Appalachian spring

Yesterday: about 40 miles and 1000 feet cumulative elevation gain
Today: 57 miles and 3500 feet
Weather: Sunny and 80's
Attitude: Tired but blissful

Hard to imagine two more beautiful days of riding. Yesterday, after morning stop at Starbucks, we once again crossed the Delaware and had an easy 40 mile ride along the river, probably the easiest day of the trip so far.Today was also along the river. Easy? Not so much. Lots of very steep hills, one so steep and rough that we had to walk DOWN it.

 I am in love with the beautiful Delaware River valley and would really like to come back here. These tiny, winding roads following the river, dotted with delightful little towns, farms, beautiful hardwood forests. Spring birdsong; Today I heard Veery, Hermit Thrush, Catbird, Eastern Wood Peewee, Cardinal, and of course many more that I could not identify.

I guess we were officially in the Appalachians today, as were were actually on the Appalachian trail for about a mile as we crossed the Delaware River (for something like the 8th time) again. Back and forth between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, tonight we are once again in PA.

Yesterday, just a couple miles from the end of the ride, PFFFFT, my front tire blew out. I had run over a big piece of broken bottle, put a big slice in my tire. Had to get a whole new tire and tube, and actually a 2nd tube, as the first one for some reason would not hold air. So glad the SAG and a bike stop were both nearby.

At most of the bridges crossing the Delaware, there is a little house at each end of the bridge and a guy sitting in there. But these aren't drawbridges, so what gives? I asked one of the guys and he says he's just there to watch for big trucks trying to cross....?  I don't get it. To collect tolls, or what?  But there aren't any toll gates or toll rates posted.....?

On the Appalachian Trail! Note the miles to Springer Mt., and Mt. Katahdin.

One of many crossings of the Delaware

Crossing the Delaware, again

Nancy and I at the Delaware Water Gap

Built by the same guy who built the Brooklyn Bridge

I guess they have some floods here. That sign on the house is a high water mark from 1955.

coffee stop

Narrow road...river is down to the left

Much of the last couple of days on roads like this 

Much of today's ride was through this pretty woods.