Nomad Life - Day 17

I slept OK in the "Shack Hilton" - the temps dropped into the high 50s overnight but I had plenty of cover.  The only real distraction overnight, especially when I first started trying to sleep, was the loud trucks that drove by on the newly paved road.  Fortunately, it got quiet after midnight and I made it all the way to 0600 without needing to leave my bed.  With WiFi working great in the morning, I did my usual reading, Duolingo and games and also took care of some additional travel planning.  By 0700, I was packed up and almost ready to go - the accommodations didn't have a shower so my normal routine was slightly disrupted.  Peter (the proprietor) came out of his house (across the street) in his bare feet to bid me farewell and we ended up talking for a while again.  He insisted I take some snacks and water for the road and I took him up on that offer.  The birds were quite boisterous and the air was quite pleasant (60s).  By 0740, I was in my car and on my way west.  I ate breakfast (donut from Shaw's that I'd gotten for free the previous day) and listened to audiobooks as I made my way back into Bridgton and got on US-302.  From there, I continued towards New Hampshire and enjoyed all the interesting scenery (lakes and hills) all the way to the border.  After Fryeburg, Google Maps took me around the messy traffic of North Conway and I was soon motoring south on NH-113.  The only delays along the way were from (literal) Sunday drivers, who didn't seem to be in a hurry going anywhere and stopped suddenly for turns at gas stations and donut shops.  I'll admit that my frustration level rose dramatically as I followed them - every time I shed a slow driver, I picked up another one soon afterwards...  Eventually, I was on NH-25 and used that to cross the Lakes Region and reach the town of Center Harbor.  I then cut west (NH-25B) to US-3, which took me along the shores of Squam Lake - pretty!  I used NH-175 to get to I-93 and then was only on the Interstate for one exit (just over a mile of four lane highway).  After this point, the directions were very familiar: NH-25 to NH-118 to US-4.  It had actually been a while since I'd taken this route and it was good to see different landmarks I used to pass all the time.  Departing New England will be a major change in my life...  My reason for heading in this direction was serendipitous - my hotel for the coming night was in Ticonderoga, NY and Google Maps took me right through Lebanon.  This allowed me a chance to stop at my storage unit for some long-awaited (and much needed) gear swap-out.  Arriving at the storage facility just after 1000, I figured I'd only be there for an hour or so.  Instead, I spent nearly THREE HOURS there, packing and repacking, clambering over boxes to reach essential items, etc.  The temps rose into the high 80s during this time (ugh...) and I eventually had to change my shirt to avoid feeling like I'd taken a shower in my clothes.  I ate lunch (snacks) while working and eventually got to a good equilibrium.  Fingers crossed, this will be my last visit to the storage unit in 2025! During this time, I tried to hydrate but it seemed like a losing battle...  Just after 1300, I closed up the car and got back on the road (I-89), headed for Vermont.  I managed to reach Mollie on the phone during this rare moment of cell service but was unable to get in touch with Erin or Brenna.  Continuing on the Interstate until the Bethel exit, I started to learn the new handling characteristics of Nessie, who now had a completely filled roof-top-carrier and lots of other stuff in the back.  At one point, I started to wonder if the brakes were going to be a problem in the Green Mountains... [Note - they worked just fine but I had to plan a bit further ahead to avoid mashing on them at the last second.]  My route through Vermont was mostly familiar, which Camp Brook Road, Bethel Mountain Road and VT-100 appearing as usual.  At the latter road, though, I went south for about a mile before getting on VT-73, which I used to cross Brandon Gap and reach my target: Mount Independence State Park.  I arrived there at 1445 and, after learning that the entrance fee for the trail system was waived for disabled veterans, geared up for a hike to the historic ruins.  This spot, along with Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Defiance, featured in my reasons for driving to the extreme southern end of Lake Champlain - it was great to be able to start my visit with some outdoor activity.  As I was getting ready to go, though, I was startled by the change in the weather - it had been clear and hot all the way across the state but, as I reached the eastern edge of the lake, the wind kicked up tremendously and I heard distant rumblings of thunder.  Also, the temperature had dropped over 20 degrees (into the high 60s).  Determined to see as much as I could before being prevented by the elements, I headed north into the woods (1500).  The trail system was quite well marked, with lots of interpretive kiosks and signs.  I could see Mount Defiance and Fort Ticonderoga at times and was impressed by the whitecaps on Lake Champlain.  There were ruins and lots of history to learn and I was surrounded by birds as I walked - but absolutely no people (I guess that's understandable).  I'd been warned that it might take two hours to travel through the whole system but I only ended up needing 90 minutes to finish the four miles.  Fortunately, the weather stayed like it was at the beginning and I only ever felt some raindrops at the very end.  Before departing, I checked out the Visitor Center exhibits (nice) and then drove back towards VT-73 and later got on VT-74.  With the winds still very strong, it was amazing to watch hundreds of soaring birds (including some big raptors) in the nearby farm fields.  My mission was to get on the Ticonderoga Ferry, which was advertised as being open until 1800 - since it was only 1645 when I was going to arrive, I thought I was all set.  Previously, my experience with the Lake Champlain Ferry system is that it is always running, even in weather that seems "unsafe" to the casual observer (see DEC 2023).  When I arrived at THIS ferry, though, there was no activity on either side of the lake (maybe three hundred yards across?) and the whole place seemed to be closed.  But there was no sign of the status!  Recalling that the ferry had a Facebook page, I went online to see if there were any notices posted there - sure enough, the owner had secured the ferry for the day about an hour before I arrived.  Oh well.  Unfortunately, now I was faced with 35 miles to drive only about 8 as the crow flies...  To add insult to injury, it started raining - the drive was not going to be easy.  I took my time, since predicted arrival at my hotel (Super 8 Ticonderoga) was still going to be before 1800 (my planned arrival time).  After a short drive to the north on back roads, I found myself on VT-125, which I've used many times before to cross the Lake at Crown Point.  Once in New York, I followed Lake Drive to NY-9D and made my way south again.  When I got into town, I was relieved to see all the businesses close to the hotel I'd chosen - after about 15 minutes of check-in and unloading of my car, I was comfortably settled in my room.  I was tempted to go out again - for dinner or a drink - but, feeling like I needed an evening to rest and relax, I made food in my room (single serve meals from the Shack Hilton stash).  Actually, this was the first time I'd had a chance to use a microwave on the trip - I've got lots of plans for that in my Nomad Life future but I hadn't had luck up to this point.  For the next few hours, I read, blogged and got organized for my upcoming work week.  I managed to stay awake until about 2245 and then fell asleep.  New adventures tomorrow!