Central Time

Pictures are up!

That’s right, I’ve gained an hour. Slow and steady progress towards the west. The Smokey Mountains? Been there, done that. They sure are beautiful though, check them out:

In the past few days I’ve experienced more than I may be able to convey. I’ve been in the worst situations but also met the kindest people. I’ve been rained on but also sweated profusely in the Tennessee humidity. I’ve pedaled up mountains and traversed a plateau. There have been more flat tires, some which came at the worst of times. All this amounts to a few stories worth remembering though, so here it goes:

Day 19, part II:

The unexplained picture – Music on the Square. I got a full dose of country music and fiddle playing, and they even announced my presence at the end (yes, the town is that small). I met some more great people, and got a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed. Of all the towns I’ve been through, I definitely liked Jonesborough the most. They even had a farmer’s market in the morning.

Day 20:

The rumors are true – Tennessee is hot, humid, and home to a few disgruntled redneck farmers. Of all the stories I could tell, this one is probably the most interesting...

Being that I concocted this route myself, I knew that there was going to be at least one section that took me the wrong way. What I didn’t expect was to get be terribly lost far from any road, in the middle of nowhere.

That’s right. It all started innocently enough, I bore right at a fork instead of the left that I was supposed to take. When I realized it, I booted up the GPS and plotted a way back on course. But what ended up happening was that my detour turned into a seasonal road, which turned into a gutted out gravel road, which turned into a river leading into a briar patch surrounded by barb wire. Mind you, this was all while being chased by two dogs.

Now if you don’t know, the internet defines briar patch as: “A thicket formed by any of a number of unrelated thorny plants.” Emphasis on THORNY PLANTS.

So my options were:
1. Retrace my path two miles up the hill, where I left the dogs
2. Hop over the barb wire, and plow my way through the briar patch until I found a road

…Guess which one I chose?

About a half mile later I had worked my way up a hill covered in pickers, dodging a river and managing to not alert anyone that I was blatantly trespassing. I finally got to the other end of the fence, and saw a house lying on the other side. Needless to say, I carefully navigated my way over the barb wire (bike trailer and all)...at which time a dog started barking and a pickup truck come speeding towards me.

I flew back on my bike, rode as fast as I could towards what I thought was a road, and just when I could taste freedom I ran into more barbed wire and was cut off by a redneck farmer screaming at me. Now it should be a given that by this point I was freaking out, but just in case you haven’t gathered that yet...I WAS FREAKING OUT.

I explained the situation to the farmer, who ordered me to wait while he checked if I damaged his fence. A few tense minutes later, he came back to tell me everything looked fine, and I needed to get lost. I apologized vigerously, he gave me directions of his land, and I was finally back on course.

The damage? My legs looked like they were going to fall off, I had two flat tires (pickers and tires do not get along), and I lost my ipod, my rear fender, and my dignity. Alas, I rode on.

Quite a few miles later I got to the Greenbriar Island Campground, about ten miles out of the Smokey Mountain National Park. It was a really beautiful lot, and I met a very nice family who invited me in for the night.

Their first words to me? “You hungry...we’ve got extras!” Yes please.

After a delicious dinner of chicken, beans, bread, beef, macaroni and cheese, and cake, I washed up and relaxed for the evening. This is also a first – they had a spare tent set up for me. Thanks for the accommodations, the food, and the company!

Here they all are:

Miles covered: 65

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Day 21:

I planned today to be a little easy. 35 miles up to Cades Cove in the park, then camp out for the night. I had no problem with sleeping in, and when it started to rain, I waited it out and stayed nice and dry. I even ate an awesome breakfast with everyone that I stayed the night with – eggs, bacon, pancakes, biscuits - the works.

When I finally grabbed the bike to go, I was greeted by a (at this point, not so unexpected) surprise. My trailer tire was flat...I’ll blame it on the briar patch.

