7th and Final Day- Clinton to Lawrenceville NJ

The final day of the Anchor House ride had a tragic ending. A 15 year veteran rider, Doug McCune, was killed outside of Clinton when he collided into the back of an SUV that was stopped at a traffic light. We came upon the scene of the accident about ten minutes after it had happened. By that time, Doug had been pronounced, and the driver of the SUV, who was visibly distraught, was being comforted by several Anchor House riders.. It was a very sad and sobering scene. For more information about the accident and about Doug, please see http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/07/princeton_man_killed_while_par.html. Our hearts and prayers go out to the McCune family.

Needless to say, this tragic occurrence changed what usually is a celebratory final day's ride into a very somber and reflective occasion. One thing that lifted our hearts was a very adorable and much needed lemonade stand in the Sourlands run by local children who were giving a percentage of the proceeds back to Anchor House. We also helped a fellow cyclist who had a tire blow out. It felt good to help someone at this time- giving back is certainly the spirit of the Anchor House ride.

At the annual picnic, about ten miles from the end of the ride, the mood was very somber, with many people in tears. Friends of Doug's spoke about his love of Anchor House and of cycling. It was announced that we would forego our usual celebration at the mall and instead have a silent tribute to our fallen friend.

We donned our Anchor House shirts and wore black arm bands for the final 10 mile procession to the end of the ride in Quakerbridge Mall.

I find myself very grateful: to be home safe, to have a loving wife and family, and to have fantastic friends who I shared a beautiful week with and who gave each other comfort after a tragedy. I am also very grateful to my friends who made donations in my name for this terrific organization that gives so much to children who have so little. I wish everyone peace, love and good health. This ride is dedicated to my Mom, who was with me every pedal stroke of the way, and now also to Doug McCune.

Day 6- Stroudsburg PA to Clinton NJ

Day 6 in the books, and we're back in NJ, in Clinton for the night. Officially 72 miles, but a few of us added a few more (see below). Familiar route, as we spent most of the day riding along the scenic Delaware River, first on the PA side along the Water Gap and then into NJ at the bridge crossing at Belvidere, and along the river to Milford.
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Spent a great week with many friends, including Erin Rodgers and her son Chris, a great guy who's a rising senior at Penn State and on the cycling team. Erin, Chris, DJ, and our friend Lindsey Colombo went off route today to climb Fiddler's Elbow, the steepest climb in NJ. DJ and I had done the climb before, but never during the AH ride (the ride typically comes within three miles of Fiddler's), and never after riding over 400 miles in 6 days. We first got up Roxburg Hill Road, no easy climb itself, and then climbed up Fiddler's. The top section was the steepest grade we climbed all week at 28%, but the fact that it is only a mile long overall makes Fiddler's short, steep, and sweet. I love the warning sign about driving this hill in the winter! With this detour, we finished the day at 80 miles.

We had our Anchor House banquet tonight. We heard from the amazing people who organize the ride and those who run the organization that we have raised $410,000 so far. Thanks to all of you who have given us your support! Amazingly, the ride generates 1/3 of Anchor House's income for the year- we really help keep the doors open. At the banquet, a few of our good friends received multi-year awards, including Daryl McMillan at 5 years, and DJ Varner and Brian O'Mara at ten years. Way to go guys!! There was also a 20 year participant award, and a special perseverance award for the amazing Joe Boyce, who was involved in a terrible cycling accident on day one of last year's ride, and after much rehab and amazing support from his friend Melanie Shranz, he rode this year.

Other images of the day: a thermometer outside of a deli we ate near Alpha NJ, sums up the week's weather, a lovely SAG stop in PA below the Water Gap, rolling along a lovely rural scene in NJ, and a table photo of my riding buddies.

Day 5- Clarks Summit to East Stroudsburg PA

Day 5 was another beauty. We're splitting hairs here, but this was probably the most perfect weather of the week- sunny and in the 70's. Lot of climbing again today- 4000 feet for the day, including a 1200 foot, 4 mile long climb of Moosic Mountain (see photo of Ken and roomie Jack Hayon at the summit) and then the rest of the day cycling through the scenic Poconos. We actually descended today more than we climbed (4600 feet of descending), including a wild 4 1/2 mile downhill (see road sign below). Now that's a downhill!!


