Days 2 and 3

Day 2—50 miles
Not gonna lie—day 2 was rough. It had stormed all night (even the people in the surrounding RVs were marveling about the power of the elements). At about 7:30, some more rain came, so the three of us took refuge in our only standing tent—Lisa’s. When the precipitation abated, we ran up to the rec room of the campsite to check the forecast. It called for more rain in the afternoon, so we decided to take off during the break. Lisa continued to suffer for her tent. What was once a hefty 6 or 7 pounds then weighed at least 10 because it was wet. On top of our waterlogged gear, our maps were super crazy…They had us turning all over the place to avoid traffic. In the meantime, I’m pretty sure we rode on every mountain road in central New Jersey. Thankfully, there are kind people all over the place, and we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere were it not for their directions, advice and generosity.
Some thanks from day 2:
To Theresa at the campsite: Many thanks for the forks. I can’t say that not having utensils would stop us from eating, but having them certainly makes the cleanup easier.
To the guy we met at the Gateway Motel: Good luck on your AT hike! Your advice was invaluable, not only because it was practical, but also because it lifted our spirits. Rocky Mountains, here we come!!
To Glenn at the PA welcome center: Double heart to you. One for the maps, and the other for being so nice.
To Charlene, Matt, Zane and the guy on the blue Ninja: You guys are sweethearts and incredibly generous. Remember, if you’re ever in our areas (hiking the AT or doing your own bike trip), you have places to stay. Tell Duke Two to watch out for cars. Good luck with your remodeling project!

Day 3—92 miles
Oh.
My.
God.
If you are on a bike in the state of Pennsylvania, avoid at all costs Hickory Run State Park. Beautiful scenery. Horrible hills. Steep, mountainous expanses that never end.

We will not speak of this day again.

The evening, however, was fantastic! We spent the night with Freda’s college roommate, Ginny, and her partner, Angie. What a gorgeous house! That night in Danville, PA allowed our muscles and minds to recuperate a bit. Obrigada.
Another big thank you to Kenny, the Danville bike mechanic/pastor who came upon us at the side of the road and stopped to give our bikes a free tune up. He was not too optimistic about the capabilities of Lisa’s bike.