Once I got the tire up and running, I rode in to Gatlinburg (the ultimate tourist trap) and picked up a few supplies. Then I finally entered the park. The ride turned out to be pretty easy, lots of downhill until the end, and a nice scenic 11 mile loop touring the mountains. Here's a glimpse of the treck:

I stopped for lunch halfway into the ride and sat down with a few people who were eating a certified southern picnic (which they generously shared with me). Pork rinds, watermelon, some sort of baked peanuts, and pineapple.

Here's the food and the company:

Once I got into the Cades Cove area, I got one of the greatest gifts of the whole trip. Remember how I unfortunately lost my ipod? Well a family that I briefly spoke with in Gatlinburg ran into me again up in Cades Cove, flagged me down, and gave me another one. Now it may or may not be filled with country music, but I’m still blown away over the fact that they would give such a great gift to a stranger.

That incredible event was followed by meeting a wonderful family in the campground who let me stay with them for the night. I got the hammock set up, and sat down with them for a nice hamburger and bean dinner (with more cake for dessert). Thanks again everyone for the generosity, it was great to meet you all!

And here’s a picture:

Miles covered: 40

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Day 22:

After a wholesome breakfast of oatmeal and cereal, my route out of the mountains took me on a road called Parsons Branch, which was a really crazy but awesome ride. Eight miles long, four miles up the mountain pass and four miles back down. The pass? Over 1,000 feet of elevation gain..on a one-way seasonal road. That’s about as much mountain biking as you can do with a trailer.

Casualities? Blew out my IT band in my left knee, and popped my front tire (definitely should have lowered the pressure...)

Parsons Branch dumpted me out on what is called the “Dragon,” a winding road notorious for motorcycles, beautiful scenery, and accidents. Luckily it was pretty empty when I was on it...

With no more spare tubes and not a bike shop in sight, I held my breath the rest of the day, hoping that my tires would hold up. Just my luck, the rear ran over some glass and I got a flat. Luckily I was able to patch it up and carry on for a few more miles.

I found a very nice campground to spend the night in, and met another great family that fed me dinner. All in all, lots of easy riding, and not a very eventful day...which right now, is alright with me.

Oh, right, here's more mountains:

And..wait..is that...BEARS!

Miles covered: 90 (the most so far!)

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Day 23:

No flats yet! I did get rained on all morning though...

The worst thing about the 100% Tennessee humidity? Once something gets wet, it stays wet. My feet are feeling that one.

I got a wonderful breakfast cooked for me at the campsite this morning by a guy named David, and kick-started the day in style.

I went through a very quaint town called Spring City about 15 miles into the ride, and met a bunch of nice, helpful people. In a conversation about being chased by dogs, one guy even drove out to his office and picked me up two cans of dog spray. So now I can at least ride with a small degree of security.

Right now I’m camped out in Crossville, Tennessee. I’ve gone 40 miles so far, and hopefully have a few more done before the day is over. When I rolled into town I was relieved to find out that the central time zone granted me one hour, so I had a nice lunch, jimmy-rigged a new fender to the bike (think the "open house" sign days, but new and improved), and headed for the library.

Here's some other cool stuff I saw:

Best be getting back to it though, wish me luck...

The Good, the Bad, and the Lucky

I like the south. It seems like everywhere I go, I have a home and a family to keep me company. The further this trip takes me, the nicer and more generous people get. I've said it before, but the kindness I witness everyday is incredible. It's rewarding, suprising, and above all comforting.

Day 19:

After a good night’s sleep in Wytheville, VA and a bangin’ continental breakfast (at which I acquired a free giant loaf of bread), I left the town behind. I did pick up a few much needed things before I left civilization once again though, namely a watch and a notebook. It’s amazing how much easier life is now that I always know what time it is.

The morning wasn’t without some disappointment though. First, it was raining (big surprise the...) But not a nice, warm summer rain. This was a cold, miserable rain that made riding a less-than-spectacular experience. Second, I chased a(what I soon found out to be) imaginary bike shop. Up a hill. I don’t want to talk about it.

