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.