| Day 14: Pittsfield, MA to Corning, NY (365 miles) Yesterday we had rain; today we had the threat of rain. The skies were dark much of the day which kept the temperatures perfect for riding, but we were in and out of our rain suits a bit more than usual. We left Pittsfield and rode the back roads of New York on Route 23 and then split from the rest of the Posse Riders and headed out on Route 10 that took a more southern route through New York. We are pretty sure we were the only riders on this road. Route 10 was 120 miles of sweeping country roads dotted with farms and pastures that eventually took us through 26 beautiful miles next to the Cannonsville Reservoir that supplies New York City with water. Route 10 was especially memorable thanks to the Bloomville Diner, a tiny little café that gave us refuge during a particularly heavy downpour. Shortly after getting on Route 10, in the middle of nowhere, we heard loud thunder and knew what was coming. Just at that time we took a curve in the road and there was the Bloomville Diner with a “Welcome, We Are Open” sign sitting curbside. We hopped off the bikes, grabbed our rain gear and headed inside just as the skies opened up. We were a big hit with the locals there in the tiny café that sported only five small tables and an eight stool counter. After a great breakfast we suited up from head to toe and headed out into the rain, which was now just a light drizzle. Ten miles down the road the sun came out and the rest of the day was beautiful with only damp roads. The only mishap of this otherwise perfect day was a close encounter with a large deer that decided to cross Route 10, slowly, 100 yards in front of us. If anything can make your heart stop while riding a motorcycle it’s approaching a large, wild animal at 50 miles per hour on a damp road. The deer crossed safely and trotted off into the forest as we passed by. Oh yeah, and one other mishap was that we rode from bright sunshine into a torrential downpour during the final three miles of today’s ride as we came into the Corning dealership. By the time we parked the bikes, it was 85 degrees and sunny again.
Writing the directions on our mirrors with dry erase pens helps us from getting too lost.
Route 23 through New York.
The Bloomville Diner, a welcome sight.
The fog after the rain stopped outside of Bloomville.
The view of the Cannonsville Reservoir for many miles.
Parking outside of Harding Harley-Davidson in Corning.
We had just enough time to wash the bikes and then park underneath the hotel entrance awning to wait out another rain storm. Where’s that blow-dryer when you need it? After the storm passed we walked to historic downtown Corning and ate dinner with friends on Market Street.
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