Walpole, New Hampshire

Wednesday, August 4th

I set out this morning at about 8:00 A.M. with my Mom, Kathy Ruseckas, from Leyden, Massachusetts. We travelled the back roads into Vermont, along the Green River. At the top of a nice big hill and one hour out, she turned back, as she had to receive company, but it was a great emotional boost to have her with me to start. Thanks, Mom!

Dropping down into Brattleboro from the west, I headed North on Route 5, almost all the way to Bellows Falls, Vermont, where I crossed the Connecticut River into Walpole, New Hampshire! Not more than a couple miles up the road from the bridge is my uncle's house, with my maternal grandparents' apartment attached. That's where I'm staying tonight.

Just after I set up my tent, at the top of an incline above my uncle's house, I stood up after a job well done. I looked up at the beautiful blue sky. Right in my view, not that far above me, was a bald eagle! It was stunning with the sun shining off the white feathers of its head and tail. I think it will end up being one of the more memorable sights of my entire journey, and I take it for a good omen, coming as it did near the start of the trip.

Even though this stage was exciting because it was the first of the actual touring, it was uneventful and seemed rather banal. I was excited later, when I was eating lunch in Walpole, and seeing my grandparents and my uncle. One cool thing that I did spot along the way was another B.O.B. trailer just like mine heading in the other direction. That was fun to see, though I am sure it was not carrying enough to have been part of a real serious bike trip. It was probably more like a picnic lunch.

Total ride distance:  40 miles
Total ride time:  3.5 hours
Total elevation change:  +500 feet

On to Stage 4: To Manchester, NH

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