I was somewhat nervous about the threatening skies this morning. The Cleveland TV weather forecast predicted thunderstorms over Lake Erie, but I was well south of that. Just as Ed dropped me off, the skies opened and the rains came. I hopped back into the car and watched the raindrops streaming down the windshield.
I don't know what he was thinking. I was thinking about whether I really wanted to go through with this or not.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the rain stopped. I got out and started my ride.
The road was wet, and my tennis shoes quickly soaked through. The landscape continued to be gently rolling hills. I had to walk up a few of them. But the views were tremendous!
I saw a small flock of at least a dozen goldfinches, so I knew today would be a good day.
But then just as I was enjoying a long downhill, I missed a turn. I realized it when I heard the roar of the four-lane US Route 30 ahead. I checked the map, and found I needed to go back uphill approximately half a mile, else ride on US 30 with the semi-trucks. I opted for the uphill. When I arrived at the intersection, I saw the sign for Bicycle Route 1. Unfortunately it was oriented on the pole facing the wrong direction. I checked the back of the pole to see if I had just missed it. Nope, no sign on back.
There were a couple of miles of this, then about a mile of tar and chip, another stretch of sandy limestone chip, then I went across the bridge and there was blessed asphalt! The sun was starting to come out. I stopped to change my socks and shoes on a convenient bench.
I haven't worn my shoes with clip-in cleats since before my knee replacement. They have a stiff sole, and I had tossed them in my panniers this morning thinking that perhaps they would relieve the "hot foot" I sometime experience in my more flexible tennis shoes. I clipped in on the right side, my non-surgical knee. I noticed that it was causing a little more bend in my knee, as the clear is further toward the toes than where I usually pedal. So I hesitated to clip in on the left, as I have less flexibility on the surgical knee. So off I went, slightly unbalanced. But it was nice to have dry feet again.
I made better time on the asphalt, and I soon arrived in Massillon. The Sippo Valley Trail ends here. If you make a sharp right turn at the end of the trail, you find yourself going over a bridge leading to the Towpath trail.
I crossed over the highway and had lunch at Chipotle.
Karen texted me and said she would be happy to pick me up due to the weather. I took her up on the offer when I heard thunder three seconds after the lightning flash. I got as far as the Forty Corners Trailhead, where I will begin tomorrow.
Karen must have been worried that I would not see a goldfinch today, so she made sure I would with a chirping ceramic bird at my bedside. How sweet!
