Day 42: State # 11

62.58 mi max 48.0 4:41.44 avg 13.3

Today's ride was like Quabbin ride...maybe a few steeper downhills (I've only ever hit 43). I did it in well under 5 hours. I can't wait to go home! By this time next week, I'll be halfway to Kim & Dom's from DC: 100 miles out of town.

I rode alone today, which was fine! In Midland, I met up with Heidi & Matt of grad school fame. It was so awesome of them to come down! I do have the best friends in the world. And I talked to Ellen today....I definitely have a place to stay when I get into Boston!

Midland's heyday - if it ever had one - happened well before we arrived. There really wasn't much in the town, aside from 2 or 3 nuclear power plants - a very depressed place. The diner in town was good, though. Or maybe we've gotten to the point where any kind of food is good food.

The hills were more intense than they have been. That made things a bit more challenging for me. But...I did it well and I'm happy with that.

I stopped at a Subway just before camp, where Moon & a bunch of other people were hanging out. He went to Iraq as a soldier and was telling us stories about what it was like over there. Moon also talked about the readjustment to the real world...and we wondered if we'll have to do the same thing - be reprogrammed to fit in with "regular" people...

The campground this evening is pretty limited. The "camp store" consists of two soda machines. There are no laundry facilities (should have taken care of that last night). In fact, there isn't much of anything. They gave us this really big hill to set up on. Fortunately, there are trees at the top of the hill, so for those who are willing to put forth a little more effort, a REAL backcountry campsite can be had - and it's flat!