Michael Richardson

The final rest day of the trip! In the blink of an eye, we’ve pedaled nine straight weeks, leaving us with only one week left between here and Bar Harbor. In classic rest day fashion, we devoured a big breakfast of mostly dairy products, this time with a special guest: whipped cream 😋.

Michael spices up his morning coffee

As expected, it’s a bit rainy and humid here, nestled in the Green Mountains, but that didn’t stop us from biking into town for lunch. We ate some truly delectable sandwiches and wraps at the Original General Store. My favorite was the Pittsfield Wrap, which featured Vermont apple slices, cheese, and cranberry mayo. We also picked up a small bottle of Vermont maple syrup which we plan to bury for my brother, Jeff, when we cross the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. He’s still hiking through Pennsylvania as of this post, but we’re hoping our gift will survive the hungry bears (and hikers) long enough for him to find it. Even though we’re squarely out of the Euchre Belt by now, we still enjoy playing a few hands when we find a pleasant spot like the general store—Brian and I continued to dominate the table.

Lunch at Pittsfield’s Original General Store

The crew split up for the afternoon, with Brian and Friend heading into the woods for a hike and swim, while Usher and I stayed behind to journal and call friends. I’m definitely feeling sore from two big climbing days, so I’ve got no complaints about kicking my feet up today.

Brian and Friend’s break day hike

We made dinner using our camp stoves and wound down by watching some cable TV in the room. You can’t go wrong with a few episodes of The Office, and we got to laugh at the one where Michael Scott burns his foot on a George Foreman grill. Chamois butter, like Country Crock in Michael’s injury saga, isn’t medically approved—but once the discomfort sets in, you’ll believe in anything that comes in a tub.