Day 75: North Woodstock NH to Conway NH 35 miles over Kancamagus Pass

Pictures:
A New Hampshire sign
Low hanging clouds
Posing on a suspension bridge on the way up the pass
The top of Kancamagus Pass
A quick foot soaking

This morning we loaded our gear in the Prius. Susan was taking our gear and Bill to the White Deer Hotel in Conway where we’ll stay the night. Bill had to go to help unload and also to go to a bike shop and get a broken spoke replaced. Kevin, Kamla, Sylvia and I enjoyed the nice 12 mile climb up Kancamagus Pass. Overcast conditions kept us from getting a clear view of the mountains but we stopped at several scenic overlooks to rest and read about the impact glaciers had had on the mountains during the last ice age. About 10 miles from Conway we stopped to dip our feet in the river and take some pictures. That’s when we heard the first clap of thunder. We managed to ride another 5 miles before being overtaken by a rain shower. As we waited for the rain to let up under a tree in the woods a pack of cyclists went by. We mounted up and a couple miles down the road we found the pack of Canadian cyclists finishing changing a flat. We made it to the hotel in Conway just in time. Not two minutes passed before all hell broke lose; a deluge of hard rain with lightening striking all around the hotel. That’s the second time this trip that we out ran a massive rain storm by seconds (Buffalo, NY, was the other time). We had a blast all evening hanging out with fishermen, harley riders, a couple from NJ and others sitting on the patio in front of the rooms sharing stories.