May 26, 2023
Avoiding Philadelphia
My stay at the Stauffers' Warmshowers house was terrific. A shower, a bed, breakfast, good conversation, and a grilled NY strip steak that was to die for.
I felt much better this morning. Still a little sick and lacking energy.
Nelson Stauffer who is Pennsylvania Dutch and grew up around here, told me that the 2-foot rut on the roads that I've been encountering is caused by the steel horseshoes worn by Amish buggy horses.
I lit out at 7:40 headed for another Warmshowers host near Warrington. These folks are vegan so no more steak for me.
Theresa Stauffer told me that there was a long downhill in store for me this morning but I didn’t believe her. After a couple of not-so-hard granny climbs I found out she was right. It was a gradual downhill grade for miles. I think it was a descent into the Schuylkill River valley.
Once the route left the main road I was treated to country lanes with classic old homes from the late 18th and early 19th century. Quite a change from the places I passed last summer out west.
On one back country road I was starting up after a short break when a full grown white tailed deer burst from the roadside bushes and bounded across the road in front of me. How the on-coming SUV missed it is beyond me. There couldn’t have been more than a foot between its grill and the side of the deer.
From time to time the road was mercifully level, a big and welcome change from yesterday’s hill fest.
A bit later I cruised through Valley Forge. I checked out General Washington’s headquarters and followed a paved trail through the park. The weather was absolutely perfect so it is hard to imaging the brutal, frigid conditions that his army endured while bivouacked there.
After my history lesson I rode the Schuylkill River Trail about ten miles to Conshohocken. Level all the way.
After leaving the trail and climbing a bit I came to Ambler where I had a late lunch at a pizza shop. A hot Italian sun on pizza bread. All the salt please!
With 2 1/2 hours to kill I hunkered down in a coffee-and-pie place for dessert. I went all in: coffee, a chocolate chip cookie, and a hot cinnamon bun.
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Burp.
About ten miles to go….
Update: I made the last 9 miles more like 14 because I went through a wormhole at the very end of the ride. After arguing with the Google for 20 minutes, I set things right and found my Warmshowers host.
Along the way I met a local bike tourist who told me about a campground for tomorrow that apparently is inaccessible. He also told me the hills in Connecticut are a bitch.
So it goes
Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km)
Total: 251 miles (404 km)
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