Anyway, eventually I got back on route and made my way through the countryside. To my surprise, after such an awful morning the day turned out to be pretty amazing. I met a lovely Norwegian woman about 30 miles into the day who was following the same route as me across the country. We biked together for 20 or so miles on a very scenic road through a national forest and then on a really nice bike path that took us into the famous outdoors hub of Damascus. There are literally 10 bike shops in the small town, and just as many hiking and outdoors stores. I guess that’s the kind of development you get when you’re at the crossing of two major bike routes and the Appalachian Trail.

Here's me with Nina:

And check out the scenery:

Being just north of the Tennessee boarder, Nina and I parted ways so I could continue south to the Smokey Mountains. After exiting the National Forest on the Tennessee side though, the route took a not-so-pleasant turn. It started with a mountain. Not a big problem, I’ve seen plenty of those. The real problem? Dogs. Every single house that lined this mountain had a dog. And every dog would bolt off the property and chase after me. Up the hill. Keep in mind I had already rode about 75 miles…

Eventually the deadly dog mountain reached its peak and I joyfully descended the other side…into redneck country. Now perhaps I was stressing over nothing except the warnings and cautions I received before I entered the state...or perhaps it was the huge pickup trucks with “road rage redneck” plastered across the windshield. Needless to say, I got out of the...quick.

Eventually I found a much nicer part of the state, home to a lovely family who let me stay in their backyard for the night. Let me tell you though, I really lucked out. Not only did they have perfect hammock trees, but I got TONS of free food. First off, a ham and turkey sandwich, a banana, and cookies for dinner. Then the neighbors gave me a huge bag with yet another loaf of bread, tons of granola bars, candy, a one pound bag of pretzels, and a box of graham crackers. Not to mention they were all incredibly nice, and gave me a delicious breakfast the next morning. Thanks again for a warm welcome into Tennessee (and some relief from the dogs)!

Here we all are:

And the FOOD:

Miles covered: 87

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Day 20:

Today was a bad day...but also a lucky one.

It started out great. An easy eight ride into Elizabethton, TN. I picked up some food, mailed a few things back home, and got “directions” to a bike shop. And by directions I mean I got sent 10 miles in the wrong direction, on a four lane highway, down a gigantic hill. Ever get the feeling you were about to do something completely unnecessary that you would fully regret very shortly, but you went through with it anyway? Today was kind of like that.

So after a few miles of unnecessary pedaling I got to the bike shop in one piece...my bike on the other hand, not so much. I pulled into the parking lot with flat tire #1.

I got the bike fixed up, found my way back onto the route (back up the gigantic hill, on the four lane highway), and continued.

Long story short, I pulled into Jonesborough, TN for lunch, furious and disgruntled over the time I lost. I sat down for my delicious peanut butter and banana sandwich and began to plan the rest of the day. Soon I eagerly got back on the bike, but was greeted by flat tire #2 and #3. Yes, that’s right. All three tires on my bike went flat today. Not cool.

One hour and a lot of tire pumping later, I had made friends with the entire town and was about to set off again. That’s when Cassandra Moore came up and started talking to me. I told her my story, and before I could say goodbye, she offered to put me up in a house for the night. Now I’m never one to turn down free things, so I pondered it over and decided it was a good idea.

A short jaunt down the road, she brought me to her mother’s vacant mansion house, all mine for the night...and stocked with food. Laundry, shower, pizza, lasagna, shrimp, pie...many delicious and wonderful things in one place.

Now I could go on and on about how incredibly (and true) southern hospitality is, but I’m headed out to explore Jonesborough. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves...

I'll explain this one later (but it's Jonesborough at it's finest):

And how about an action shot? BAM

Miles covered: 30ish

RAIN.

