Day 45
Ticonderoga, NY to West Lebanon, NH
Miles: 99 mi
Elevation Gain: 6,150 ft
States: 14 (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire)
What a day — big miles, big climbs, and big milestones! We started the morning in New York and crossed into Vermont around mile 14, marking our 13th state of the trip. Originally, we were supposed to take a ferry across Lake Champlain, but the water levels were too low for the ferry to run. That meant taking the long way around — which added an extra 13 miles and 1,000 feet of climbing. Because of course it did!
But honestly, no complaints here — we’ve been unbelievably lucky with weather this entire trip. Aside from just a couple hours of here and there, we’ve stayed warm and dry, and today was another perfect one: sunshine, high 70s, and trees glowing in peak color 🍂.
We knew today would be a tough one with two major climbs ahead, and you could feel the nerves at breakfast. My friend Karen and I decided to tackle the climbs together — not side by side, but in our usual way: a little space between us, keeping one another in view, each pacing ourselves. By the top of the second climb, we were both grinning ear to ear — we did it!
During those long climbs, I couldn’t help thinking how much time we spend dreading hard things, when so often once we do them, they’re not as bad as we imagined — and they make us stronger. Good lesson for life!
This was my first time in Vermont, and it is truly breathtaking — rivers, lakes, and endless fall color. Though I couldn’t help laughing to myself that there are probably easier ways to visit Vermont for the first time… maybe not via Oregon on a bike!
And then, around mile 97, we crossed into our 14th state — New Hampshire! 🎉 Pretty amazing to say we’ve now pedaled through 14 states!
Only two days more to go! We’re now less than 200 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and the excitement is really starting to set in. Tomorrow brings another massive day — 105 miles and over 7,000 feet of climbing — but at this point, it finally feels real: we’re almost there. 🌅
