So much for a gentle ride along the Susquehanna River.
Some of us awakened late at our daughters house this morning so we didn't get out on the road until much later than normal. It's a little disconcerting leaving close family when you know you're not going to see them for six weeks and will be many miles away. Rhona was concerned that the start of the route was going to be on York Road with high traffic volume. It didn't turn out to be that bad and we were quickly on the NCR trail.
For much of it's length the NCR trail is parallel to a pretty stream.
The Atlantic Coast Route Adventure Cycling map does not have an elevation profile to use for planning as do some others (such as the Northern Tier and the Underground Railroad. We missed that feature today as we hit some very steep and long climbs which we did not anticipate from looking at the map. At one point, we could see the Susquehanna River in the distance and assumed it would be a short downhill and then a bridge crossing. It turned out to be a very steep and long twisty downhill and then quickly routed up a very steep hill without crossing the river. Why I don't know, but the local sport motorcycle riders seemed to love the curves and climbs.
As usual, a picture does not do justice to the steepness of the hills. On this hill we had to start walking because the rear wheel on the tandem started spinning whenver we went over any fine gravel. Even pushing was difficult and dangerous since the corners were very sharp and there was no way to get off the road.
At the top of a climb we asked some people working outside their home if we couild fill our water bottles. Three year old Devon was riding his bicycle in the driveway and was pleased to demonstrate his new skills. He was gracious enough to ride toward us three times until I got the picture "just right".
This was our first view of the Susquehanna River. Silly us, we expected a comfortable flat ride along the river, only to discover it was going to be more like riding a bizarre rollercoaster.
The hills were brutal after an already long day. I neglected to eat enough during the day (people that know me may find that hard to believe) and at one point while pushing the tandem up a long hill I started to feel a little shaky. The only snack food we had easily accessible were some baby carrots and (what Rhona identified as) an apricot. I'm not sure what it really was. Fortunately, even that bit of food gave me sufficient energy to continue on into the town of Wrightsville. We crossed the river to Columbia and called the hotel to make reservations and get directions. The hotel clerk said it wasn't too far (it turned out to be four miles uphill and in the bright sun). Not for the last time we learned that non-cyclists hear the word "cyclist" and interpret "motorcyclist".
Crossing the Susquehanna River to Columbia. It's a big beautiful river.
We sometimes had difficulty getting pictures at state borders, especially if we were on a small road. We cheated with this sign, it's actually a picture from our reentry back into Pennsylvania later in the trip.
Rhona had trouble with both knees today and may try using some Ibuprophen on them tomorrow before they start to hurt. Perhaps some shorter days may help also. We wouldn't complain if the terrain flattened out also. We certainly can't complain about today's weather, low 70's and low humidity with plenty of sunshine.
Today's ride: 71 miles (114 km) Total: 275 miles (443 km)
