Lightly sunburnt, moderately bug bitten and severely chaffed, today’s 24 mile ride with a gain of only 800 ft and a descent of 1000 was the perfect way to recover from our grueling first three days.
As MK explained in last nights post, we spent the night on the New Hampshire- Mass border at a state park with “all the works” and without having to worry about planning dinner (thanks again Kathy)! We decided to reward our hard work with a leisurely morning by waking up naturally. Such heaven! As our brains slowly began to regroup, we munched on fire cooked oats and discussed our future routes/stops.
We rolled out of the campground shortly after 11 am and enjoyed the rolling hills of northern Mass as we ventured toward Carlisle. I will say, although I greatly enjoyed the topography of today’s travels, the almost nonexistent shoulders and many treacherous potholes were at times sketchy.
Two-thirds of the way to Carlisle we stopped for lunch in Groton, MA (apparently there are other Grotons not in CT). We parked our bikes in front of their town hall and splayed out under a nice maple as we enjoyed lunch from a local cafe boutique. As we inhaled our lunch and homemade ~lavender lemonade,~ two biking travelers rode by. Their front and rear wheel racks were loaded with panniers and it was clear they were doing some serious mileage. They stopped to chat and exchange stories. We were so impressed when they said this was their third cross country bike tour and that they’d been touring since the 70s!!
After departing Groton, we rode only a few more miles to Carlisle where we met up with our future classmate Caroline at a local ice creamery. Afterwards, she led our tour to her home where we set up camp for the night. Not even an hour after meeting Caroline, the four of us stripped down in her back yard and thoroughly enjoyed an all natural, outdoor shower by way of her garden’s hose.
Following our escapades with the garden hose, Caroline cooked us a delicious meal of seasoned chicken thighs, gluten free corn bread, and a summery salad! Despite the on/off rain, we were able to sit and enjoy Caroline’s company while sharing stories & tips from our first year of Med/Dent school. Hopefully we’ve shared useful information and haven’t scared her.
As I lay in my tent on Caroline’s luxuriously grassy lawn, writing this with very minimal brain power and relying heavily on spell check, I wish to highlight the immense generosity we have experienced throughout this trip. It has continued to surprise me and the other girls and several times we’ve wondered whether previous Coast to Coast groups have benefited as deeply as we feel we have or whether the universal isolation following COVID has influenced the connections and enthusiasm of our friends (new and old), faculty and the many strangers we’ve encountered thus far. Apologies if this is beginning to sound like a fever dream,
Kelly
Coast to Coast for a Cause 2020 