Today was the most difficult day for me so far.  It was cold and windy when we got out of the tent in the morning, and that never changed.  The morning involved a few decent climbs (and on the flip side, very cold descents) but then the rest of the day consisted of rolling hills along the White River while fighting a constant headwind.

The sun finally started to poke through the clouds in late afternoon.  At that time, we were passing through Rochester, VT, where we stopped to take inventory and stock up at the local grocery store. We set our sights set on a campsite a few miles northwest of town.  Little did we know at the time, though, that campsite had closed since the map we are following was published.

Dumbfounded, we stopped at a closed forest rangers station and called the state police to inquire about camping behind the building.  They connected us to Tom, the Constable of Rochester.  Tom was very kind and offered us his own backyard, which was a huge relief.  We gladly backtracked to Rochester, met with Tom and then called it an early night after a quick meal.  Thanks for your help, Tom!!

After only four days, we’ve experienced highs and lows of elevation, temperature, energy, and emotion. We had our first tiff when I ordered a medium pizza for lunch, and Rachel desperately wanted a large. Hangry doesn’t look good on her 😉 Lesson learned, though, and I attempted to make up for it by giving her one extra piece.

Trip stats, to date

• East Thetford, VT to Rochester, VT
• Daily mileage: 52.3mi;  Trip total to date: 230.6mi
• Daily riding time: 5hr 01min;  Trip total time: 20hr 47mi
• Daily ascent: 3,109ft;  Trip total ascent: 14,601ft