Since my leg was still bothering me I had volunteered to drive a sag vehicle. I got the keys to a Westfalia from Tim. I have been thinking about buying a Westfalia so I was thrilled at the prospect of driving one. I was taking Ana as a passenger (since the vehicle was a stick and she could only drive an automatic) to the border where she would join her husband, Steve, on the tandem. Earl also came with us. He was still on crutches from his accident on the second day. I had heard about Earl from the Kentucky "Lads" and now I had a chance to get to know Earl.
We had a leisurely departure since driving would be much quicker than riding. We made several stops along the way, checking out the sights and talking to the riders. We stopped at a fish farm where someone was feeding the fish. They splashed so much that they were getting Ewan wet!
We drove to the border where the guard was trying to deal with a bunch of cyclists and several of our vehicles. Steve told the guard that he should check our van, especially the driver! Thanks! Of course I didn't help matters by telling the border guard that we were the recreation vehicle. Luckily the guy had a sense of humor. We made it through without being detained for too long. I guess I must really look conservative. :)
Our next stop was at a small store where I bought a cup of coffee. Our riders were lined up buying food and drinks. When the guy told me the coffee was $.75 I asked the most frequently heard question in Canada, "Canadian or American?" I think the humor was lost on many of the folks there. I never did understand why so many people assumed that prices quoted in Canada were in American dollars.
It was a fine drive to Kingfield. We stopped at the snack van to talk and pick up Ewan. He was tired and the road was heavily travelled by logging trucks. Sagging was the best answer. We loaded Pam's bike in the van and she rode on the tandem with Alan. Ewan added to the fun of our drive with his chatter and energy.
We went out to a salt lick where you could sometimes see moose. I wanted some moose droppings to give as prizes to people who had seen moose on the trip. But there weren't any suitable specimens to be found.
We stopped for pie at a roadside stand. It was wonderful - not too sweet! I ate the last of the 'All Berry' pie. Yum.
As we neared Kingfield we were flagged down by one of the sag trucks. It seems that there had been a misunderstanding about the van. I was driving sag but the owner thought I was driving straight through. We pulled into camp and quickly unloaded the Westfalia. Ewan ran off to play and Earl needed a lift to the hotel in town where he was staying. I was left with a pile of bicycles and a sudden let down to what had been a fun trip. I went over to the shade to sit down and put ice on my leg. I think I could have used some ice for my temper as I was rather annoyed about the whole thing.
After a while, Don offered us a lift into town. Walking was very painful now, so I accepted. We stopped at a small restaurant and went to the upstairs patio to have a Carrabassett Pale Ale. It was good. :) I went out to the van to get another ice pack and heard my name being called by the Kentucky guys across the street. I went over and joined them on the second floor balcony for a short chat. Well, they offered me a beer and then we got talking and pretty soon I has switched parties without even realizing it. My friends across the street had ordered and eaten before I got back there.
I went to eat with the guys in the Hotel restaurant. I wasn't too worried about getting back to camp as Steve had been driving a shuttle from the camp to town. There were lots of other bicyclists around so I thought that there was a good chance I could get a ride back. (Ha!) Dinner took quite a long time but the company was great and the food was good. Jim was bragging about going 55 mph on a downhill and he even had his computer to prove it. I asked if I could see it and he innocently handed it down the table to me. Well, if there was one thing the Kentucky Lads had taught me it was to strike first and strike hard. I took Jim's computer and went from table to table telling the other riders about how wonderful Jim's downhill ride had been and showed them his computer to back it up. I think Jim was ready to murder me. :) It was pretty funny. Luckily most of the patrons were on our trip. After that he was referred to as "Monseuir Gravity".
Dinner was a long affair. It started to get fairly late and I realized that I wasn't certain how to get back to camp. One table of cyclists was getting ready to leave so I asked if I could go back to camp with them. I had to get my dessert to go (a novel concept at this hotel) and the lads picked up my tab. Thanks!! I hobbled off with the others for the walk back to camp.
It was a nice moonlit night so I decided to sleep under the stars. I picked a spot far away from the tent city and near the water and bathrooms. I was very happy even though the trip was coming to an end. I'd had some great fun, ridden quite a bit and life was good. I usually judge a trip by how often I think of home or work or my cats. I hadn't missed any of that the whole trip. That meant that this really was a vacation. My mind was calm.
Finally, I got my coffee in bed! Vince took pity on me and brought me coffee. Yippee! Another lucky day. I was determined to ride today as it was a short day and I wasn't going to drive a "sag" today. Gill had splurged and stayed in the Hotel last night. She arrived all ready and refreshed. We took off to the edge of town for breakfast. The place was quite small, so you ordered at the counter and then picked up your order. I decided to be social - so I was delivering meals to the tables. By this point I knew many of the rider's names. It was kind of fun to interact on a totally unexpected level like that. The locals were watching everything we did.
The ride to Skowhegan was nice. We rode along the river for a while. I was looking for moose but they all seem to be like the Loch Ness Monster - invisible. We passed by an old windmill and I stopped to take pictures. Gill was riding with me today and she was patiently waiting while I was playing around. We stopped at a small store near North Anson and the lady working there was very pleasant. We had decided to buy a "Thank You" card for Steve and Mimi for the group to sign. The selection wasn't too good, so I picked out a couple of things that might work. We needed a man's opinion on our selection so Robert gave us the approval. The card was not my style, the colors were a bit odd. Lou decided that we should pick a clashing envelope to add to the effect. Orange, purple and yellow. It certainly got your attention. I ended up being in charge of gathering signatures again. I started with the folks at the store and worked my way along as I met people on the road.
