What a great day. What a grind.

After a horrid hotel breakfast and some chain maintenance, I lit out from East York on a highway headed for the Susquehanna River. Temperatures were in the low 50s and I was comfy once I warmed up. My head cold was still in evidence making me feel drowsy.

The terrain was relatively flat and the road surface smooth. I made good time for ten miles to Wrightsville where I crossed the river. I had some worries about this crossing but the shoulder was massive and debris-free. No problem at all. On the east side of the river the terrain began to roll. It was actually surprisingly manageable. I was feeling quite full of myself.

Lancaster slowed me down with its traffic lights and steep hills. Once I was through town I stopped for an early lunch at a family restaurant. This area of Pennsylvania is thick with family restaurants (basically they are diners).The food is cheap and good. I had a bowl of potato and cheese soup and a tuna melt sandwich. They hit the spot.

After the restaurant the grind began. The modest rollers of the morning gave way to big descents and steep climbs. I think each climb was about 200 feet. For the next 30 miles I used my granny gear about 1/4th of the time.

I’m in Amish country. Horses and buggies are common. I saw a boy, perhaps 14, plowing a field with an old tiller pulled by six draft horses. Amish people work hard.

I had arranged to stay with a Warmshowers host near Elverson. I told them I’d be there between 3 and 4 pm. I barely made it thanks to the climbing and an unexpected detour. (Hilly, of course.)

The hosts say I must be gone by 7:30 which is good because tomorrow will be a long day. I’ll be riding through Valley Forge and on a section of the Schuylkill River trail before ending at the home of another Warmshowers host south of Doylestown. It should be about 50 miles.

Heart

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