September 7, 2013 Bethel, VT --> Piermont, NH - 55 miles
Left Bethel and Nestled Inn at about 9:00 a.m. anticipating a couple good climbs at Sharon and Thetford. My legs were a little weary after yesterday's mountains. The first 10 miles or so were pleasant enough with just a few rolling hills to negotiate. For the most part, the White River ran alongside the road, which made for pleasant scenery. It was cool enough that I had to start with a long sleeve shirt and light jacket.
The first major climb of the day began at Sharon. It started with the road being blocked off to thru traffic due to construction. However, this actually worked in my favor because I was waved through and had no traffic whatsoever to contend with as I pumped up the steep incline. I stopped frequently to rest my legs and snack, and sometimes even got off and pushed at the steepest points. By the time I reached the summit, I had shed the long sleeve shirt and jacket and was sweating profusely. Then the fun began - a long downhill coast for several miles to South Stratford. Unlike the downhill road yesterday, this one was smooth pavement and in good repair, so I pretty much "let her rip," reaching a maximum speed of 39 mph at one point. It was a blast.
Had one more moderate climb to reach Thetford Hill, then pretty much downhill to the Connecticut River where I crossed over to New Hampshire. Followed River Road north, going through several one lane bridges and a small section of road which was packed dirt, and proceeded to Haverhill, which was my intended destination.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a place to stay in the Haverhill area as everything was booked. The gathering dark clouds looked ominous, plus I just couldn't get excited about a foray into camping after several days of steep climbs and more to come. So, I backtracked 4-5 miles to Piermont, where I had located a room at The Piermont Inn, originally established in 1790 as a tavern and stagecoach stop. As stated in its brochure, The Piermont Inn today retains its colonial architectural style & charm, while at the same time providing the necessary conveniences of modern times." For me, this means hot shower and comfy bed out of the rain and weather. The Innkeeper was a delightful lady named Karen Brown, assisted by "Turbo", her trusty cohort. Turbo was adorable and gave me a little bit of a cat-like fix. I really wanted to put Turbo in my handlebar bag and take him with me.
Karen and her sister Lauren suggested an alternate route through Warren to Lincoln that would alleviate some, but not all, of the climbing through the White Mountains to Lincoln. I plan to stay in Lincoln tomorrow night, then tackle the steepest elevation of the trip on Monday - the Kancamagus Pass, elev. 2855 ft. Then it is on towards Bar Harbor. I received an email from Randy and he is already in Maine.
