Chilly night. Found out heater has lo, med, & high heat level settings. Spent heat comfortable night but traffic noise provide its own discomfort. Pancakes for Bfast. Grocery shop again at A & P.
Headed back to NY and back into Jersey to Wawayanda SP. Parked at boat launch and no bike riders. Nobody replied to my web posting. Beautiful day. Headed out with park supplied map. Wandered around.
Viewed old iron furnace that smelted iron back in mid 1800s. Resource extraction. Can’t live with environmental damage and can’t live with out what it produces.
Rock gardens coming on strong. Rode a few feet of some and walked a bunch of feet on others.
Ran into Rhodendron thickets that are almost inpenetratable like my first lost experience in PA 33 years ago:
Add another fall to the log: front wheel caught in a rut, stalled it and flung me down on my left side. Couple of bruises forth coming.
Back @ TH, just too beautiful to load up. Talked to a rider heading out.
Drove out of Jersey and over Delaware Water gap. Lots of traffic. Drove into Jim Thorpe for next bunch of rides. Town in tight valley. Pulled into parking lot just off Main. A couple with a double touring kayak on their car talked to me for several minutes, gave me their version of local news. Walked around building to go to bike shop on Main. Woman on street across from store greets me with ride info from shop and local news. She even open the shop and gave me a for sale guide book.
Drove up out of valley to XG. Pull in, office closed, started to drive away. Car pulls up, XG manager. Start visiting. Fee is $20. Said too much, asked where else park for free, he said Walmart. Just about to drive away and he says there are showers here but it would be cold getting out. He then said I have never seen you but if you camp here and leave before 7:00 you’re good. he then continued to visit with me. he was taken by my mountain biking the states and perceived me to be a different person. He is envious of me; he wants to adventure like this but can’t let go of his anchor. 68 years old, cancer survivor. Pulled into campsite poised for rapid get away.
Getting way chilly. Walked up to shower. Restroom no heated. Shower nozzle sent a diverse spray of about body heat temp. Required keeping constant pulling on a string to keep h2o on. Started shivering thinking I might go hypodermic in a shower. Back to van and turned on the heat.
Walked down to lake in twilight. Canadian geese were talking and small groups flew just above surface of h2o. Watched several geese pull some flying stunts.
Hunkered down inside van enjoying heat. No idea of temp outside but forecast tonight is 28 deg.
World series on XM. In PA should find some Phillies fans. Need to go to a bar one night and watch it.
Closing up early to go to bed.
Craig,
You should watch the world series. Tonight was a good one. Philadelphia almost came back in the last two innings. I am envious of your adventures too.
Randy
Randy,
The games start here at 8:30PM. I listen to XM till about 10:00 and go to bed. I have yet to really set myself up for watching a game and then going to bed.
Just imagine all the talking I will be doing when I return. Schedule a meeting and I will give a talkathon.
“Just imagine all the talking I will be doing when I return” …no imagination required. The area I just got back from in GA said the mtn biking events in the Atlanta olympics took place in Conyers, GA. The area around there seem pretty nice, but don’t know if it meets your needs. Oconee NF is there.