In Virginia, it rains. A lot. I got caught in a thunder storm yesterday, then two more during the night, then once more in the morning. It’s rained once today already, and what’s the forecast for tonight? RAIN.

Hopefully Tennessee will be a little drier.

After riding for eight consecutive days, I’ve decided to take today “off.” I did ride 20 miles this morning, but that was only to get myself back into civilization. I’ve finally made it to Wytheville, VA and will be staying in a hotel for the night. My clothes are in the wash, my stomach is full of southern fried chicken, and I’m camped out in the library. What more could one ask for?

In my travels through Virginia though, I have decided three things. First, southerners don’t believe in money. Second, there are two main reasons why obesity is running rampant:
1. Pizza Inn
2. Shoney’s

Lastly, there are two things that anyone biking across the country should partake in:
1. Pizza Inn
2. Shoney’s

Allow me to explain. Pizza Inn is a very fine establishment in Christiansburg, VA – home to an all you can eat pizza buffet…for six dollars. Needless to say, I ate more than I should have and had to lie down for 45 minutes before I could even think about getting back on my bike.

Shoney’s on the other hand is apparently all over the south, however I had never heard of it. Being an all you can eat southern fried buffet though, it’s probably best I haven’t found it until now. How much for all the fried deliciousness you heart desires? 7 bucks.
I’d post pictures, but right now I can’t look at food…

Day 16 (part II):

The rest of day 16 was pretty uneventful. There was a little farmland, a few rolling hills, and not much in the way of company. I think I even passed through a ghost town, which was a bit creepy to say the least. At night I hung my hammock precariously between two tree without trunks (don’t ask how, because I really don’t know) in the front yard of family home in the middle of nowhere. They had six goats, five chickens, two dogs, and a lost cat. After some chili and pasta I turned in for the night, only to be jolted awake at 5:00 AM by a blast of thunder. And so begins the trend…

Miles covered: 65

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Day 17:
This was Pizza Buffet day. Nothing else matters, just the pizza. I think I put my body in shock, but it was too delicious to stop…

Anyway, I ended up getting caught in the middle of a lightning storm around 7:00 PM and desperately went door to door trying to find some shelter. After being invited in by a family with two very energetic children, I waited out the storm before pitching my hammock. The only problem? No Trees! Being grounded for the night, I set up a bivy on the ground.

Before falling asleep another thunder storm rolled in and pelted me with rain. I was woken up once more in the middle of the night by rain, and then woke up at 7:00 AM to yet more thunder. At least I’ll have a roof over my head tonight…

Miles covered: 80

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Day 18:

Only 20 miles today, taking me in to the town of Wytheville, VA. Pretty busy town, but the people are very friendly. Hopefully I’ll get a good night sleep tonight, and will be off towards Tennessee in the morning. The upside of shelling out for a hotel? Free breakfast (well, and some other stuff too).

Miles Covered: 20...

God speed.

If My Legs Could Talk

I think my legs are going to fall off...but in a good way. 200 miles of ups and downs on the Appalachian Mountains in less than three days, and I lived to tell about it. Definitely one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve ever done, and I enjoyed ever second of it. I met some great people, ate more wonderful food (for free) than I ever knew you could take up a mountain, and have more pictures than I know what to do with.

Day 13:

Not going to lie, I was a little ignorant going into it. I blasted up the first section of mountains in eighth gear, pretending I wasn’t tired. When I finally reached the visitors center at the top, the ranger told me I was crazy (this is a reoccurring theme) and knocked some sense into me when she broke out the elevation profile for the next section. Down to third gear we went...

When I finally reached the campsite at mile 22, I was exhausted, in every sense of the word. 22 miles of pedaling up mountains gets to you after a while...but unfortunately that was just the beginning.

About to register for a campsite, I met a really nice guy named Tim who started talking to me about my journey. After a quick chat, he invited me along to stay with him and his friends and family for the night. They fed me beer, some scrumptious German sausage, a pile of pasta and potatoes, and s’mores before I turned in for the night.

