Today will mark the end of my 2009 tour-de-water bike adventure. At least for a while, this will be the last time I hook up the trailer, panniers and other life support needed to pedal the wide and open spaces and scenic byways. It has been a daily routine firmly implanted in my core being since the beginning of the ride. Packing and unpacking, everything had its place and needed to fit in the limited luggage arrangements. Weight was a concern, but then again if it would fit or could be stowed it was going, and on average I was lugging some 120 pounds of carry-on. My sixteen year-old Trek touring bike was holding up well and doing the job, trekking like a true mule, in the good sense of the word!
By 8:30 I was ready to hit the road and was in for a scenic treat on route to my final destination. Back on the main road in Willsboro the terrain gradually became steeper and steeper, leading up to the Ausable chasm near Keeseville. This tourist attraction sometimes referred to as the little Grand Canyon of the East, boasts three rainbow falls, plunging a hundred feet deep into the sandstone gorge and Ausable river. From there it carves a way through the foothills of the Adirondacks and out into Lake Champlain. The downhill was long and resilient and soon turned towards the lake where the terrain flattened out for the remainder of the trip. In the meanwhile the weather had become more turbulent and delivered a stubborn headwind. So whatever gained by elevation loss was negated by the wind. I crossed the border at Rouses Point where the friendly customs agent took a great deal of interest in my trip itinerary and warned me of the poor road conditions ahead. Once in Canada the plan was for my brother, a resident of Montreal, together with my father, who had flown in from Amsterdam for the occasion, to meet me somewhere at a yet to be defined location outside the city. By dusk that plan came to fruition and somewhere on the side of the road with nothing but fields of corn as a backdrop was the end of the line. Before we packed it in there was a breef victory reception complete with Heineken, smoked fish and a traditional Dutch treat called "gevulde koek" hand delivered from the Netherlands. A dream come true finish for an unforgettable journey! Heerlijk Helder Heineken!
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