July 26, 2003

The map don’t show it but these are mountains, and they are all uphill.

Day Seven Stats:

Miles: 31   Time on Bike: 2:18   Start: Lake George    Finish: Brant Lake

       It was a beautiful morning, the sun was strong and we were in no hurry to leave.  For this was it, the final leg.  Thirty miles and we will complete our journey.  I was excited about finishing.  I thought back to last Sunday morning, getting the bikes out of the basement, loading the packs, filling the water bottles and pulling out to Newport Ave.  The trip started as a blank page and now it was almost all written.  I went to Stewarts across the street and got a coffee and a paper to read about the Yankees beating Pedro.  I sat in front of our room and anticipated the last day.  Vinnie, the owner of the Motel, came over and asked who was lighting fireworks last night, because there was a big burn mark on his new cement patio.  The place was fixed up really nice, he put a lot of money into it.  I told him it wasn’t me but I don’t think he believed me because he asked me three times. My neighbor denied it as well, but I knew it was him, because when I first left to get the paper, I saw a bag of fireworks in front of his door.  Vinnie asked him again, but he and his kids got into the car and drove away.  I told Vinnie when they left about the bag of fireworks, and Gary came out and had been up when the kids were lighting them off.  We got to talking about the motel and the trip and all, he was a nice guy.  The cement patio he had just put in for like $10,000, and there was now this black burn mark on it right in the middle.

 He was impressed with our trip and warned us that the road to Brant Lake was going to be tough.  He was right.  We were heading into the mountains and every mile was hard fought.  Knowing that it was the last day and only 30 miles made it a little easier.  Rita showed us once again who was in the best shape blowing us away on the hills as she did the first day.

       As we drove through the town of Lake George, Mikey showed us where the cops took him, Brian, Trish, and Ryan Ford out of the car at gunpoint on the fourth of July.  Brian had brought a toy gun to use in their moviemaking endeavors.  While they sat in the van, Mikey was examining the gun and a passerby saw him and thought it was real and called the cops.  They pulled out and were pulled over within two blocks by the entire Lake George police force.  They were removed from the car and put face down on the sidewalk at gunpoint while the car was searched.  Rita and Mikey reenacted it.

       There was no civilization up in the mountains, but they did have signs counting down the miles to Chestertown.  (which is right outside Brant Lake.)

If you look closely you can see Mikey approaching.

 When we got to Chestertown we stopped at St. Mary’s Catholic Church to say a prayer of thanks.  It was locked up so we said a prayer silently.  After a water break at Stewarts we headed into Brant Lake for the final ride around the Lake.  It was great to see the Lake.  It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment to actually have biked from Beach 119 Street to this spot 276 miles away.  We took these pictures at the Welcome sign.

Rita was mad that I took this picture from so far away and mine below from so close.

       The five miles around the lake were a little hilly, especially at the end, just before Meades cottages.  I cursed the hill screaming, “I thought this crap was over.”  And then we were there!  Standing in front of Meades house.  I asked the family for a hug but settled for high fives because we were so sweaty.  I thanked God again for getting us safetly there and was proud of Rita, Mikey and Myself.  (and the Weave, where ever he was by now.)  We drove into the site and ran into Ryan Ford and Courtney who were so psyched to see us.  We drove down to the beach and had a beer or two with Tom Ford.

Jump to: Day One  Day Two    Day Three  Day Four    Day Five    Day Six    Day Seven

Wait!  The trip may be over but there is one more page to read.  Sica’s Prologue will be on the web next week.  A look back from the perspective of three months later.