Day 44 Ticonderoga to Hanover (Brandon Gap)

Well one has to love a ride that starts with a ferry crossing over Lake Champlain. A definite first for me. We just missed the boat (so to speak) so had time to watch the operation and try to keep warm. I found that jumping in the van was very effective. Eventually we made our way onto the flat decked boat along with the rest of the “A” team and the luggage van.

The captain was friendly and as we were the fourth group from our tour to make the crossing, he was up to speed on our intentions. He was kind enough to point out Fort Ticonderoga which was important in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. He also pointed out additional important landmarks so I felt I got to know a little more about the area.

Once we hit land, it was time to go back to work. The weather was crisp, blustery but thankfully dry. We even had patches of sunshine in the afternoon. All day we enjoyed the fall colors as one can see in the photos and video. The premier cycling feature was the Brandon Gap that featured a long steady climb of over 5 miles with prolonged sections in the 8-10 % grade. The descent almost made up for the climb as it wasn’t much over 3% with good sight lines and very little traffic. The rest featured some time along the White River and an endless series of rolling hills. I rolled in with some of the C group as I had caught them with about 15 miles to go. We helped each other to the newly refurbished Hanover Inn, just on the edge of the Dartmouth College campus. After a quick shower, I walked the town and campus, enjoying a brief respite from riding and the fall day. It was Parent’s Weekend here so I blended in well.

Of note today we had a Trek sponsored photographer and I thank him for the photos. Look for some to be included in an upcoming Trek Cross Country description on their website.

Tomorrow is our last big day and arguably the biggest on the the tour. It has lots of climbing and is just under a century long. We are nearing the end of the tour and thinking about it is bittersweet. Susan will arrive in Portland Maine tomorrow and we should arrive in the early afternoon on Saturday.