My Big (Wet) Ride Day in the White Mountains - 77.5 miles.

Well, today was the day for the "big ride" -- it's just taper from now until Saturday.

According to my GPS, total mileage was 77.5 mi.   (Bike computer said 78. Meh.)

Anyway, you can see the route and detailed stats online here.

The day started off great, but clouds rolled in.   By the time I'd made it back to route 112, it was pretty clear I wasn't going to out-ride the rain. It came down hard, moving to the east.  I was able to ditch out to a picnic shelter in the Wildwood Camping area and waited out the rain for about 20 minutes.   After the rain passed, the sun came out and the roads were steaming.   I gutted it back up the long climb to Beaver Pond where I stopped again, just before that long 3-4 mile 10% grade leading down to N. Woodstock.  I cleaned all the wet road gunk off my brakes and rims before starting off on that last exhilarating downhill to lunch.

Last year, I was able to get the bike to 60+ mph on the descent from Beaver Pond to N. Woodstock --  but that was definitely NOT in the cards for today, with the wet brakes, wet roads and the scary cross-winds that blow in off Lost River Gorge from the left.  It was plenty scary keeping it around 50mph (I happened to glance down at my legs on the way down, and every hair was standing straight up.  Made me laugh at myself.)  At any rate, I did a respectable speed down to N. Woodstock, and re-fueled at the Woodstock Inn.

On the way back up, I got caught in yet another rain storm and had to duck in at the Indian Head Lodge off route 3.   The storm only lasted 10 minutes or so, and I was on my way again.   The ride back up from N. Woodstock to Mittersill was slow but shady, and I could just about do it in my sleep by now.    When I arrived, Sandy my mom and Sandy's mom were sitting out by the duck pond and greeted me.   A wonderful end to a successful (but wet) ride in the White Mountains!