Quick trip through Maine

Hey all, I just wanted to leave a quick report on my short tour of Maine. I started in Naples on Sebago Lake on July 1 and then went from Lewiston north to Augusta then Bangor, cut east toward Acadia but turned south near Ellsworth, and continued south to Belfast, Rockport, Freeport, Portland, Kennebunk, and Portsmouth.

It was around 80 miles and 5000 feet of elevation per day, give or take. I followed the ECG for most of the coastal portion of the trip and took the advice of locals to avoid the coastal road (Rt. 1) between Belfast and Camden. Apparently, there's no shoulder, little visibility, and visitors to the area often drive poorly. The trails between Portland and Kennebunk are amazing; I'd probably ride that route weekly if I lived in Portland. Belfast, Brunswick, and Portland were gorgeous and friendly, and the roads were generally fantastic. DM me if you'd like the routes I used. They only need to be corrected in one place, where RWGPS sent me down a dead-end single-track for a mile and a half or so.

The one place the roads were not great was Bangor: unless you want to go there specifically, I’d recommend avoiding it (although seeing Stephen King's house was pretty cool). The drivers on the approach I took from the west were fast and inconsiderate, and the industrial surroundings weren’t much to see or smell. It totaled only a few hours of riding, though, so it wasn’t too much of a drag.

The campgrounds were phenomenal. In South Thomaston near Rockport, I stayed at Lobster Buoy Campsite (280 Waterman Beach Rd). It's simple, friendly, clean, well run, and beautifully located on the water. It's on the ECG. Farther south in Freeport, I stayed at Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Camping, which was attached to an agricultural center that has a teaching farm and dairy. I met a baby goat and bought the best tasting fresh milk I've ever had. Really it's just a great vibe and has everything you could want.

Also, gay male-identifying cyclists might want to check out Twin Ponds in Albion. Unless you’re looking for a party, avoid the weekends. I stayed there—not knowing it was a clothing optional men’s-only campground!—during the week, and folks were very kind and welcoming, my disinterest in hooking up with men notwithstanding. And the clothing-optional policy was pretty great for getting dressed in the morning.

A couple lessons learned: 1) The hills in Maine are punchier than they look on RWGPS, and a 1.5km 4.2% ascent might actually be a 1.1 km 2% ascent followed by 400 meters at 9% or some worse variation on that theme. Overall it wasn't terrible, but it was more challenging than I expected. 2) I should have brought something to deal with the mosquitoes and deer flies. The deer flies are bad in the woods, and at sunset on the beaches the mosquitoes are legion. I had to stop to buy a can of Deep Woods Off, which I wasn't crazy about using.