I have been on a project for work in Boston for the last two months. It has been cold, and it has been snowy. Coming from warmer climes, I didn’t know about driving in snow storms, not using high-beams in blizzards and how important it is to clear the snow on the car roof and bonnet. I am now versed in the ways of the New England winter. Now it is time for the spring – and then the summer – and my big cycle trip.. Yay!
I saw the first sign of spring during my Easter in the Adinrondack Mountains in up-state New York. I was there with some friends (Candice and Sarah), staying in a beautiful log cabin in Peasleeville. On Easter Saturday the sun came out and the mercury rose. The white winter landscape twinkled in the sun as it slowly prepared to melt – over the coming two months. But, for me, the white would remain and I breathed in the beauty.
I saw the blue of my cabin window and jumped out of bed. Such a morning could not be wasted. A jogging loop through the hills was in order. On the map it didn’t look too far. In practice it was further than it looked. (I didn’t check the scale.) Through charming farming land, and through wooded hills.
Peasleeville barn
Strackville Road
25 km and a big breakfast later, Candice, Sarah and I took out the bikes. This was my first bike trip in the USA. It was a short one (21 km), to a little iced over lake. We had visions of a longer trip, but, as we had more planned for the day, we cut it short to make alternative use of the brilliant sun.
Lake in Macomb Park
And then, keen to see the amazing views on a clear day that I seen from mountain tops on cloudy days, we decided to scale the local mountain out the back of the cabin.
The sun was really shining brightly now, and it was actually quite warm.
On the way up Mt Terry.
It was a steep, snowy climb up a four-wheel track to a communications tower at the top of the mountain. In fact, the tower was not at the highest point. This, however, was not reachable in the winter. I tried my best, bush-bashing cross-country. The snow was deep and, being warm, unstable. I ended my hike in a frozen but thawing bog near the summit. It was beautiful, tranquil, and utterly silent.
Bog at Mt. Terry.
So, without planning it before-hand, I had done 3 different activities outdoors. 25km running, 21km cycling and 9km mountain hiking. And then a big dinner in the wood cabin with the fire burning.
arctic-cycler.com 