Morning, daylight reaching through my windows to inform me that it's time to start the day. That streaming light came through very early; sunrise here in Jonesport was at 4:46 this morning. (I read earlier this year that the state of Maine is considering switching from Eastern to Atlantic time zone - that sunrise time could be part of the reason!) There was still fog hanging off of the coast, but the ground was dry. That was a wonderful sign, and the start of a good riding day.
Of course I started my day with another good breakfast and conversation with Maureen. That's part of the reason I like staying in B&Bs; it's always fun to chat with the folks who own them. Right after breakfast, it was time to hit the road. My bike and I started the day by getting a lift in my bright blue car to the town of Machias on Route 1. That seemed like a good starting point for my wander along the coast. I quickly rolled off of the busier (but not too busy) Route 1 to a narrow and quieter road leading through Cutler. I didn't have an exact destination in mind, somewhere along route 191 sounded like a good plan. And yes, I did an out-and-back ride today. There were loop possibilities that included 191, but this was planned as a 'not Route 1' day, so out-and-back it was.
The road was beautiful, two lanes with no shoulders, some houses, trees, fields, and a decent number of water views too. A day of rollers, up, down, up, down... I assumed that hills would be part of my day since I started and ended on Route 1, which runs inland in a somewhat straight line away from the very jagged coastline. (OK, OK, it's really not straight, but it is when you compare it to the coast!) I was hoping that my ride wouldn't be all down on the way out and all up on the way back. It wasn't. The entire ride was rolling, what a nice surprise. And it was a beautiful scenery day too. I stopped at the library in Cutler to take a picture of the harbor, since the building was situated on a hill looking down at the water. There was a woman working on a painting at that spot too, and her collie - although leashed and attached to a fence - went into guard dog mode. The dog calmed down after her owner's assurance that I was allowed to visit, and she (the dog) even allowed me to take her picture. Nice dog!
Ah, a swoop down to the harbor. Yes, I did have to stop again to take more pictures. And I had to talk to one of the men who was standing at the boat ramp. He asked where I rode from, and I had to disappoint him by telling him that although I am from the Boston area I am just doing day rides in the area. We talked about touring a bit though, and he told me about meeting Renata Chlumska, a Swedish woman who is circumnavigating the United States by bicycle and kayak. What I found very interesting is that this is the second time on this trip that I've heard part of Renata's story. She actually stayed at Harbor House B&B (my home for the last 2 nights). Maureen said that one night she got a call from the Coast Guard saying they had a woman who needed a place to stay for the night. I wish I could have been there at the same time; it would have been interesting to talk with her.
Down the road a bit more... ah, I think it is time to turn around. My intent today was to ride 20 miles out, then return. Did I really ride 40 miles today? That's a guess based on the partial mileage on my computer, and my maps. The ride back was just as pleasant as the ride out, with the weather improving as the miles rolled by. From chilly and foggy, to chilly and less foggy, to patches of blue sky, to what felt like rising temperatures. Can I put in an order for a repeat of today's weather tomorrow?
So what happened to my computer? It worked perfectly at both the beginning and end of my ride, so I really don't think there is anything wrong with it. When it stopped recording miles, I stopped to check the magnet and the sensor. Both looked to be in the right place. I could hear that funny little sound when the magnet passed the sensor. The batteries are new. Why do I keep having these weird problems with my little wireless computer? My suspicion today is that the Cutler Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station might have had something to do with it. (Yes, you guessed right - I rode by there not once but twice today!) This is a "VLF (very low frequency) antenna and transmitter station that is a communications link between regular navy communications systems and ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans." It has 2 principal antenna arrays that are composed of 26 radio towers. Curious. It's just a suspicion - I could be totally off base here, but I really can't figure out what else could have caused this behavior. Now, if the computer had stopped working and continued not to work I would have figured it was either a battery or a defective computer. But when it worked at both the beginning and end of the ride...
My bike jumped in to the back of the car for our ride to Bar Harbor. But I had a stop to make along the way. The Schoodic Peninsula was calling once more. The lack of visibility when my bike and I wandered down there on Friday left me with the desire to see it again in what I hoped would be better lighting conditions. I had a second motive though, to visit Raven's Nest. Maureen told me about this spot. It used to be signed, but the Park Service removed the sign for some reason; having someone tell you that the trail even exists is very helpful. It's a spot where the cliffs have eroded into a W shape, and it was absolutely beautiful. My level of discomfort standing on the edges of cliffs stopped me from going too close to the edge, but I think I still managed to get some good pictures.
My last stop for the day was at the tip of the peninsula, a very rocky but walkable coastline, with sea gulls posing for photographs. Watching the waves, purple iris reflecting in standing pools of water, black basalt running through lighter colored rocks, fog banks hovering over the water. How many times can I say beautiful? I think I need another word...
Back on the road again, one more night in Bar Harbor. My plans for tomorrow are to ride the Park Loop Road again. My hopes are that I get to ride on dry roads, but the weather forecast is calling for showers yet again. Only the morning will tell.
Ah, an after-ride photo of myself. Amazingly enough, I only seem to have a little case of helmet-head.
A nice touch in my room tonight... a stained glass window between the room and the bathroom. With the bathroom light on, the window glows nicely.
