Smoke from the fires in Canada made the morning sky very hazy and for the second time I could smell the smoke.

I wasn’t on the road for very long this morning when I ran across Dan riding in the opposite direction. As is customary when crossing path with other bike packers, you stop and chat, exchanging any information on the trail conditions or just whatever comes to mind.

Dan is from Arizona and started in Florida and rode up the east coast before turning west. When he reaches the Pacific, he will turn south, before returning to his home in Arizona.

Dans hat/helmet is quite unique. However, it’s hard for me to criticize him, as day after day in the sun really does a job on your skin. I was peeling for a week after I arrived in Wisconsin despite using sunscreen and moisturizing cream almost every day on the road.

Dan also took a picture of me.

A few minutes after leaving Dan, I met another couple headed west. I also chatted with them for a while. After that second encounter, I started thinking that I would be meeting a lot more bike packers on this section of the trail, but today I encountered no more people touring by bike. I did meet another cyclist who was out on a training ride. Jan rode with me for a while and guided me through a section of trail.

One theme often discussed is the number of bike packers being encountered is down. I was thinking about this and have a possible explanation. First young people now learn to ride bikes on trails, not on the streets. Many are now reluctant to ride on the street. The other factor is the rise of gravel riding and the increasing network of rail trails give cyclists safer alternatives.

In the afternoon I was riding along Lake Erie when I saw this sight.

A corn field on the right, a mobile home park to the left and a picnic table under a shade tree between them. I had to stop and enjoy the picnic table and this view.

Today, I cruised 68 miles to a motel in Amherst, Ohio. Total distance is now 2844 miles.