Breakfast with Frost

Since Burlington we've started each morning not only with porridge and tea and honey, but also with the words of Mr. Frost. A most pleasant way to watch water boil.



Breathes there a bard who isn't moved
When he finds his verse is understood
And not entirely disapproved
By his Country and his Neighborhood?
[found at the entrance to the Frost Trail in the Green Mountains, outside Ripton, Vermont]





The surest thing there is is we are riders
And though none too successful at it, guiders,
Through everything presented, land and tide,
And now the very air, of what we ride.

What is this talked-of mystery of birth
But being mounted bareback on the earth?
We can just see the infant up astride,
His small fist buried in the bushy hide.

There is our wildest mount - a headless horse.
But though it runs unbridled off its course,
And all our blandishments would seem defied,
We have ideas yet, that we haven't tried.



...
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

City Slickers Eat Big

BBQ whole chicken, sausages, ribs, steak, all day breakfast of bacon, fried eggs, pancakes, hash browns, maple syrup, toast, kaya, fried tomatoes, baked beans, congee, ho fun, turnip cake, singapore fried noodles, won tuns, pinics, lobster dinner, box of mangoes, curried fish balls, HOT & sour soup, Shanghai buns, lettuce wraps, red bean desserts, bubble tea, popcorn chicken, curry dinner! big bowls of Pho, Salad King, viet ice coffee, greek lunch, feta salad, indian sweets, masala tea, Timbits, iced cappuccino, pork buns, english digestives, Maple donuts, fruit explosion muffins, spaghetti and meat sauce, warm apple pie, pecan pie, waffles & ice cream, croissants... we've been well fed...

Having to loosen the top trouser button to stay comfortable is a sure sign it's time to break free from the convenience of the suburban lifestyle and use the expensive new bike parts we've bought.

Thankyou to all our friends who have guided, entertained and fed us through Toronto, Niagra and the enormous Aisan suburbs, in particular to the Wong family who have been exceedingly generous in letting us stay in their house and remind ourselves of what civilized living can be.








Big Hama-side shout-outs also due to Albert Linh and John for showing us another side of Toronto, and taking us for a lovely Indian knees-up!











AND Niagara Falls... the biggest one of those I think I ever saw.




Finally, possibly the worst idea for a cycle-tour... paper underpants. Nuff said.

Oh Canada!

A tub that managed to squeeze on 3 cars and 2 cycle tourists at various angles, ferried us out of the States and into Canadian waters. The two man customs operation that greeted us was even more understated, didn't bat an eyelid to our mystical journey and forgot to stamp Jon's passport. But the sign that followed was great...












Well... apart from forcing ourselves through the porridge of wind, rain, and cold, and the poor exchange rate, the wind, the cold... and the cold wind, Canada's been pretty frickin awesome eh! We've been taken and welcomed by so many lovely people, fed and helped all along the way!

Thankyou to Wally, Lee, Bobby and Rouge for a magnificent introduction to Canadian hospitality. Bob for taking time off fixing his roof to fix our bikes. Steve and family for taking us in just as we were about to take a wrong turn... even though we had to cycle up a big hill to get to the house. Katherine, Randy, and Brian for their lively knowledge and finding us... AND Doug and Joanne who luxuriated us with another night under a roof, letting us clean our bikes and a welcome lift over the hills the next morning.

The Adirondacks, Halfway to Canada...

Wei:
Following the escape from Plattsburg’s horrendously un-bike friendly network of trunk roads, I couldn’t help feel a little disappointed entering the Adirondacks park. Perhaps a combination of imaginative anticipation, having had a great time in Burlington and just plain ignorance fuelled an annoyance at still finding most of the edges of the park still well populated and the majority of land privately cordoned.

Sprawling over 3 dimensional topographic maps in the outdoors shops, visualising the 6 million acres of marked green and constant bear precaution advice easily conjured images of continuous rolling wilderness… but the park developed the further we travelled into it, deserted campsites around still lakes, miles of unbroken tree line, wild animal howls, glorious weather and quiet, smooth tarmac.

Initial preconceptions wiped, we settled into our new environments, acknowledging each others preferred roles in setting up camp, cooking, drying etc. welcoming café stops for their sink laundry opportunities, map reading time, warm water, coffee and local ‘delicacies’ of butter milk, donuts, Thai chicken and French vanilla crème.

Libraries were a sanctuary, pharmacies a provider of insect bite relief, waterfalls an idyllic camp spot, pub porches shelter from the rain, clif bars an excuse for a break, peanut butter heavenly spread on apple slices, lakeside rock slabs – time for a rest, refill coffees – more time for the other person to wash in the loo.

