Today was the final day for the Lakes and Seaway Tour - a 76 mile route from Malone NY to Burlington VT. With a strong possibility of rain in the forecast, everyone prepared with some rain gear. Best case scenario was showing the rain holding off until 11 am. However, we were fortunate in that the rain did not start until about 1:00 pm, when all riders were waiting inside for the ferry to take us back to Burlington VT from NY. We had over twice as much climbing as yesterday, over the same distance (76 miles). Knowing that we had to get to the ferry terminal by 12:45 for the 1:30 ferry added a little stress, but the ride went well. Some of the route was on a very lightly traveled back road through a forest and past Loon Lake, with both short challenging climbs and fast descents. The last approximately 20 miles followed the Ausable River before going by Ausable Chasm and down to Port Kent for the one hour ferry ride across Lake Champlain. We still had about 3 miles to ride from the ferry terminal to the hotel, and this included a long hill and wet streets with some large puddles. This has been a great tour and we met several new people. As usual, Lon and Susan put on a first class event.
We left Ogdensburg NY under beautiful skies that continued throughout the day. Climbing was pretty moderate all the way to Malone NY where we are spending tonight. Today's route was almost entirely on state highways with wide shoulders and bike route signs. Some shoulders did require extra attention to avoid cracks and potholes/rough pavement, but overall the conditions were good. We may experience some rain showers tomorrow, though not as heavy as what is happening in the Syracuse area. The morning schedule has been set to get everyone to the ferry by 12:45, so we have to be on the road between 6:45 and 7 for the 74 mile ride to the ferry. Rest stops will need to be very brief. Not too many pictures today - some of the two velomobiles on the tour.
Today started with a fantastic breakfast at the Tin Pan Galley in Sackets Harbor. We were all seated outside and given a choice of half a dozen special dishes from an exclusive PAC Tour menu. We had very good weather today and some excellent views of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Clayton City has the Antique Wooden Boat Museum, and nearly all the riders stopped for a self-guided tour. The museum features several buildings that contain a large collection of speed boats, an historic houseboat, shops for restoring and building boats, and several other displays. The route from Sackets Harbor to Ogdensburg was a combination of back roads and state highways. We were again treated to wide shoulders on most of the highways, with designated bike route signs. Tomorrow is a relatively short day of 76 miles to Malone NY. Weather forecast looks pretty good, but right now there is a high likelihood of thunderstorms Friday.
It was a damp, messy day for the first 45 miles, and then things gradually improved until by the lunch stop the sun was making an appearance. We rode from Old Forge to Sackets Harbor, a distance of 81 miles. Although wet and grimy, we did not have to suffer through heavy rain. Most roads were excellent, with a combination of state highways having a wide shoulder, and lightly traveled back roads through some forests. We are staying tonight in a lovely large hotel (Harbor House Inn), and tomorrow morning there is a deluxe breakfast at the Tin Pan Galley. Retta continues to serve on the crew at rest stops and lunch. The major new responsibility for her on this tour has been setting up a rest stop. There is also an adjustment in not having a personal vehicle, as Retta was needed to drive one of the smaller vans.
