Day 50 Latham to Brattleboro.

Having taken the luggage down to the trailer to load up we were all waiting there when it decided to rain quite nastily. I got a little damp around the edges, but saved my case from getting wet by sliding under a car until I could load. I then pumped my tyre up properly following last night's flat and we were off. It stopped raining almost straight away but the roads were wet. I led out and found this was the best place not to get showered with water from other wheels. After being delayed by a couple of sets of lights I glanced behind and found there were about 20 odd people (in some cases quite odd having failed to take their medication), on the 'train.'
We buzzed through Albany and crossed the Hudson River, I would normally have taken a photo, but The Hudson at this point looked no more attractive than the Tyne on a bad day, so I didn't. We then went under a tunnel and the big group split on the hill that led up from the tunnel. We passed lots of other groups and finally caught George before a long downhill into the SAG at 27 miles. All the bike computers were showing different mileage to the notes so it was a bit confusing, but the directions were fairly easy.
George stayed next to no time at the SAG and left, Al and Bill were again riding together so they gave hime 5 minutes start then set off and we left a couple of minutes after them. We knew that there was a big climb coming up. Again this area was very wooded.
At mile 31 we said goodbye to New York State and entered Vermont, not exactly Latin for 'flat, easy riding area.' There were the inevitable photos at the sign. From there the tarmac sloped up so Gary dropped off and rode with Larry, while Steve and I rode on together. Shortly after the state line we entered the town of Bennington and it seemed like a switch had just been thrown to 'turn on' New England. It was a beautiful place with white picket fences, neat properties and churches with tall slender spires, but most unusual were the statues around the town that were of workmen or pedestrians or children playing, one was a man reading a newspaper while another man looked over his shoulder. All very life-like and in amongst the shoppers they did not look out of palce.
Leaving the town the 8 mile climb started, not too steeply at first, but the road soon reared up. I got into a good gear and just pumped away feeling quite good. Steve dropped off a bit and I just felt stronger the further I went. The gradient varied a bit so some sections were easier, and near the top I saw that George was ahead, Al and Bill had obviously passed him and I was catching him quickly. I didn't quite catch him by the crest and on the long steep downhill he got away a bit despite the fact that I was freewheeeling at over 45 mph for some time, but as the road flattened out I caught and passed him and he jumped on my wheel. We were flying along and soon got into Wilmington, another delightful town, where the second SAG was. I waited there for first Steve to arrive, then John and some time later Gary.
From there we had another climb up to Hog-Back Summit in the Hoosac mountains that are part of The Green Mountain National Forest. There should have been some great views, but it was hazy and the views were spoiled. We all regathered and set off down another long descent, though that wasn't without some 'ups' that we didn't expect.
In Brattleboro (more bad spelling?) we wanted a place to eat and get a beer so we asked a local who was on a bike and he led us to a nice restaurant right on the Connecticut River overlooking New Hampshire. To get there he took us through some red lights, over pedestrian crossings complete with pedestrians, down the wrong side of the road past a traffic queue at another red light and finally around an Amtrak train that was loading in the station, but the engine was across the road so the barriers were down!! I'm afraid I lost count of the traffic offences we had just committed and hoped that no-one knew me. I think I was safe there. Just after we got into the hotel there was another storm and very heavy rain so we did well to miss that.
Today's distance was 75.6 miles.