Day 47: 12th State Line Crossing, Vermont's Green Mountains and New Hampshire's (?) White Mountains

Gil's Cliff Notes:
Only a 76 mile ride but hard. Tons of climbing as crossed Green mountains. Very hot. Understand it got to 99 degrees here in Brattleboro, VT, an all-time record. There were numerous serious hills then at 35 miles a 7.5 mile climb with 2.5 of those miles being very steep. With the heat and humidity this really taxed my system. Then after a major down-hill there was a second climb that went on and on and on up Hogback Mountain. Very hard. Too hot. I was sweating like a dog but did not stop. Over 7100 ft. of climbing today! Drank a tremendous amount of water and gator today. We crossed into Vermont. Got to hotel just after 3 PM. Showered and went into town and the Riverside Cafe. I had 5 root beers - one of them being a float for desert after my black angus burger. Doesn't get much better. Brattleboro is something of an artist/hippie community. Lots of young people with piercings. Lots of young people stoned. Made mistake of trying to converse with some of these people about where to eat. In two cases just incomprehensible. Don't they know the counter-culture ended in the late 60's? They should find their own identity!

Pictures added to yesterday's post.

The trip's almost over! (After six weeks of making sure her cell is always on her somewhere that she'll notice the vibration - even though she often misses the step of turning the phone ON *ahem* - she went out back to read and water the lawn today without taking the portable house phone with her. When Dad called and I went to get her, she went, "oh! I forgot about that! We're seeing him tomorrow, so I feel like his trip is done now.")

We're not sure exactly what part of the schedule is mucked up, but Dad said that they crossed the Green Mountains (listed as being in Vermont today) and the White Mountains (listed as being in New Hampshire and tomorrow). Yet they're definitely staying in Brattleboro, VT, so the best I can figure are that the White Mountains aren't quite in NH after all. Today was a very hard day despite the reasonable mileage, given the mountain ranges, elevation gain, heat, and humidity. It reminded him of a bit of the temperature back home (near DC) - the sky was a bit wiped out, there was a lot of humidity and it was hazy. In that weather I stay indoors with a strong air conditioner; forget going outside unless absolutely necessary, let alone EXERCISING for six-eight hours (!) outside. He was "so busy pedaling" that he didn't stop to take many pictures today. The haze didn't make for great photography conditions anyway. Like he said, everybody drank a tremendous amount of fluid today, and they all needed it. Said he could have drank even more than those five root beers he had at the cafe.

He gave me the details on a "monument-like picture," but it's not among the ones he sent me. I'll give you a little story anyway. It was somewhere he believes was called Binnington (spelling may be quite off, since I was hearing his pronunciation over a cell network), there's a monument similar in shape to the Washington Monument. It has to do with the revolutionary war, and it's where (he thinks) the US forces defeated the French in "some battle" that was "apparently an important turning point in the war." Anyway, it was very impressive, at least 200 feet tall or more, and just sitting out in the countryside in a very pretty little town. (Edited to add: You can see a picture of this monument on Peg & Don's blog, which is also linked to on the left. I don't know these people, but I did notice the picture when I was confirming the links.)

Another little story: A few days ago we got a message on the house machine that was a bit cryptic, but referenced receiving our payment and shipping the raccoon. Mom came to me one night and asked somewhat suspiciously and skeptically, "Jean? Did you...order a raccoon?" "Nooooo...?" "Maybe they made some kind of mistake and it wasn't your father." We finally remembered to ask him about it tonight, and it was definitely my father. At some point he apparently saw fit to order a raccoon skin. (A step up from maggot-infested tail carcass, at least.) "Where are you planning on keeping this, honey?" "On the dresser." "I'm really glad we don't share dressers."

Anyway. He said it's nice to be down to the last day - one more "real" ride tomorrow, 87 miles and lots of hills. Suspects that he won't get in until between 3 and 4 pm, by which time most of his family will be at various airports (or even in the air in Susan's case) on the way to meet him in Boston. We'll probably be able to blog on tomorrow's ride and Friday's grand, 20 mile finale, since I'll hopefully have room in my carry-on for the laptop and the hotel has wireless. (She requested that I not ask you all to join me in harassing her if she couldn't manage carry-on only; she says she's very sensitive.)