Getting Into the Hills

Day 2: Monticello, NY. to Wysox, PA. 120 Miles

On Monday morning I left the Best Western in Monticello, NY at approximately 7:00 AM. I had lots of good downhill runs before I got to PA. I entered PA at 8:30 AM at the town of Beach Lake.

I had my first steep PA climb on my way toward Waymart, PA on RT 6. At the top of the ridge there was a line of power generating wind mills. I had seen these from the air when flying to Chicago from White Plains, NY. They are quite impressive when viewed up close. They are just big, gentle giants, spinning in the wind, generating electricity. I stopped to take a picture of them with my cell phone camera. I’m not sure how the pictures will turn out.

As I got near to Scranton, PA I followed RT 6 not realizing it turned into a limited access highway (oops!). I went about 3, very fast, miles before getting to the first exit.

I stopped at a gas station / convenience store to get a Gatorade and ask for some directions. The station attendant was a young guy (looked to be 25 years old) who seemed quite “wired”! He was complaining about the night shift help. I asked him about directions and showed him my Google directions. He took a look at them and said “Don’t take that road man! Even that Lance Armstrong dude couldn't make it up that hill!” He gave me an Eastern PA map for free and I headed out following his directions. Although he seemed a bit strange, it was sound advice.

I ended up doing 120 miles that day which was my first ever “century”. Very cool!

I stayed at a Comfort Inn at Wysox, PA. It was standard accommodations near lots of shopping areas. I ate at a Wendy’s restaurant that night. After my meal I returned to the hotel where I noticed a couple of guys drinking beers while sitting in rocking chairs located just outside the hotel entrance. Interesting!

Generally speaking the breakdown / bike lanes in PA have been in pretty good shape. There is a lot of debris in them however. Things such as bolts and wheel weights are everywhere it seems. Route 6 is a Pennsylvania bike route (PA bike route Y). The bike route signs make it easier to stay on course. I noticed a lot of Gypsy Moth Caterpillars crawling on the road in NY and PA.

Tomorrow I will be trying for Coudersport, PA. Coudersport, PA is only 96 miles from Wysox, PA however it is important for me to keep in mind to stop in a town with a decent hotel. Tomorrow things should start to get “rural”.

Oh!, At one stop for Gatorade today the woman at the check-out counter asked about my bike shoes. I took one shoe off to show her how it was made and described how it worked. People seem to be a bit more friendly as I move west.