Ann Arbor to Bar Harbor : Day 15

North Woodstock had changed considerably overnight. When I arrived late yesterday, it was crowded with tourists and the drone of Harleys was almost too much. This morning the bikers were gone and it was quiet and I saw kayakers and hikers getting ready to head out for adventure.

I powered down an omelet at the town restaurant and headed out to the Kancamagus Hwy, which goes through the White Mountain National Forest. The scenery surpassed any I had seen on this tour. The fall colors were magnificent and the mountains were majestic. There were some very hard climbs that slowed my pace until I hit the summit at 2855 feet, when I started a long descent - a 7% grade that lasted over 4 miles. This was going to be my final mountain descent of the tour. The pavement was in pretty good condition and the traffic was moderate. I have had a lot of practice at these descents over the past week. I was ready. I soared down the mountain road governing my speed only when necessary by braking at short intervals. It was a thrill I will never forget and it gave my burning legs a needed rest.

I got into Maine around at 1:00PM. Traffic was heavy due to the annual Fryeburg Fair. To complicate matters, SR5 heading north was in bad condition and I had to grind it out for about 15 miles. After that the route was good I made it to Bridgton for a total of 72 miles for the day. I am still approximately 200 miles from Bar Harbor – another 2.5 days.