Friday, January 17, 2014

Day 2. The wet canal

My day started chilly and very cloudy. I had a breakfast at the hotel lobby then packed my bike up.  I headed off at about 8:30am on the canal trail. By around 9:30am it started raining. Good thing I forgot my rain jacket! 
I put on my rain pants and pushed forward, and after a few miles I found a highway overpass to take shelter under for a bit. The rain eventually stopped and the temperature reached about 45 degrees F. I switched my layers and kept going.

The trail was at first hard packed dirt but after a while it turned to a mud/soft sand combination that made me fight for every pedal stroke. It was a long slogging ride to the states capital. I got to Trenton, which is super ghetto, and it was the only time so far on this ride that I was nervous for my safety. Apon arriving in Chris Christie ville, I decided that I didn't want to travel at night. I crossed the Delaware river into Pennsylvania and found a comfort inn motel to stay at. They were very nice and welcoming and there was a great sandwich shop right next door that sold beer!

After a great nights sleep and even better breakfast, I decided that I would head north towards Frenchtown.  It was about 24 degrees at 8am so I decided to stay inside for a few more hours as it was forecasted to reach 50 degrees by 11am.  Being I plan on reaching my pickup spot by tonight a late start should be OK. Today will also be the shortest mileage day and hopefully drier trail conditions.

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