Days 1-4 Quebec to Bingham, ME

No one said it was going to be easy. I kind of expected the first week to be a week of adjustments. Getting used to riding with the weight. Getting into biking shape. Getting used to my bike and learning how to fix minor problems. After taking care of sending a last round of emails and mailing some stuff home, I set off Monday afternoon.

The first thing I noticed was how much slower I was going with my full load. Without any gear, I can average 17-18 mph pretty comfortably, but with the additional 65 lbs of gear I was going about 12 mph. Maybe I’m just out of shape. My first adventure that day came when I tried to figure out how to leave Quebec. There are only two bridges that cross the Saint Lawrence River to leave Quebec, one being a major highway. After struggling to find the entrance ramp for the smaller bridge, I decided to try the major highway bridge, only to get pulled over by a cop who tells me (in French) that I can’t bike on that highway as there is no shoulder on the bridge section. After riding around in what seemed like a maze of entrance and exit ramps, I finally found the second bridge and was on my way. At around 6:30 pm, it started to get dark. So I pulled over, found a nice little grassy field and set up my tent without any problems.

After spending about an hour packing up all my stuff (tent, sleeping bag and pad, pannier bags), I started biking. An hour in, it started to rain. I decided to try to wait it out, but after it didn’t stop I decided to give it a try. I bought some pretty good rain gear prior to leaving, which kept everything besides my hands and feet dry. After riding all day in wet shoes, I developed a sore throat, which evolved into a fever and body aches. Not only did I get sick from the rain, but the next morning my bike looked like crap, as the chain and crank were completely rusty. Lesson learned: always clean and wipe dry your bike after a ride. The next day I still felt sick, so I took the day off to get well. I also took my bike to a bike shop, who fixed it like new. Day 4.

Today I was focused on catching up for lost time. I left the motel at 6:30 and started riding towards the US border. A cold front hit the area and I rode in windy, 40F conditions all day. But the ride was really nice. Beautiful foliage, Mountainous countryside, and no traffic whatsoever. There really was nothing in this area. I thought I would see an occasional home or gas station, but for stretches of 30 miles (in between the smallest towns) there was nothing but forest. The border patrol looked at me kind of funny when I crossed the border, and did a pretty thorough search of my bags. I guess he didn’t believe my story and thought I was just smuggling drugs across the border. After 95 miles, I finally got to Bingham, ME. I checked myself into a motel, as the low was supposed to drop to the mid 20s that night. There was no way I was camping in that.

Stats: Day 1: Quebec to Scott, QC : half day, 35 miles, cloudy and occasional light showers, 50-60 F, no hills

Day 2: Scott, QC to Saint Georges, QC: 50 miles, rainy, 50-60, slight hills

Day 3: sick day

Day 4: Saint Georges, QC to Bingham, ME: 94 miles, sunny, 30-40, crossed Apalachian mountains