Flat Tires Day 29

4/13/2015

Rode 76 miles

Rode approx. 5:13 hrs

I am starting to get hungry all the time, all I can think about at this point is food. If you have ever experienced any long distance hiking you know what I am talking about, that hiker hunger! The insatiable feeling when you stop to eat crushed and trampled M&M’s you find in the trail after you have already consumed 5,000 plus calories that day but you are still staving.

I set up camp at a lake, mosquitos were swarming me trying to exsanguinate me as I set up my tent between the down pours and thunder storms. Driving the tent stakes into the ground while slapping handfuls of the little blood suckers. After finally setting up my green Timberlight tent I dive into the sanctuary leaving the vestibule open and zipping the interior door of my tent as fast as possible. I lay on my back smashing the buzzing insects against the tents celling and walls leaving behind red smears of my blood. It started raining again, I sit up in the tent abandoning my slaughter of the mosquitoes as I open the tent to zip up the vestibule as water starts to splash into the tent. Once I finish zipping everything up, I continue my massacre.

Another late start the next day, after stopping at the Dollar Store to eat ice cream, bag of chips and jerky, a guy cycled up behind me (Dutch) and started talking to me as we were pedaling. Dutch was cycling the Southern Tier, also. We decided to split a room after I talked him into going 20 miles more, which actually ended up being 30, I missed one of the mile markers on the map. He ended up with 117 ish miles for that day. It worked out great for me, I had someone to pace. Even though I didn’t get started until about noon today I still got over 70 miles and split the cost of a hotel room that included a pool and hot tub.

Stopped at a liquor store to get information on a hotel and to get some soda, the guy working the register gave them to us for free, that was great! Got to the hotel and we were checking in and couldn’t remember Dutch’s real name. When I asked him his real name, which is Clark, the lady looked at us quizzically from behind the desk and asked,” you don’t know each other?” “Nope, we just meet 30 miles ago.” The lady sent snacks to our room which was awesome.

She had a beautiful white husky who was afraid of the bikes. The dog reminded me off one of my dogs.

Drank a White IPA by New Belgium and munched on the snacks in the hot tub. Great end to the day!