One friendly guy finally caught up with us at a stop and said he’d passed us numerous times over the last few days as he drove backwards and forwards, whilst another almost came a cropper, trying to wave with his steering hand as he passed us on his scooter, the other hand busy steadying his fresh coffee.















5 days later the terrain changed once again to pasture land and we were riding through snow storms of dandelion seeds. Our return to the urban highway was indulged with battered seafood fastfood with not a green item on our plastic trays and finally camping at an open campsite in amongst, shrieking holiday weekend fuelled Americans. Our neighbour was a mixture of interesting and drunk, showers disappointingly luke warm, but we slept like logs cushioned under soft turf and breakfast was jon’s treat of omelette and Robert Frost readings. Canada was just a morning’s ride away.

Burlington, VT - Toronto, ON

We were sent off on our merry way by a lovely young man in a suit.







The first problem we encountered leaving Burlington was a missing 50 yards of bike path en route to the ferry...
But not particularly wanting to cycle the 3 hours back around, superman-Tom leapt boldy across and saved the day! Huzzah!



Or maybe we got ferried across by two lovely Quebecois... I forget.







The Adirondacks is big lake, big tree, big space country.













Jon:
The last two weeks of riding have been a little different, we've slowed down a lot, doing as little as two hours riding some days, just generally rolling along at a more relaxed pace. Part of that was realising we were just going to burn out if we kept up the pace of the first week, but perhaps what put more pressure on us to do this was my knee, which has been aching since the long hilly days of Vermont. Tried various things and seem to have figured how not to aggravate it and keep up a reasonable pace. Just not pushing it too hard each day, and concentrating on my left leg a lot more for the climbs.
The riding through the Adirondacks was a little less spectacular than I had hoped for, (but perhaps all the better for it). We did take the 'easy' route with flatter roads thanks to my knee. The lakes and forests seemingly endless, but without the grand vistas I had hoped for. Still, waking up in the mornings and watching the sun set light to the mist off the lake was truly stunning.



Blinding light sings from the pond surface
Mist and water boil.
Steaming porridge breath, numb hands
Reflected light waves through the pines.

We also experienced our first rain. Stopping early one afternoon to wild camp away from the highway in the quiet of the woods. First opportunity to get out a book and just sink into another's tale, with the soft dripping of rain on the spongy forest floor. Making breakfast the next morning my music was punctuated with the heavy wet sounds of the rain making it's way from leaf to ground. Very pleasant indeed.
New York's grand open spaces seem very different from Vermont's. Much bigger, much more empty, much more desolate and without people.
As we neared the edge of the Adirondacks the landscape changed again; much flatter riding and the forests change from pines and firs to deciduous forests of lighter greens, looser foliage which seem to sway more with the freedom of space. Passing our nights in closed state campgrounds we heard wolves howling at full moons all night long. Cold too. Sleeping in hats and socks.

"After supper we went up-stairs and smoked and read in bed to keep warm. Once in the night I woke and heard the wind blowing. It felt good to be warm and in bed." - Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

We were treated to several spectacular evenings; full moons dancing on slowly shifting ponds, and sunsets bursting through black clouds to light bands of spectacular reds and yellows sandwiched between cool blues of sky and cool greens of forest floor, clouds reminiscent of Constable.
Long periods without showers mean a lot of cafe-restroom-sink-washing. That's laundry AND full-body wash (when there's a lock on the door...).



Crossing the border at Cape Vincent was a one man and his dog operation. Smiling American custom officers laugh as we board the ferry, Canadian just nod and welcome. The scenery reminds me of the Northumberland of half-term holidays; and lo and behold, within days we pass through Northumberland county, then Durham, Newcastle, Bristol, Scarborough, Brighton... even Braintree. Apparently efforts of a government scheme to make a New 'England' to attract American royalists.
The change over to kilometres was a welcome one. As soon as we crossed the border a hellish wind rose up to meet us. Cycling against a strong headwind for a week is not cricket! If we were still working in miles the numbers would depress. The weather changed for the worse too, getting icy cold with rain and sleet. After I left my full-finger gloves behind on the pier stateside I resorted to socks as mittens, two pairs with sandwich bags as wind-breakers on the feet! Stopping plenty for tea and coffee to warm cold hands and dry damp bums.

Mindless pedalling days, days when;
Everything is better in the sun,
Everything is better when you stop.
Everything is better with a cup of tea.
The wind rips across long grass making it swell like rough seas.

"Heaven gives its glimpses to those,
Not in a position to look too close." - Frost, A Passing Glimpse

[more to come...]