The Ride

Begin:         Sonora , KY (Averys Campground)  End:           Utica, KY (Schoolyard Park Miles:        100+ miles   +100 miles!  We did it.  Woke up at 5:30 am in the dark and were on the road by 6. Suggested a 5 mile rotating paceline (1st time we have ever tried something so organized).  It worked great.  Stopped and had some sandwiches in a roadside grocery store.  It was the local hangout. (4 old-timers in the store pre-8 AM).  Very friendly, supportive and curious.  Had us sign the bike register ("For when we get famous").  The miles peeled off until I broke my chain. A combination of forcing it and Chris playing with my derailleur(?).  Luckily we had the tools... We had the technology... And the chain was fixed!  Took a break in a Grocery/Service Station in Oklahoma, KY 12:30 (Central time now).  But not before we got caught in the rain. If I...

Begin:        Louisville, KY   End:           Upton , KY    Miles:        0 miles   Stayed with Sherry again.  Took Grant for a ride (we walked) down to the bakery.  It took +2 hrs roundtrip. What a journey.  It's now 5 pm and we've been dropped off at Averys Campground - south of Upton. The nearest point to the route is 5 miles.  We ended up saving 70 miles by sitting around today.  Averys is a grassy lot with one young tree per site. Only memorable item is the big black dog; He's giant and drools and pants constantly. I hope we can get out of here without drowning. We have a HUGE ride tomorrow (nearly 100 miles). We plan to do it mostly in the early morning and then some more when it cools.  Weighed our equipment; with water it is nearly 65 lbs + bike. 

Begin:        Louisville, KY   End:            Louisville, KY    Miles:        0 miles    Stayed with Sherry & Grant in Louisville. Went to her mom and dads for dinner (the 4th of July). I had met them two summers ago at Chris' house.  Went to see a friend of Mr. Jaspers before dinner.  Nice people.  Dinner was very good - Chicken, baked beans, corn and a salad. And for dessert, a peach covered sponge cake.  Cliff shot a rabbit in his garden while Grant was brushing his teeth.  While he was burying it, he asked if we needed/wanted a lucky rabbits foot.  Went to the Carroll County firework at General Butler State Park.  Kinda slow (vs the other displays we've seen), but nice. * I've decided I'm not ready for kids. At least like Grant. He's a terror. haha

Begin:           Berea, KY End:             Springfield, KY Miles:          ? miles    Left this morning at 6:15 to try to beat the heat and get to Bardstown (+100miles).  It didn't happen. Although it was cool for 3-4 hours, we quickly tired out with the roller coaster roads and the increasing heat.  I admit I was whining a lot. My legs didn't hurt that bad but, I just didn't have it in me.  We ended in Springfield at 12:45 and made the Food King our home for a couple of hours until Sherry called us back (she's picking us up so we can have a day off in Louisville).  I drank three 20 oz Cokes and ate half of a package of cookies.  We rode by a bank showing time & temp - 97?!  At 2:45. Ouch.  We have to watch out.  All the days before this have had some tree or mountain cover, but today was all out in the open. Actually saw some black people toda...

Begin:           Boonville, KY End:             Berea, KY  Miles:          60 miles    I'm writing this a day late. Just never got around to pulling out the pen and paper. The ride was pretty easy (60 miles) with some rollercoasters in the beginning. Took a shortcut that the locals had pointed out to us. Not sure how much it really saved us, but every mile counts. The shortcut was a single, poorly paved (gravel in parts, big holes in others) road that went by a dozen or do houses along the valley floor. Had a couple of run-ins with some very fast dogs. Luckily Chris tires them out before they notice me. Chris had a pretty rough day. He was just mentally tired and paid for it. Most of the ride was shady so I rode without a jersey. We went by a pen of 5 or so pigs who ran to the fence to greet us. It was our best welcome from all the cows, dogs and horses we have passed by. Rolled into...

Begin:           Pippa Passes, KY End:             Boonville, KY  Miles:          ? miles   Started earlier than usual. We try to get up at 6 am and get in a few miles before it starts to heat up and/or the wind starts blowing. But getting dressed and packed usually gets us on the road around 7-715. Today Chris jumped out of bed and was ready to go in 20 min so I threw all my stuff in, not worrying about balancing the load, and we were riding by 630. Had breakfast (2 ham and cheese sandwiches) at 7 in a Texaco on the outskirts of Hindman. The two women at the counter were real friendly and one talked about her daughter who had been to Berkeley and Southern California. "There was a man who didn't have any clothes on, just walking down the street!" Her husband was a coal truck driver who worked part-time at the store. She/they told us about how coal goes through boom and bust periods. He ex...

