| I slept in, recovering from the last few days. The morning
was overcast, but I was optimistic. I should have checked the Weather
Channel, as it turns out!
I got breakfast at the HoJo, and planned a very aggressive, Holbrook type route. All backroads, the smaller the better! I was going to make the most of it! I jumped on I 80 to 94, just east of the Water Gap. As soon as I turned off, it started to rain lightly. I pulled over and put on rain gear, since the skies looked a bit threatening. But I continued on my original plan. I followed 94 into Blairstown, where I jumped on 602 towards Franklin Grove. It started to rain harder. I find myself in Milbrook and at an intersection. I keep going straight. After a while, I note there is water on my right. Hmm, the water should be on my left. Then I enter Worthington State Forest. I take a look at the compass. Yup, heading south. Damn. Turn around, and head back to Milbrook, the last place I know I was going the right way. It's really raining now. I get back into Milbrook, and take the other road. Yup, north, much better. I make it to Walpack center, and keep going, confident I'm on the right track. These roads would have been a hoot, if it wasn't raining so hard. Even with my brand new 207, I was still spinning the rear tire quite a bit. I hate to imagine what it would have been like on the Pilot! |
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I stop to take a few pictures of the funky cloud action. |
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And another. |
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I also find someone else trying to find a dry spot. |
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As I'm nearing Layton, I come to an intersection, the one road, the one I think I need to take, has a barrier across it, with this sign. But nothing else, no suggestions as to where to go! |
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So, I take a gamble, and take the other road. Well, it leads me in one great big circle, back to Milbrook. Great! Now, here is the detail of the map I had. Not much to go by, huh? So I start backtracking. I was eventually able to find a road that looked like it might head east, and took it, which finally led me to 521. I followed 521 to 206 into Milford. |
| At this point I stopped to gas up, and dry off a bit.
I say to myself, "screw backroads", and make for I84. Now at this
point it is raining. Really, really raining. I push on. If
I stop, I'm only going to get wet by the side of the road.
As I'm cresting one of the hills on I84 in NY, I witness a lightning strike, not 1/8 of a mile ahead of me. Great. It's lightning, I'm on top of a mountain, and on a motorcycle. I keep going. After about an hour, it starts to let up. It turns out I rode through some serious stuff! Shortly after the skies clear, and I'm once again riding in the dry. At this point my gloves are wet, my waterproof boots are no longer waterproof, and water has managed to get past my rainsuit and my Aerostich, and I'm suffering from "wet crotch", which anyone who has ridden with an Aerostich in heavy rain knows what I'm talking about. Not wanting to stop, I press on. I finally stop once I get to the Mass. Pike a the first rest area. I dry off, and get into dry clothes. I get back on the bike for the final hour on the pike, and back home. |
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Nine days and 3800 miles later! |
| Day total: 381 miles
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