In the morning I was greeted with a cup of coffee, and after I cooked up some oatmeal I was on my way again.

Here’s the whole crew though, thanks again for the accommodations!

Miles Covered: 65

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Day 14:

Now let me tell you something about coffee. First off, I don’t drink it (but since it was free...) Second, I have never pedaled so fast for so long in my entire life. It was like the mountains didn’t even exist.

I ate lunch with a crew of road bikers who were covering the whole 105 mile stretch of Sky Line Drive in one day, and kept going to a campsite 80 miles into the park. Hungry, tired, and looking for some conversation, I found more than I ever could have asked for.

I met Scott and Jon on the road leading up to the campsite. Wondering if I could join them for the night, they led me to where they and five other friends were staying for the night. Not only were they some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, they treated me as if I were a life-long friend. As a bonus, they were packing enough food to feed the entire campground for a week. Nothing beats finishing a 60 mile day of biking in the mountains with beer, fruit, sandwiches (don’t even get me started on the sandwiches...delicious), hamburgers, cookies, s’mores, and so many other things. And that was just dinner.

Before I departed in the morning, we cooked up eggs, french toast, and bacon. THAT was camping at its finest. As an added bonus, they sent me on my way with muffins and bananas, the perfect biking snack. Thank you again for your kindness and generosity, that was one of the most memorable nights I’ve had so far. Here they all are:

Miles covered: 60

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Day 15:

After 25 miles of easy riding down the southern end of Sky Line Drive, I entered the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stopping at the ranger station, I picked up the next set of maps and began planning where I could stop for the night. This is the conversation that took place:

Me: “So Otter Creek Campgound, what’s that ride like”
Ranger: “Otter Creek? Why are you going there?”
Me: “Well, to spend the night. It looks like the only campground”
Ranger: “Haha, you’ll never make it there”

Sounds like a challenge. Of course, the ride covered 88 miles of an even steeper section of the Appalachians than I was used to. Wait, 88 miles...I haven’t gone even ridden close to that far yet. Well, no time like the present, I suppose.

And so I rode, and to my surprise I felt great (for most of the day). On the road by 9:30, in the campground by 7:00. My legs were in shock, but I made it in one piece. Being Sunday night, the campground was pretty dead, which made my next conversation even more surprising:

“You eat chicken? I’ve got extra...”

Do I eat chicken? I would eat anything that looked like food if you put it in front of me. The chef’s name was Dan, who was riding his motorcycle down to Tennessee and stopped for the night. Very nice guy, cooked me some pasta and chicken, gave me a beer, and told me stories until we called it a night.

About 30 seconds after I climbed into my hammock for the night, it started down-pouring for hours.,completely out of nowhere. Thankfully I was under the shelter of my tarp, and slept dry looking forward to my last day in the mountains.

Miles covered: 88!

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Day 16 (part I):

So this is how the day was set up:

The Otter Creek Campground was at an elevation of 650 feet. Most of the Appalachian peaks I was riding were at an elevation of 3,000-4,00 feet. Although that made for a great decent yesterday, it only meant one thing for today...we’re going up.

After a quick stop at the ranger station off the campground, I was left with a few words of caution. They went something like this:

Me: “So what’s the climb like to the top of the pass?”
Ranger: “You’re climbing up the pass?”
Me: “Yeah...”
Ranger: “Haha, you’re crazy...good luck”

And so there it was.

13 miles. 650 feet to 3,950 feet. Straight up. Check it out:

And that was how my day started.

The rest of the ride was a mixture of painful uphills and lovely descents. Now I’m in Brucanan, VA with the mountains behind me. At 40 miles clocked already, my legs are taking a much needed break before going about 20 more. It’s a beautiful day though, and these roads won’t pedal themselves.

I’ll leave you with some shots of the mountains. Enjoy!

