Godwin

I'm trying to plan a trip from Halifax to Toronto and decided I'd take the most direct route by taking the ferry to Portland Maine and cutting through New England. I haven't ever done any touring but the trip will be more of a brevet or fast/light tour. I've never cycled outside Nova Scotia before so I should probably get a little advice on the route.

You can check out a draft of the route starting in Portland here.

Basically I'm planning on cutting through rural (?) ME, VT, NH, and the Adirondack region along Hwy 74, 28, and Big Moose Rd/#4. About all I know about these areas is what I see on Google maps. Are these areas friendly (motorists and wildlife)? Are the roads decent? Are there regular gas stations ect. along the way? Any alternate route suggestions?

I'll be carrying two water bottles and I'll have a little room for food so I usually have to stop every 25-50 miles or so. I'll be bivying but if there's any hostels along the way I'd do that (I doubt there will be and if the weather turns really bad I'll probably try to find a hotel or b&b).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

wellshorton

Looks like fun! At least one of the portions is rideable gravel. In the Adirondacks, from somewhere north of Eagle Bay towards Stillwater Reservoir then to Francis Lake is not paved. With that said it is much better than continuing through Old Forge on 28. Be sure to think of the Arrogant Worms as you travel the Wolfe Island Ferry to Kingston!

Another big picture change is to take the ferry to Bar Harbor instead of Portland. This is a bit longer but is worth considering. What about at least adding a third waterbottle? Without carrying a water filter there will be some sections where a third waterbottle could help. When are you hoping to ride the trip?
Wells

Godwin

Cool. I'm riding on 700x20s so usually gravel of any sort is out of the question unless it's less than a mile or so. What's wrong with route 28? I wouldn't have room for a third water bottle anywhere but in a jersey pocket which would prove uncomfortable after a while so a filter may be a smart thing to look into. I'm planning on going the last two weeks of August.

cuffydog

Godwin: A couple of things to keep in mind--

to go east to west through VT you will have to go over the Green Mountains through one of the "gaps." Don't let the name fool you--there's a lot of elevation gain there. If you're meaning to connect with 74 on the NY side, you'll need to go over either the Brandon Gap or the Middlebury Gap. Brandon is easier, but longer, and will add miles; Middlebury has a steady 3 mile pitch coming from the Hancock side, but once you get to the top it's almost all downhill to the Ticonderoga cable ferry in Shoreham, which will get you across Lake Champlain to 74 in a jiffy and is really fun.

Meanwhile, on the NY side, RT 74 has an extremely long and arduous climb coming out of Ticonderoga called Chilson Hill. All amenities are at the bottom of the hill, and it will be quite a while before you see another store or a place to get water. (There may be a general store in Paradox, but it may be out of business. There's a summer camp where you may be able to refill your water, near there, right on the road.) 74 can be a tricky road past Paradox: it gets narrow and there is no shoulder and it's twisty and you have to watch out for trucks and campers and of course deer. When there's little traffic on it, it's quite nice.

At the end of 74, to get to 28, you're going to have to ride on Rt9. 9 is a two-lane but popular N-S road. Cyclists ride it, for sure, but you have to do so with caution because, like 74, it is narrow. A couple of weeks ago a cyclist coming down a hill (in the opposite direction from you) was hit by a car pulling out of a side road. The car didn't see the cyclist till they collided, in part because he wasn't anticipating him.

You will have no trouble finding provisions or a place to stay on Rt. 9.

Since you're trying to get to Rt. 28, you might want to turn off Rt 9 in Pottersville and head up towards Minerva and Olmsteadville. There's some climbing (but that's true all over the Adirondacks), but you'll be on back roads with not a lot of traffic. You can get provisions in Pottersville, and Minerva (they have one store each). Instead of ending up on 28, you'll be on 28 N, which you'll take through Newcomb and then over to Blue Mountain Lake, which is on Rt. 30. Rt. 30 goes to Old Forge.

Alternatively, you can go through Pottersville, turn left on Igerna Road, and follow the signs to North Creek, where you can pick up Rt. 28 and head up it more directly to Blue. Rt. 28 is a big climb, but it's a great biking road. There are places to stay in and around N.Creek, Indian Lake and Blue. There's a bike shop in N.Creek. There's also one in Middlebury. There's a Walmart (ugh) in Ticonderoga.

You may be able to get good maps for the NY part from the NYState Department of Environmental Conservation or from the tourist board. I think someone publishes a map of bike routes in VT. (Not sure who.)

Just make sure you've got your climbing legs on. Good luck! It's gorgeous.

Godwin

Thanks so much cuffydog! Once I dissect my route with that in mind I'll come in very handy.

Peaks

Simplest way to plan a trip across New England and the Adirondacks is to the applicable Northern Tier map from Adventure Cycling.

USAZorro

If you stay closer to the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario, the ride will be much flatter. Rte 11 through northern New York state is quite a nice ride, but without the climbs and mountain scenery you'd have going through the Adirondacks.

<edit> If you're starting in Portland, ME, hitting route 11 may not be practical.