Nova Scotia Bicycle Tour -- Day 1 White Mountains

Nova Scotia Tour
Day 1 White Mountains, New Hampshire

Group shot of Tom's friends from the Seven Hills Wheelmen
Front Row: Bill, Dave, Steve, Paul
Back Row: Kathleen, Joyce, Lorraine, George, Standing: Doug

Memorial Day Weekend at Steve's has been a Seven Hills tradition for several years now. Steve's a terrific host who loves to ski and bike in the White Mountains with his friends. For those of you who have read my previous tour reports, the group photo on the left contains many familiar faces.

The White Mountains are one of my favorite areas for cycling. Most of the major roads have generous shoulders. The views are magnificent. Add to this the challenging climbs and fast descents crossing the notches or passes that separate the valleys. With plenty of motels and campgrounds, this is an ideal bicycle touring destination.

We rose to a beautiful day. Warm and sunny. High temperature reached the 70's. After a big breakfast and the usual pre-ride preparations, we set off on a long road ride. Since this was just a day ride, I rode my road bike.

We headed south out of Barlett, NH on West Side Road to North Conway. This road has nice views of Cathedral Ledge, a popular rock climbing area. In North Conway we enjoyed a nice tailwind on US 302 as we headed East toward the Maine border. We picked up Route 113 North. After stopping at a nice bakery near Chatham we began the long tough climb up Evans Notch. We descended Evans Notch US 2 just East of Gorham in a strong headwind.

Cyclists climbing Evans Notch
Climbing Evans Notch

Kathleen, is a new cyclist. Unfortunately, some lessons in cycling we learn the hard way. Kathleen crashed while crossing railroad tracks at a shallow angle. Experienced cyclists always cross tracks at right angles. We stopped in Gorham. Kathleen's left arm did not look good. She could barely move her fingers. Lorraine stayed behind with Kathleen We agreed that the first person to arrive back at Steve's place would return to Gorham with a car to pick up Kathleen and Lorraine.

A road in the White Mountians (JPG 15576 bytes)
Somewhere in the White Mountains

The rest of us continued on South on Rte. 16 We enjoyed a nice tailwind as we climbed Pinkham Notch. I usually enjoy descending mountain passes. This time, I encountered erratic cross winds. As a result, this descent was rather scary.

By the time I got back to Steve's someone had already left to pick up Kathleen. When Kathleen arrived back at Steve's her arm was no better. Steve drove her to a hospital emergency room. Our distance for the day was 87.5 miles.

A while later, Steve us called from the hospital. Kathleen had fractured her arm. The doctor was just finishing up. By this time it was getting late. Everyone was ravenous. Nobody felt like cooking. We met Kathleen and Steve at a restaurant in North Conway.

Continue to Day 2.