June 20, 1989
Fryeburg to Lewiston
Today was pretty slow going. This part of Maine is all low country, but it is studded with many small, very steep hills. In some stretches it feels more like the San Juans. We seem to be tiring easily. It is probably about time for a day off from the bikes.
We had breakfast in Lovell, six miles from the campground. The countryside is very pretty here, and fits my picture of what Maine should look like - dense, mysterious woods alternating with calm reflective ponds. Everywhere there are stone fences, some of them overgrown by th woods. Some are casually piled boulder heaps, and other are carefully and neatly laid granite blocks.
Over breakfast we sent our first postcards - one to each of our fathers for a late fathers' day greeting, ont to work to let them know that we are still intact, and not yet flattened pancakes. I'm having a somewhat difficult day today, partly because of yesterday's blackfly attack - I am rather swollen and deformed in various areas, and uncomfortable - but also because Rachael has won all three cribbage games in Maine thus far, and has assumed the lead for the trip.
Later - I was unable to complete this entry until a day later (in Moose Point State Park) because when we finished our ride, at a motel in Lewiston, I lay down to rest while Rachael took a bath and then basically did not wake up from 6 PM until dawn.
This was the hardest day of the tour so far. I ended up overheated, swollen and uncomfortable from bites, and weary. Rachael was some but not much better off. It was hot today, in the low nineties; and there were many unexpected and steep hills to surmount. The last fifteen miles into Lewiston featured strong headwinds and heavy traffic, leaving us both drained by the time we found a room. We staged a halfhearted debate over whether to take in some urban attractions - go swimming, head into downtown to explore around, and so on - but settled on wandering up the road to a delightful little sandwich shop (called Friends) for dinner and then returned to the room for aa badly needed rest.
A few other notes from the day, which Rachael reminded me of: there were two painfully long and steep hills to climb - one, in particular climbed 1000 feet between South Paris and Buckfield. We revived ourselves on the other side with ice cream and blueberry pie. Hmm - I've forgotten what else. It was a tough day. (I've thought about this day many times over the years, in connection with other days I ended up defeated. My theory is that I was experiencing an early SVT (racing heartbeat) episode, and hadn't learned to recognize the symptoms yet).
Today's ride: 68 miles (109 km)
Total: 364 miles (586 km)
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