As usual, we ran into a detour on our route. Being tired of detours we tried to talk our way through. No luck. The men just kept telling us we couldn't get through that way. The machinery was all sitting idle and they appeared to be on a break. What gives? Gill was negotiating for them to let us be the first group allowed through. I thought she had won them over when we were told to go around again. Why? Finally one of the workers told us that they were pulling a cable across the river. Oh. OK, we'll go around. (We heard later that they put up a sign telling cyclists that they had to go around.) One more hill to climb but we missed a lot of the traffic by taking our detour of the detour.
We were getting close to Skowhegan. Things started to look familiar. It seemed like more than a week since we had headed out - strangers in a strange land. Now it was like coming home to a family reunion. I was torn between being glad that I could get off my bicycle for a day and not wanting my new friends to leave. We pulled into our camp and saw that people were busily packing bicycles into boxes. We were going to meet Bill and By for lunch but I had the card to get signed and I had to get cleaned up. When I finally had showered and changed, we couldn't find Bill or By. Gill wanted to ride her bicycle into town for lunch. I didn't want to ride anywhere for a while, but walking was also out.
I got a lift to the laundromat and met Gill there. We started our machine and went across the street to a small pizza place for lunch. Many of the gang were there: Smily and Mom, Thom, Margaret and Dave The pizza was great!! Thom and I split a large pizza and I enjoyed every bite. We took turns going across the street to check the status of the laundry, so that the others could eat. It's the little things on bike trips that bring you closer together. Sharing birthdays, doing laundry, changing money, finding the Post Office. Our needs are reduced to a simple level - eat, ride, drink, set up camp and sleep. No worries about bills or the car or taking care of the yard.
With the laundry finished, Dave and Margaret thoughtfully offered us a lift back to camp. They were heading out to pick up a friend at the Bangor airport for the next trip. I really appreciated the lift as I wasn't in shape to walk. My leg wasn't getting better and I was a bit worried.
It was quiet in camp. The shuttle had taken the Kentucky Lads to the airport. I'd miss them. They were a lively bunch. Jim had left a nice little note in my pack reminding me that he could have gotten even by sharing my dirty clothes with the world. Gulp. I'm glad he didn't. Next time I lock the bag!! :)
It was hot, so we tried to stay out of the sun while we killed time. Without a vehicle the only option was to ride our bikes. I was staying put in camp. We talked and said good-bye to people. 'No Pay Ray' was hanging around and it turns out that he owns a car! Gill went off to Walmart with some of the folks to buy jeans. I asked her to pick me up some chalk - just the thing for writing on the roads! I had another week of cycling ahead of me. There were a few things that I could do to liven up the trip.
For dinner we drove to the Old Mill Pub along the river. I had been there on day 0 with By. The beer was good. The location was wonderful and I had heard that the food was good also. We were told that we'd have to wait for 45 minutes for a table, but I saw Mercer sitting at the bar and he offered to let us sit at his table when he got it. We were seated in less than 5 minutes. We sat outside on the balcony, overlooking the powerplant and the river. It was a great night, warm and clear. I ordered my usual coffee and beer. We had a good time talking and eating. The food was wonderful - salmon, potato and salad. My goal for the next day was to learn everyone's name who was also doing the Lighthouse trip. This way I would have a headstart on getting to know more folks.
What was my overall impression of that first week? Irving Oil, forests, very large wooden houses, rocky rivers, hills, small towns, no moose to be seen, two-lane roads, friendly people, lumber mills, logging trucks, vibrant red sunrises and Benedict Arnold.
The cast of characters:
Steve - the "Grand Poo Bah", from Maine. (Just ask him to speak.) Quiet, happy, friendly and the man with the answers on this trip.
Mimi - Steve's wife, she had recently "hung up her chalk" from teaching.
Don - from Maine. He drove a sag and kept us entertained with riddles and jokes.
By - from Florida. He is a consistent rider and president of the Florida Freewheelers who put on the Florida Safari.
Gill - from England. She rides an English touring bike, complete with fenders. While people snicker at first, when she passes them on the hills and is dry when it rains, the laughter quickly fades. The one to ride behind when it is raining. I speak from experience. :)
Gator and Jan - from Florida. An absolutely wonderful couple! They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on the Lighthouse trip. Jan had recently retired from teaching and they were doing three weeks of cycling through Maine and the North East. They rode Cannondales with front suspension. (They were *smart*.)
Thom - from Salt Lake City. Definitely the tourist style rider. He stops and looks at things and seeks out local charm. When I was late getting in, I could usually find Thom to ride with the final miles.
Lou - from Alabama. Another tourist. She is often found chatting with the locals or riding by herself towards the back of the pack. "What's the hurry?"
Bill - from Illinois. A strong cyclist (with *GREAT* legs), he climbs hills like a goat and has ridden across the U.S. If we started out together, he was soon far ahead.
Harriet - from Iowa. An absolutely lovely person. She quickly learns everyone's name and is often found sleeping inside where it is warm and dry. She leaves quite early, often at sunrise. I would be proud to be as swe
Bob - from California. Harriet's riding partner on this trip. Another one who seeks out dry shelter and leaves early. He has a dry, witty sense of humor.
Share-a-soda Bob - from Florida. In his 60's he has the body of a man *much* younger. He participates in triathlons and runs marathons! He is quiet and often rides alone. I spent a lot of time riding with him at the Florida Safari.
Mercer - from Minnesota. A friend of Harriet's. I never saw him on the road but we talked a lot at camp.
Dave and Margaret - from Wisconsin. One of those couples that proves that marriage can be wonderful. Very pleasant people. Always smiling. Good people.
Smily and Mom - from Michigan. Rode a "Two's Day". Dressed in matching shorts and helmet covers that Mom had made. Definitely the fashion statement of the trip. Always look at life in its best light. They grow on you.
The Kentucky "Lads" (Wear your bullet-proof vest!)
