July 5, 2019
Reacquainted
Pulaski to Boonville
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Jackie’s avg speed: 9.1 mph
Scott’s avg speed: 10.1 mph
Weather: 75-80 degrees, extreme humidity, breezes from the east
Today we started the last hard push to the finish, riding into the foothills of the Adirondacks. The first 30 miles went up some and down some, but with a net gain in elevation. The hills were short gut busters. A stretch after the little burg of Redfield where we stopped for coffee and a banana had a hill with nine percent grade. (For the sake of comparison, Logan Pass is seven to eight percent, albeit much longer). In Osceola, a place name on the map with no services, we leaned against a wooden light pole and ate the sandwiches I made that morning: multigrain rolls with turkey, sharp cheddar cheese, olives, and avocado.
Osceola Road to West Leyden presented more hills that we took in stride, but by the time we got to the town, we were ready for a break. The cashier at the convenience store at the turnoff to Highway 294 let us refill our water bottles from a gallon jug of bottled water because she said the tap water was too chlorinated. The last eight miles to the Stysh Brown Barn Campground outside Boonville were mostly down slope.
The campground owner, Dan Stysh, told us his father converted his dairy farm into a campground in the early 80s because Dan was allergic to cattle. More than 90 RV sites are arranged on top of a rise while the barn, comfort facilities, and some 20 more hookups are in a kind of bowl down below. We were offered a tent space near the barn, and beneath a tall oak tree, one of only a few around. Shade was imperative after a day in the sun.
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The showers and toilets are inside a sprawling clubhouse. Scott called it the ultimate “man cave,” because it’s furnished with air hockey, pinball machines, shuffleboard, video games, ping pong, and slouchy furniture set in front of a TV. Off to one side is a stove, sink, pots, and pans. In another corner a washer and dryer. Good WiFi has been generally hard to find on our long journey, and so it was here. I could not connect at all with my iPad, but Scott was able to connect with his MacBook Air. The power blinked out for a few seconds and the network went down completely. We decided to call it a night.
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This was not a high mileage day, but the route had reacquainted us with what climbing elevation feels like. I made my first acquaintance with the dreaded black flies and deer flies that were breeding in the boggy areas in the woods beside the roads. (For some reason, they did not bother Scott. I’d like to know what that reason is, so I can replicate it for myself). The head net purchased back in Michigan protected my head, neck, and face, and the lemon oil and eucalyptus repelled the deer flies. Still, some infernal pest found every unprotected spot. Like the base of my fingers where they join the palm, my knuckles, and the tops and backs of my knees. The welts took a few hours to appear, but once raised, brought on spasms of intense itching, interrupting my precious sleep.
Today's ride: 51 miles (82 km)
Total: 2,480 miles (3,991 km)
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