Begin:          650 am  The Breaks Interstate Park, VA End:             115 pm Pippa Passes, KY Miles:          ? miles   Took pictures at the VA/KY State line, then didn't break until Bypro, KY. In those 45 miles, we went over some huge hills and back some country roads that showed some of the poorest parts of KY imaginable.  Shacks of wood, sheet metal, rusted out trailers and mobile homes. It really got to me how horrible it would be to live like that. Had my first coke during a ride - A 1 liter coke! I didn't get sick. Thank god. Met a guy in Bypro (He never turned off his car) that told us he was a hillbilly. Gave us the story of eastern Kentucky along with his life story.  Talked about the feuds after the Civil War. How returning prisoners/soldiers all had to pass through these parts. I guess the Hatfields/McCoys lived within 30 miles of where we were talking. He talked about t...

Begin:          Council, VA End:             The Breaks Interstate Park, VA Miles:          26 miles This was our rest day. About 26 miles. Most of it was downhill (top speed of 40 mph), but the few climbs made us glad that we were doing such a short ride. Had to ride over some newly paved road and both of us picked up several layers of asphalt and carried it the entire way from Davenport to the Breaks. My tires looked like they had studs on them. Met a guy in Haysi who was bragging about travelling. He had driven several times from Anchorage and back and spent time in SF (He named several places in the Bay Area that neither of us could make out). He kept telling us how everyone in town can't understand why he would want to drive to all those places. "People don't know nothing, but the side of their barn" I'm glad that my observations are being confirmed by the locals. Got to the gate at the Breaks and ...

Begin:            Riverside Campground End:             Council, VA Miles:           Today was supposed to be a short, easy day and we were not greatly disappointed. Chris led the whole way. All 42 miles of it. The day started with some big time climbing and I was glad Chris' legs were feeling fresher than mine. The early morning had a heavy fog, but it was quickly gone. I hate to admit it, but all this country is beginning to look the same. Green hills.  Big, heavily forested hills with rich, orange/red soil. The heat/humidity had not bothered us too much, but we've been riding in shade most of every day. Today was 86 degrees and felt more like 80. Rode into Rosedale for lunch. The three women in the store didn't know where Council was. It is 15 miles from Rosedale! This was our first experience with people in a small town who have never (or rarely) left the area. The are three routes in...

Begin:            Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park (Wytheville, VA) End:             ~ 6 pm Riverside Campground (where the Holston River crosses the 19) Miles:          68 miles Last night was interesting. We laid out our sleeping bags under a band shell while a 3rd rate symphony went on below us. The band didn't start until 10 pm, but we didn't mind. They had put strings of white Christmas lights across the whole park and ended the concert with big time fireworks.  Disney would be proud. Saw my first lightning bug.  Cool. Woke up late (715) this morning and went into town to get Chris a haircut and mail back some stuff we decided we didn't need. I was worried about the possibility of rain so rode out fast once we finally got started (9 am). We got about 8 miles out and it started to pour. I didn't want to have to stay another night, but we stopped anyway. 20 min later there was a break so ...

Begin:          ~7:30   Daddy Rabbits End:             ~ 3 pm Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park (Wytheville, VA) Miles:          59 miles Woke up at 6 am and found out Chris had a flat. It gave me a few more minutes to wake myself up and psych myself up for the ride. We planned for today to be short (< 60 miles) and rode it steady at a moderate pace. Had several encounters with Mad Max and his friends (our name for leashless dogs). It appears that 4 out of 5 dog owners don't believe in chaining their dogs. Luckily none have caught us. The ride was not that bad.   Lots of uphill balanced with some good downhill  legs. It felt like someone built the roads so that everyone passing through could bitch  about the climbs. Had a great lunch in Fort Chiswell. 3 ham sandwiches for $3.50.  Yeah! Met some Jesus freak on a bike loaded for bear. 90 lbs consisting of homemade equipme...

Begin:         6:45 am at Bills (Winston Salem, NC) End:             6 pm   Daddy Rabbits (near Willis, VA) Weather:   Clear, little wind (but when it did blow, it was in our faces). Not as hot as I expected. Road:         NC and VA don't know what a bike path is. We hugged the white line whenever we heard a car.                       Not very hilly in the beginning, but then... Comments: Did I really train for this? I rode strong in the beginning, but fell apart on the climbs. Our bikes felt like tanks. Chris did great!  He led a good portion of the ride and pulled me through the last few miles. We wanted to make it to Christiansburg, but the climb from Stuart up to the Blue Ridge Parkway changed our minds.  It was very close to Big Basin ending at ~2,600 feet. Floyd was supposed to have a campground, but no one had ...

How it started I was riding my bike quite a bit while getting my Masters so I got this crazy idea of riding out to see Bill in NC after I graduated.  I'd never done any bike camping, but it seemed possible after reading about Bikecentennial/Adventure Cycling maps. Chris was working up in the Bay Area full-time, but he did not want to miss out on the adventure and was convinced he could get himself ready before we started.  I was not fully convinced, but knew he would be good company and was much more knowledgeable about bikes than I was. The plan was set;  Fly out to Winston-Salem, NC and bike north until we met up with the TransAmerica Route then ride across the middle of the US to the Oregon coastline. The Road? The Money? Time? Energy? Which was going to run out first? ======================================================================== * It is now 2023 and I want to make my personal blog a bit more accessible.      I am going to try not to corr...