States of Change

Upon stepping out of my motel room this morning, it was pretty apparent that cycle tourists were outnumbered by fishermen by at least 3 to 1. And given the number of signs for fishing tours and such, I’m guessing that ratio was likely MUCH higher. Not saying that’s a good thing or bad thing – just an observation.

Had I looked at a map last night (or anytime for that matter) I would’ve noticed that Hancock, NY is essentially right on the Pennsylvania border. Clearly, I didn’t look at a map so I was a bit surprised when it took all of ten minutes to find myself in front of a “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign. While I’ve enjoyed my past week in New York, I typically find it fun to cross a state line. Well, “fun” might not be the right word … but there’s always a sense of accomplishment. And today was no different.

Despite having my GPS, there was a slight navigational challenge shortly after crossing into Pennsylvania … mainly because I was looking for a PAVED road but the road on which I was supposed to travel ended up being very much unpaved. And somewhat hidden among the trees. I actually passed it twice before spotting it. That said, it certainly wasn’t the worst road on which I’ve ever traveled. Then again, some of the roads from previous trips haven’t exactly set the bar particularly high.

While the road in question wasn’t ideal, my bigger concern was how long the road would actually remain passable. I got my answer soon enough.

I was able to ride along the forest lined road for about 15 km before the road became a trail. The trail was initially passable on a loaded bike but (as suspected) that changed and I was suddenly faced with a trail filled with stones. Large stones. Very large stones. One might even say, “boulders”. Then again, I may be exaggerating for effect. I’ve been known to do that … from time to time. Fortunately, boulders or not, there was a real road which, after consulting a couple of my mapping sources, I felt would lead me back to a main highway-like route. Spoiler Alert: It did.

Today’s ride became significantly more pleasant once I returned to the highway. Yes, it was hilly. But that’s pretty hard to avoid in this area. Plus, I kind of like hills. That may sound strange but flat rides are actually a lot more work than you might think. Sure, hills require more work to climb but you get a rest on the way down the other side … and in ideal scenarios, you can use the momentum from going down a hill to propel you up and over the next one. Hills just make the ride more varied and more exciting. Okay, sure 20% grades aren’t all that much fun … although, if you’re in shape for them they can provide quite the sense of accomplishment. But there were no 20% grades on this day.

Other than the challenge of hills, today’s ride was pretty easy. Perhaps that was aided by the fact that I made a conscious effort to eat and drink along the way. That really shouldn’t be particularly noteworthy, but … well … it’s me. And I don’t generally excel at eating and drinking on the road.

Perhaps the biggest challenge of the day was the final few kilometres. It too was hill related.

I probably should’ve mentioned this sooner but my goal for the day was to get to Scranton, PA. And with no Warm Showers arrangements I had planned another motel stay. I didn’t book it in advance but I figured/hoped a vacancy wouldn’t be an issue. Spoiler Alert: It wasn’t. That said, the hills through the residential areas to get to the motel were more than a little ridiculous … plus, they ALL had stop signs at the bottom so I pretty much had to start each climb from a dead stop. That’s just cruel!

Cruelness aside, I arrived at the Econolodge in Scranton without incident. And for a mere $40 I had a room for the night. Some campgrounds cost more than that! The room was originally $45 but I (somewhat jokingly) asked if there was a discount for cyclists and I was given a room for $40.

Last night, when I was searching online for potential motels in Scranton I didn’t really look to see what amenities were in the area. As luck would have it, upon my arrival today I discovered there was a Wendy’s. Needless to say, a Frosty needed to be had. And it was.

Given that Wendy’s was only about 1.5 km away AND the fact that my bike was still suffering from a broken spoke, I opted to walk to Wendy’s. Side note: I really don’t enjoy walking.

On the way back to the motel, I decided to stop at a convenience store for a “Welcome to Pennsylvania” beer. No, there’s not an actual “Welcome to Pennsylvania” beer but whenever I’m in Pennsylvania I’ve always enjoyed a Yuengling (or two or … well, more). Today, it was just one. In the process of paying for the beer, I also took the opportunity to trade in some of the coins I’ve been accumulating (both from this trip and previous trips). When the counting was finished, I cashed in $21 in quarters, dimes, and nickels – which probably lightened the load on my bike by 5 pounds. Hopefully my remaining spokes notice.

Today’s totals:
Distance traveled: 88.53 km
Ride time: 4:40:27
Average speed: 18.94 km/h
Maximum speed: 56.20 km/h (not crazy fast but the fastest on this tour so far)