report back later.