I had a very, very nice stay with Joanne and Jack last night at their lovely home on a lake in Factoryville Pennsylvania. After a hearty breakfast they drove me back up towards Binghamton and dropped me off at a road going East that would conmect with roads that would lead me to my destination this afternoon. The area is beautiful- mountains everywhere, some trees turning colors and lots of leaves blowing in the wind. I started off on 171 East and it was very hilly and winding with lots of traffic in both directions and did not have a shoulder. I was grateful to turn off 171 after about 10 or 12 miles. I was on a county road for a very short distance then Google Map directed me to turn onto a dirt road… It wasn’t a bad dirt road and it was only for 1.8 miles so I took it. The next turn was onto another dirt road- and this dirt road had some really long steep hills to climb. The hills were so steep I kept spinning out and had to push my bike up the steeper sections. And the dirt/gravel was loose enough that I had to ride my brakes going downhill to avoid losing control- and I hate to use my brakes going downhill! Well, one dirt road led to another, some better than others, and I didn’t hit a paved road again until .6 miles before my destination- the Inn at Starlight Lake. I am very glad that it was a short ride! We are due to have hard rain and lightning all day Sunday and maybe Monday so I will not ride Sunday and will see how it goes Monday. I think taking a day off is s good idea at this point- I have gone about 1,700 miles without a rest day since leaving Mike & Mia’s house in Nisswa, MN and I think my legs are tired…Daily mileage: 38 (25.4 miles of which were on dirt roads), trip miles: 3,562.
JoAnn & Jack- we were having 5’sies on the dock last night:
Hwy 171 was very hilly, winding and did not have a shoulder. Moderate traffic in both directions made it a nerve wracking ride:
Crossing the Susquehanna River:
Some pretty scenery along the way:
The first dirt road was not bad- not long, pretty hard surface and modetately flat:
Then the dirt roads got longer and hillier:
But they were also quite pretty:
My home for the next two days. It has a great bar and restaurant (thank you, Janet!):
Dave Bikes America 