Day 7: Lake George, NY

Date: August 10, 2017

Miles: 54

Average Speed: 9.0

We had a tough time getting started this morning.  I guess we were more tired out by yesterday's ride than we thought.  We were all packed and had brought our bikes and gear out onto the hotel deck when Tim drove up to say goodbye.  I told him about the incident with Boyea's Deli and of the threat to press charges.  At the conclusion of the saga he thought for a moment and then said, "Don't worry.  I won't give you up. "  We thanked him for this and were then on our way.

We were anxious to get going because we knew this would be a tough day, but first we needed food and for that we stopped at the Port Henry Diner.  As we pulled up to the diner, Di discovered her back tire was very low (30 psi, should be 95 psi), so she pumped it up before we went inside. 

Di inflates her tire

The Port Henry Diner is almost 100 years old and is still the first choice of breakfast seekers in Port Henry.  Yes, you guessed correctly, it is the only breakfast joint in Port Henry.  But there is another reason the diner is popular and that is the quality and quantity of the food is impressive.  I ordered the Bulwaggian, which is 2 eggs with pancakes, home fries, homemade sausage and homemade honey-wheat bread.  This enormous meal costs only $7.75!  And it was delicious!

Di at the Port Henry Diner with an overabundance of food

The bulwaggian and Di's potato stuffed with two eggs

I have to confess to not eating the entire breakfast.  Those pancakes alone would have been enough for a meal.  Di ate some of the bulwaggian and I wrapped the four slices of honey-wheat bread to eat later.  That's just too much food to eat at one sitting, even for a hungry cyclist.

Leaving the diner and its dining car made in 1927

Leaving Port Henry brought us alongside Lake Champlain.  It was a warm, sunny day and the lake looked beautiful (despite the railroad tracks).

Lake Champlain a short ride from Port Henry

Today's ride started off very hilly.  As a matter of fact, the entire ride today was hilly.  After about 10 miles of riding, Di said her back tire was getting flat again.  I teased her that riding up tough hills can often make it seem like you have a flat tire because it feels the bike just won't go, but when Di tested the tire pressure it was indeed low again.

Di cheerfully pumping up her tire for the second time today

At about the 20 mile mark we stopped yet again for Di to pump up her tire.

Tire inflation event number three

I seize this opportunity to eat some of the honey-wheat toast from breakfast

We resumed riding.  We were treated to beautiful scenery all day long.  At times we were so enmeshed in the woods that it seemed we backpacking instead of riding.

Adirondack scenery

It was hot!

We entered Hague and saw the northern end of Lake George.  This area of the lake is not too heavily populated and there weren't that many boats on the water.  The lake would be just to our left for the remainder of our ride into the town of Lake George.
 

Looking northward

Doesn't this make you jealous?

Di needed to stop and pump up her tires again at the 27 mile mark.  I saw a house with a for-sale sign that looked abandoned, so we pulled in to get off the road.  I finished the last of my breakfast while Di pumped up her tire.  It was 3pm by this time, so that breakfast had sure lasted quite a while!

Eating the never-ending breakfast

View of the lake from the yard (those are rose-of-sharons in bloom!)

Inflation event number 4

I remember Bethany asking how we selected the houses we use to get out of the rain or, as in this case, to have a snack and perform a quick repair.  Well, if its raining, we just pick the first house, but as you see in this instance, we can minimize our contact with strangers with a little planning.  The funny thing is, however, this house was not actually abandoned.  I discovered this when, while waiting for Di to finish pumping, I decided to explore the grounds.  I walked around to the other side of the house and found a family sitting in lawn chairs engaged in lively conversation.  I quickly backed out of sight and then returned to Di and suggested we leave soon.  No need to press our luck!


A few miles later we stopped to get a rest at the base of Tongue Mountain.  The climb is about a mile long and consistantly steep (10-17 percent grade), so we needed to be ready for it.

View from base of Tongue Mt.

This is what Di looks like at the base of Tongue Mt.

This is what Di looks like after climbing only a quarter of mile up Tongue Mt

The ride up Tongue Mt was brutal.  My speedometer showed that I was going between 2.2 and 2.8 mph.  I couple of times I was going so slowly my speedometer actually read 0.0 mph.  I guess it doesn't register below a certain speed.  Di and I had to stop twice to rest, first at the quarter mile mark and then at the half mile mark.  Our backs were getting sore from pulling on the handle bars to help us up the mountain.  We finally made it to the top and I looked at Di and said, "We made it. We licked Tongue Mountain!"  I had been waiting all day to say that.

Even though it was mostly downhill from the peak of Tongue Mt, there were far to many hills to make it easy going.  We rode steadily until the 40 mile mark and we stopped to take a break on the lawn of a motel.  We must have looked pretty bad because two different people from the motel came over to us to ask if we needed anything.  We needed a fresh pair of legs, but we weren't going to get those.

Di finding energy in beef jerky and a Kind bar

We rode for 7 miles more and came to a grocery store.  I was able to find my kind of energy.

An entire half gallon of chocolate milk! (That's why I ride)

With a little over 5 miles to go, a car on the opposite side of the road goes by while tooting the horn.  Michelle and Brian's car!  They turned around, pulled into a lot just ahead of us and we had a happy reunion.  They offered to drive us into town, but we said we wanted to finish the ride.  They then offered to carry our bags.  I declined, saying I liked riding with the bags, but Di readily accepted and happily gave her bags to Brian.  Yeah, I probably made the wrong decision, especially after seeing how happy Di was to be riding without bags.  But I like riding with my gear and the bags help me be more visible to motorists.  Nope, can't even confince myself, should've surrendered the bags.

It didn't take us long to get to the hotel and meet up once again with Michelle and Brian.   

Michelle and Di on the hotel balconey

Michelle made reservations at Mario's for 8pm so Di and I cleaned up and got ready to go out.  Mario's was just a short walk away (thank you, Michelle!), so even in our tired state Di and I could at least make it there.

At Mario's bar waiting for our table

A great way to end our day

Two veal parms, chicken piccata and an italian medley

Walking back to the hotel on the happening strip

Tomorrow we are all off to Saratoga to attend the Race Track.  I'm going to order a quinella.  I've heard they taste wonderful.