Lamoine

Friday 8/8

Slept well, no rain but condensation on the inside of my tent. While making coffee, I wiped down the inside of the tent fly with my still damp towl. Packed up, suited up, and then lurch forward when I put the bike into gear. Clutch fluid. I partially unsuited, pulled tools, and topped off the resevoir with more DOT4. For maybe the 4th time this trip.

Back on the bike, the clutch caught just of the grip. And had enough grip fully engaged to not allow the shift to neutral. I figured it would work out the air with use. It didn't. Luckily, I was able to bleed it out within a few bleeder valve openings. After mostly cleaning up Irving's pavement, I tested the bike on the ride back a few hundred feet to Cinnamon Soul Cafe. If the clutch was fine, I would celebrate with a good breakfast. It was, and I did.

The ride to Lamoine State Park in Maine was pleasant. Before leaving Canada, it cooled off, and I was riding with all my jacket vents closed. Once in the USA, I refueled and started down Rt9. Enjpying light traffic moving along well. The GPS eventually took me back towards the shore over some nice rural roads. Along Fields and over some sections with views of ponds and other ridges.

At Lamoine, the girl at the gate told me where to go. Another BMW rider arrived, and we exchanged greetings as we passed on foot between the booth and our bikes. Once at the site I crossed a large field to pitch my tent in the shade of some big pine trees. Nate showed up soon after and pitched his tent. Half the group was out for dinner, so we did the same.

The food at the Crazy Sumo Ellsworth was good. We opted for just a meal and not the show at a grill table. A stop fie something to drink around the fire, and back to the park. We talked around the fire until about 0100. Earlier, we realized that Nate and I had set up our tents with a different group. Nate would soon be treating them to a symphony of snoring. I fell asleep quickly, so by my account, Nate was very quiet.