To Byfield, Massachusetts, Take Two

The distance from Kittery, ME, to Byfield, MA, is only about 30 miles, so I didn't start this stage until after 3:00 P.M. on the 17th. I was having so much fun with Tyler that I didn't make myself leave right away, and even then, Tyler looked so sad when I said I was finally leaving. I had originally intended to arrive in Byfield before Madeline got home from work, but it wasn't meant to be and I arrived just before 6:00 P.M. while she was harvesting squash from the garden.

The actual riding wasn't all that fun. My legs were very tired from the get-go, and as I have been telling some people, I often don't getting warmed up and really feeling good in a long ride until about 20 or 25 miles into it. The other major bummer of this stage was the wind. I was riding south along the coast on Route 1A and the wind seemed to be just about constantly blowing from the south. I must admit that although the wind was bothersome, riding the whole way on busy Route 1 would probably have been a worse fate. Some of the beaches and people were interesting to watch as I pedalled by, but for the most part the ride was hard work and short. I didn't get any free food, nor did I see any cool wildlife. I did see lots of other bikers, but they were all headed in the right direction: with the wind!

In a slight change of plans, I'm spending a second night in Byfield and then moving directly on to Lakeville, MA. I was going to make it a two-step journey, but I hadn't done all the arrangements for that, and I'd really like to sweep wide of Boston, rather than go through it. I'm sorry that I probably won't be seeing my brother, Guy, and I won't be taking up Jason's kind offer to crash at his place, but I'm getting just a tad bit tired of both logistics and this particular bike trip. It's a kind of tired that has nothing to do with quitting, but only being more focused on getting to the end rather than dawdling.

One thing about making it a one-step journey is that it will be a much longer ride. I think it will end up being about 100 miles, but even that could be an underestimation. Dan told me before I left on the tour that I ought to do a ride of about 150 miles just to do one. I think he's right in principle, and this upcoming ride will be my closest to that.

Total stage distance:  30 miles
Total stage time:  2.75 hours
Net elevation change:  0 feet

On to Stage 11: To Lakeville, Massachusetts

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