Monster Hills and Haunted Houses

I'm waiting out a rain storm 30 miles east of Albany. In the past few days I've ridden up hills that people train for the Tour de France on. We're talking 20% grade and a mile long.

On the day I rode up this hill, I rode from Geneva to Cazenovia. About 70 miles.

Brutal, brutal, brutal.

I didn't ride up one hill. I rode up mountain after mountain after mountain. When I got to the one with the 20% grade, I almost pooped my pants. I couldn't believe there was a road like that! Hadn't anyone here in NY ever heard of switchbacks?!

I wanted to take a picture of it but was too tired. I started up.

500 feet up, I fell. I was just too tired, too wobbly.

The front tire went off the pavement. It was fall then, or fall when I hit the ditch bottom. I fell then. As I laid there, I thought how nice it felt, to not be struggling. Several cars and a cop drove past. No one stopped. Finally, I extricated myself from under the bike. The handlebars and brake levers were a little bent. I straightened the handlebars and started up again.

1,500 feet later I stopped for a breather. 1,500 feet after that I stopped for another. I finally made it.

In Cazenovia I stopped another rider and asked for directions to my motel. The rider asked where I had ridden from. When I told him, he exclaimed: "My God! You must have b---s made of steel!"

I didn't think it was that bad, but secretly, I was proud.

The next day I woke to the sound of thunder. The clouds were sobbing. I waited tell they regained their composure, and started out.

I made It to East Springfield. Three motels, all booked solid. At the last one, I asked the owner: " You don't have anything?"

He replied he could rent me a room in his old farm house. I had to make the bed, and clean the shower. "How much?"

"$85"

I told him about the trip and asked if he could do better. "Ok, how about $50?"

"Deal!" I said. We talked a while and I invited him and his wife out for dinner, my treat.

They were extremely happy.

It was their first night out in two months. They had burgers, I had liver and onions.

This morning the owner told me about a ghost that haunts it, but I never saw it. I do remember waking in the middle of the night: I had bit my tongue so hard I cried out. Oddly enough it wasn't bruised or sore in this morning. Weird.

Made it to Albany.