Day 5- Clarks Summit to Stroudsburg PA

An interesting day- the morning began with hard rain, and we were doubting how wet we would get on what was going to be a hilly day (even the morning message board sounded ominous). The storm seemed to pass and we got on the road out of Clarks Summit with intermittent showers. As it turned out, that was it for the rain for the day (Ken's biking luck continues- in all my training this year I have yet to get caught in a downpour- of course the guys think this is now jinxed). Heat was a factor for the first time this week as the temperature approached the upper 80's, but luckily there was shade, the occasional head wind, and at mile 54, ice cream!!! A lot of climbing today through the Poconos, as we climbed 4.5 miles up Moosic Mountain (the western edge of the Poconos plateau according to our resident geologist, DJ). You can see all the tired bikes lying down in one of the photos. With the climbing, we conversely had lots of downhill descents (funny how that works out). Look at the photo with the mountain in the background- we came down from there before going up Moosic Mountain. Some of the descents were screaming, with speeds over 40 mph- much fun!! The route was gorgeous, and was exactly the same as last year's leg between Clark's Summit and Stroudsburg which no one seemed to mind. We were serenaded at a beautiful SAG stop by our videographers Tom and Doug and various guest singers. Tomorrow we bike along the Delaware Water Gap and then into Jersey to our last hotel night in Clinton.