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Of Lake Luzerne
Lake Luzerne: A
cycling adventure for the ages
By Howie Luxenberg
Sixteen
of us car-pooled for a week of cycling at Lake Luzerne,
a tiny village near Lake George, nestled between some of
the greenest mountains and glistening streams in the
Adirondacks.
We
climbed hills. We climbed mountains that never seemed to
end.
For me, it was like a grueling crawl to the peaks
of Mount Everest without the benefit of a Sherpa.
Larry Chestnut, our resident cheer leader and no
stranger to the mountains, kept repeating:
"Shift into your lowest gear and just grind
it out."
Easy for him to say, as he looked over his
shoulder and slowly led the way forward.
Al
Lowich, a man of few words, unless it relates to
politics, chugged along at a pace that defied logic.
Most electrifying of all were Don Sprague and his
wife, Judy, who rode to the top on a 50-pound tandem
without the benefit of low gearing.
Don has long been an expert rider and ride
leader, but Judy is a virtual novice and their twin
performance made us stare in wonderment.
Bob
Smith, the trip's organizer, charted the routes and kept
us guessing about the next destination on our journey to
the heavens.
Of course, he and his wife, Meg, made it all
worthwhile with a sumptuous dinner of various pastas,
sauces and fabulous desserts of freshly picked
strawberries, blueberries, ice cream and a variety of
other goodies.
There
was no shortage of wonderful eateries and shops that we
visited as we weaved through the trails.
For instance, Al astonished many of us, as well
as the owner of a particular breakfast establishment, by
simply devouring the biggest vat of oatmeal known to
mankind on two separate mornings.
Those witnessing the occasion were left aghast.
In the evening, whether you chose prime ribs, steaks,
pork chops or Italian cuisine, you were never
disappointed in the quality or quantity at very
reasonable prices.
Marilyn
Saywell and Metta Cahill climbed the peaks and looked
spectacular doing it.
Bill
Cooper and Bob Parsons patrolled as unofficial traffic
cops during many of our treks, helping keep us safe and
on a proper heading.
Harry
and Terrie Koenig were among the more deliberate, but no
less determined, hill climbers, but I'm certain they
captured more breath-taking views of the landscape than
some of the more aggressive riders.
Dennis
Whitney and yours truly had the distinction of being
sole members of the group to take to the road each day
without interruption.
As expected, Mr. Lowich was the mileage leader.
Most
importantly, there were no mishaps, spills or even flat
tires.
The weather cooperated and it was truly an
outstanding week.
Bob
invites other Freewheelers to strongly consider joining
the group in 2011.
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