Some beautiful scenes from today, including scenes from a water stop in the Poconos with this lovely pond, perfect for a rest (for the bikes too) and some contemplation.

And some fun photos of the day- People love their guns in PA, even the mailboxes are loaded! See also a photo of Jerry Val-ee: Jerry Foster and Val Ferraro posing at one of our favorite ice cream stops right before descending into Stroudsburg. Tomorrow we'll be crossing the Delaware into NJ!

Day 4- Binghamton, NY to Clarks Summit PA

We have summitted Clarks Summit, PA once again. It's always hillier than we remember. Definitely the biggest climbing day so far (3500 feet overall), with more than a few out of your saddle climbs. We know this route well, as it's an Anchor House favorite. We crossed into Pennsylvania at mile 22. I have to say, that I was very impressed with New York's bicycle route system and its use of share the road signage. In Pennsylvania, we followed the Susquehana River for many miles as we headed south. Lovely cycling roads and great scenery. At one point, a bald eagle flew overhead (with a fish in its talons) and another rider spotted a bear and a cub. The day was made all the better by lovely weather- nice and cool in the high 70's.

I am riding my fourth Anchor House ride, alas, I am a mere newbie. There are folks on the ride who are 20-plus year participants- dedicated people who have ridden thousands of miles and raised thousands of dollars. My good friend DJ Varner is on his tenth Anchor House ride. Soon after crossing into Pennsylvania, we stopped to snap an appropriate photo- nice of PennDOT to thank DJ for being a ten year participant, don't you think? Every year, there are new riders. This year, our good friend, Paul Shapiro, is a new rider, but with a twist. Paul is doing this ride on a fixed gear bike- a bike with only a single gear and no freewheel- meaning he has to pedal constantly, and that means going down steep downhills. This is the first time in Anchor House history that anyone had done the ride on a fixie. Paul is da man! But he should have his wheel examined!


A few other photos from the day. Brian O'Mara (another ten year rider) at our breakfast spot in Binghamton, Daryl McMillan at SAG2, Jerry Foster, Mr. Fix-it changing a fellow rider's flat tire, and West Windsor, NY!

Day 3- Corning to Binghamton

240 miles down, 260 to go! Today was a lovely day of riding- 80 miles from Corning to Binghamton. Legs are not sore at all- amazingly the body adjusts at about this time in the ride and starts to expect a day of rigorous cycling. This was everyone's favorite day of riding so far. Beautiful backroads, lovely scenery, and for most of the day, light cloud cover and high 80's low 90's.

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Most people biked 80 miles today- except Joan Plumb and yours truly- we did 85. Joan made two mistakes today- one was losing her cue sheet (which tells you what turns to make). The second was relying on Ken to accurately read his. Ken's literal miscue came at the bottom of a two mile hill. Joan and Ken climbed, and climbed, and climbed, and were treated to one of the more spectacular views of the week, before realizing that we had missed our turn at the base of the hill! It was fun in the end, and it gave us hill-climbing bragging rights for the day (and calls for new glasses for Ken). Note Ken's Red Sox jersey today, which he wore proudly and luckily was not run off the road in Yankee territory!

The other highlight (no pun intended of course) was lunch today. Jerry Foster's radar for amazing eateries continues- we found a winner in Candor NY. A large group of us descended on Punk's Place, a fun bar/restaurant that was empty when we walked in but we quickly filled it up. The food was delicious, the jukebox was fantastic (there was even singing involved), and we had more fun than a group of middle-aged folks should have without alcohol (table photo compliments of Dee Dee Cronin Nemeth Juno). Note Daryl McMillan, who is known for wearing orange jerseys. He even eats orange food (photo compliments of DJ). A truly special Anchor House memory for everyone involved.

On a personal note, today was a memorial day on the ride, where riders remember those who have passed away in the last year. My Mom passed away a little over a month ago, and I was reminded of her this morning when I saw a white baby grand piano in the lobby of the hotel (my Mom had a white baby grand). I wrote her name on the memorial white board, and my friend Kathy Sonnenfield gave me an Anchor House wrist band to think of her during the day, which I did often.