The Northern Tear 2015 ride has officially begun! With a 9am group photo and rear tire dip in the Atlantic, the group said goodbyes to whoever had loved ones make the trek to support them and set off westward. Within 500 ft of the departure point, we had our first hill leaving town. The entire Desert Island was rolling hills and head winds, as was the rest of the day, it seemed. It was about 10 degrees warmer than we thought it would be, so it was a beautiful and sunny day, no tights or ear warmers needed.
The first stop of the day was in Ellsworth, a cute little town and we got smoothies across the street. After hanging out for an hour, we headed west right up another mega hill. This trip is already way more hilly than the TransAm. It's ok; I eat hills for breakfast. We made a few stops on the side of the road along the way to give our... chamois and legs a break. We only had 2 people take falls today, but everyone is ok. My knee that's recently been bothering me really made today hard. I wonder how it'll feel for the rest of the trip.
The 2nd stop was in Orland, which wasn't much but a gas station where we took our break. I actually ate chicken tenders from the gas station and guzzled a delicious bottle of chocolate milk.
The last 20 miles were particularly tough for me. I had reached my exhaustion and pain points, so I slowed down a bit, but made it into camp with the group I had been riding with.
Immediately, we pitched our tents and took showers at a local park along a bike path in Belfast, Maine. It's beautifully scenic along the water. A friend from last year's ride, Stefanie, and I had burritos at local place called Bay Wraps and they were fantastic! Thunderstorms rolled in while we were eating, so we relaxed on the couches and I charged my devices while we waited. After the storm, we headed to a local waterfront brewery called Three Tides, which was a perfect end to the day.
It's only 930 and I'm so ready for bed! Thanks for reading and thank you for your support!
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