The Mountains Are Looming

I think it’s a sign you’ve gone crazy when all you dream about is biking…Alas, it has become my life.

Day 10 (part 2):

The Susquehanna River and I are not friends. A road traverses the river, how bad can it be? BAD. Hills everywhere. Up and down, for miles and miles…although it did make for some great scenery:

On a slightly less positive note, I made my first huge mistake that didn’t result in bodily harm (yes Lisa, this one’s for you.) Apparently somewhere during my four years of college I became dyslexic. Traveling on route 462, needed to get onto route 624. So what did I write down? Continue on 462…I left out the part about it bringing me 5 miles in the entirely wrong direction. Luckily I booted up the old GPS, obnoxiously shouted a few obscenities, and reversed my course.

Anyway, eventually I got back on route and rode out to Otter Creek Campground for the night. What I didn’t expect was to wake up freezing halfway through the night. The middle of June and I’m working with 55 degrees after the sun goes down. I hear it has something to do with El Niña…sounds like a lake beast.

Here's pictures of the hammock, since I never put anything up:

Miles covered: 65 (but 75 if you discount the “detour”)

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Day 11:

Today was a good day. Nice weather, felt great, no complaints. I even ate lunch with two very nice people who bought took pity on my peanut butter sandwiches and bought me a cookie (but really, it might have been the best cookie I’ve ever had).

I finally got into Maryland, which is a pleasant stroll compared to what PA had in store.

After cranking out 78 miles, I was ready to call it a day but unfortunately in an area very foreign to the idea of camping. So, naturally I bugged a family to let me camp in their backyard. Nothing fancy but it was a safe place to spend the night. My favorite part of the evening:

The Guy (I actually never got his name…): Do you have water?
Me: Yup, plenty of water, thanks
-15 minutes later-
Guy: I know you said you had water, but I brought you two bottles, just in case.

So now I have two bottles of water…

Miles covered: 78!

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Day 12:

I should also note that I diverted from the Adventure Cycling Association maps in Maryland to ride my own more…scenic…route.

Yeah, that gravel road was flooded.

Luckily a guy in a huge flatbed truck came along out of nowhere (THAT is my luck) and took me and the bike across the “puddle.” Apart from that unexpected obstacle though, the ride was rather pleasant. Onward to Virginia! And so that is where I find myself.

It was a hot, humid, muggy day to be biking. Rain in the morning, a bit of sunshine in the afternoon, but otherwise a very bug-filled day. Despite the weather though, the single greatest thing thus far happened to me in the afternoon.

I was riding along my route, unknowing of what lay up ahead, when a woman name Clare planting flowers called out to me. Being at mile 65 for the day, our conversation soon led to me asking if I could camp in their backyard. A short time after that, I had this conversation with her husband:

Bobby: “So where were you going?”
Me: “Uh, Eubank, right down the road”
Bobby: “Eubank, what’s that?”
Me: “A town”
Bobby: “There’s no town down the road, just a mountain”

Turns out, I was about one mile away from hitting a gravel road heading straight up a mountain, then taking me on a winding path to what would soon turn into the Appalachian Mountain chain. In short, Claire and Bobby saved my life.

Not only that, they gave me a bed to sleep in, made me a delicious fish dinner, and turned out to be two of the nicest people that I have ever met. Fully satiated and fully of corn, fish, potatoes, beets, and cookies, I headed to bed. In the morning I got my laundry done, ate a delicious egg breakfast, and plotted a much better route dodging the gravel mountain road of death.

Here they are, Clare and Bobby:

So where am I now? Biding my time, of course. I’m in Front Royal, VA, at the foot of Blue Ridge Parkway. What lies ahead is 200 miles of isolated pedaling along the Appalachian Mountains. This should be interesting.

Assuming I make it though, my legs will probably be bigger than my head, and I’ll have enough confidence to last me until Colorado. Then we’ll talk.

Oh, and I know what you want to see. More farmland!

Until next time…