Day 03: Westminster, MA to Deerfield, MA

Got up early, cleaned and oiled my chain, packed up, and hit the road.  At midday, I came to a section of freshly paved road.  It was like riding on butter.  Although, butter probably would be too slippery to bike on.  Nonetheless, it was smooth and creamy.  This thrill lasted until I saw the “Construction Ahead” sign.  Road heaven abruptly ended and I was unceremoniously tossed into cyclist hell.  The next four miles was nothing but chewed up, grated badlands.  I was able to manage the flats, losing only a couple teeth along the way, but the hills were impossible.  The shoulder was so rough and filled with rubbled debris that I had to walk the bike for several long stretches.  This added more than an hour to my day. 

Even with the delay, I managed to work my way around the Quabbin Reservoir and cross the Connecticut River at Sunderland just after dinnertime.  My plan was to stealth camp in the Mt. Sugarloaf State Reservation.  Problem was that all the ground in the park was at about a 60-degree angle.  The nearby sounds of a girls’ softball game caught my attention.  Once the game was over and the field was empty, I set up my tent behind the third base dugout and passed a quiet evening in the great, flat outdoors.

What I Learned: When you ask a non-cyclist how far something is, multiply their estimate by 3 (or, better, by 4 just to be safe).  If they tell you it’s a mile down the road, it’s at least 3 miles!

Distance Today: 46 miles
Total Distance: 117 miles