one part google, one part giant grain of salt.

google failed me today. i pulled up directions to a rough estimate of my destination today and the elevation profile didn't look too bad... except for one really sharp spike in the middle. oh well, pretty much every route i looked at had a similar profile but this one was the shortest. well, we'll just have to see how that goes...

another early morning trying to log some miles before it became impossible. i lucked out and had some fog and some otherwise low-floating clouds until about 9:30 and then the sun was all business. shortly there after i got to that nasty spike in the middle of the route and it was a deusy.  there was no possible way to ride it so i had to push. i think this road would have broken the legs off of anyone on any bike let alone a loaded touring bike. dignity retained. i was pushing up 50 feet at a time stopping in what little shade there was. after about 20 minutes of pushing a guy in a cherry Studebaker rolled up on me and asked where i was headed. "up and over" i said. "no sir, this is a dead end".... fuuuuuuu**. that's not what i wanted to hear. i asked if it just turned into a dirt road or even just a trail and he said it did not and that my best bet was to head back down and around. i told him i felt like Sisyphus and he said "well, i don't know about that but if you think this is bad you haven't even hit the steepest part yet".

back down it is. it's for the best, anyway. it's a 90-degree day and the sun is relentless. i head into pawlings, NY. to the library for some air conditioning and wifi. i don't think i'll get too much farther today. i'll just scope google maps for a spot to camp. dinner tonight: soft tacos.