WarmShowers

Before I went to bed last night I e-mailed a couple in Ticonderoga about staying at their place for the night.  If you skipped over a few posts ago, Warm Showers is a cycling social network where other cyclists allow people, who are currently on tour, to stay at their place for the night.  They either allow them to camp outside or give them a bed for the night, shower, hospitality, laundry, and sometimes food.  It really is a great way for people to extend their kindness to others.  I hadn't heard back from the couple that night so I was going to call them in the morning.  If they weren't having anyone it wasn't a big deal, I would just camp somewhere.

I woke up on my 11th day to the sound of poring rain.  I opened my eyes to look out of my rain fly window and it was as if my tent was made of tin, and nails were being dropped on me.  "Ugh"  Riding in the rain isn't bad if you are going a short distance.  It is actually kind of fun, until you are dripping wet and cold.  Then all you want is to escape and never do it again.  Much like bowling. (Thanks Joe Dowd)  My roommate one said about something I don't remember "It's like bowling.  You haven't done it for long time and you really want to, but once you do it you are like,' let's not do that for while'."

I laid in bed for about an hour, staring at the rain hoping it would stop.  I turned on my phone and checked the weather.  Rain for 3 days.  Dammit.  As I watched the barrage of rain drops falling inches from my head onto my tent I got a call from Jill, the woman who lives in Ticonderoga I e-mailed about regarding warm showers.  She told me she had room and that I could use a bed.  That lifted my spirits right away.  After I got off the phone I got dressed in my tent to avoid getting wet, put cut up ponchos on my feet I made from my trip into Horseshoe Falls with Katie, and took off.

For the past two days everyone has said "Oooo watch out for that hill coming up to Ti' (Ticonderoga).  It's a big one" or "That big hill before Ti' is going to be real tough, but coming down should be fun".  I was expecting the climb of my trip, but every time I thought I was coming up to it.  I had more uphill.  I couldn't find just one hill.  Well, it turns out they were talking about the entire set of climbs because the downhill into Ticonderoga was awesome.  It was about 2 miles of all downhill.  I reached speeds of about 50 mph.  There was some traffic on the street with a speed limit of 50 mph.  I was just keeping up with them.  Reeeaaallllly fun.  It would have been better had it not been for the rain, but whatever.  Still fun.

I made a few stops in Ti'.  Subway for lunch and Wal Mart shortly after to stock up on some supplies.  I also Stopped at a liquor store and got the couple a bottle of wine for letting me stay.  I was soaking wet and it was such short notice.  It was the least I could do.

Jill's husband Tom directed me by phone to their house.  They have a beautiful house right one Lake George.  The construction began in 2008 and they moved in June of last year.  It is all wood and stone, two stories with a lofted second floor, and a vaulted ceiling that I could stare at for days.  The whole house is controlled by little touch screen displays on the walls, which control the music, lights, hard to reach windows, security, everything.  Tom showed me to my room on the basement level / the first floor from the back yard and told me I could take a hot shower.  Best thing I have heard someone say for a while.  I was so cold and wet that there wasn't anything better anyone could have said right then and their to top that.  When Jill came home I introduced myself to her and we talked about biking, my trip, and her past trips.  I learned though the two that they are semi-retired and have several kids, their youngest being 25. We listened to blues and jazz with a little bit of funk, drank wine, watched horse racing, discussed which speakers they should buy, and ate great pasta and meat sauce.  Their hospitality was beyond anything I could have wished for.  They opened their lovely home to me and treated me like I was part of the family.  It was very special and I can't thank them enough.