Tuesday, June 22, 2021

6/22/21: Athens to Hytop, AL

 Lately, I've been wanting to climb a mountain on my bicycle, so I decided to ride to Jackson County, AL, and climb to the top of the Cumberland Plateau at Skyline, AL.

On my way out of Athens, I stopped and snapped a pic of the historic Limestone County Courthouse.


My ride today took me on mostly very low traffic country roads in Limestone County and northern Madison County, AL.  From Madison County, I entered into Lincoln County, TN, and continued riding on bucolic  roads for several miles in Lincoln and Franklin Counties before dropping back into Alabama in Jackson County.  

A couple of very small communities I traveled through in Tennessee were Vanntown and Elora.  Below is a pic of a couple of abandoned buildings in Elora.


Below are a few scenery pics taken during my ride today.







Weatherwise, the day was almost perfect for riding a bicycle.  There was a gentle breeze out of the northwest that had a cool hint of Fall to it.  All I brought to sleep under tonight are a sleeping bag liner and a light blanket. I'm hoping that will be enough  to keep me warm through the night.  I didn't bring a light jacket to wear in the morning, which might have been a mistake, especially when I start down the mountain.

Below is a pic of the road as it starts the climb up the Cumberland Plateau.  About 2.8 miles and about 35 minutes after I took the picture, I made it to the top of the plateau.


I am camping tonight at the Walls of Jericho primitive campsite where I have camped numerous times (pics below).  As usual, I have the campsite all to myself.  As I'm typing this blog while laying inside my tent, I am hearing coyotes howling in the distance.  I hope that doesn't go on all night.


Total miles today: 92.8






2 comments:

  1. Love the llamas! I heard coyotes in my neighborhood last night, and I don't know what they were doing, but it was an incredibly creepy sound.

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  2. Fortunately, the coyotes I heard were pretty far away. On a trip to New Mexico several years ago, I heard coyotes in the distance, but they kept getting closer and closer until they were at my campsite while I was inside my tent. A quick Google search of "Do Coyotes Kill People" eased my mind and allowed me not to freak out.

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