On Wednesday of this week I rode the Kancamagus highway. I started on the Conway side and left at about 10:30am. It was raining but it was a warm rain so it was okay. The rain really makes things smell good. Every now and then I would get a whiff of spruce pine. What a great smell! I made it a game to see how far I had to go before I would smell it again. Crazy? Yes, but it's what I had to do to focus my mind on something other than the hills.
The first leg of the climb was hard. In fact, I wasn't sure if I could do it because it was a constant, gradual climb. I had no choice but to keep going. As I climbed higher, the views got more and more majestic. I could see the sun peeking from behind the clouds and this thick fog was wrapped around the mountains but slowly dissipating. Finally I got to the top of the mountain and stopped long enough to take a quick photo and inhale a Luna bar. Notice there is not a water bottle on my bike. Yes, that was a no-no. Never forget your water bottle.
The descent was heaven. I mean literally. At first, I cruised through some rain but eventually it was nothing but blue sky and sun! Well, maybe a few clouds in the sky but it was nice to finally see the sun. It had been raining for about a week. I found a little cafe on the side of the road, ordered a smoothie and rested for a bit. Riding back the hills seemed easier. Alot of that had to do with the fact that sun was at my back. What a great feeling! Once I reached the top, cruising down the other side towards Conway felt like it took forever. The rain had picked up and there was a stream of cars every now and again. Cars are a distraction particularly on this road. I kept looking at the mountains for inspiration. That worked. Eventually I made it back to the car. It was 5:45pm. A days work. Happy to say, I spent it riding my bike.
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