Palmyra, Virginia - 10/12/17

Woke up in Fredericksburg Friday morning to much different weather than when we arrived.  Crisp, cool air with a cloudless sky. The winds last night kept me awake till the wee hours of the morning. The gusts blew across the patio with such force that I thought the tent, with me in it, was going to sail away.

I also learned a little about life at a fire station.  When you hear a bell ring, out comes the calvary.  All vehicles went out on a call at about 11:45 p.m., and the ambulance went out on a call by itself at about 4:00 a.m.  It really makes one appreciate the hard work and dedication of these first responders.

Today we started off by riding about 38 miles on Virginia back roads to connect to U.S. Bicycle Route 76 which runs east and west from the coast of Virginia to the coast of Oregon.  U.S. Bicycle Route 1, which we were on most of the day yesterday, runs north and south from Maine to Florida.

Roads such as the one pictured below and the cool, crisp air made for an idyllic bike ride today.  For a cyclist, these types of roads are preferred over U.S. highways not only for the lower vehicle traffic, but also for the over the road tree canopy coverage.

Below is a pic of the Ni River with it's water clearly swollen over it's banks.  I'm assuming that this flooding is a result of the torrential rainfall from yesterday afternoon and last night.

Below is a photo of a nice barn and surrounding scenery that caught my eye during today's ride.

We rode by Lake Anna (pic below).

I snapped a pic (below) of Bob and Mike sitting in front of a church munching on granola bars that Eric gave us yesterday. They are such "weight wennies" (try to shave every gram from their bicycle weight) that they made me carry those granola bars for them for several miles :) (inside joke)

After we connected with Bicycle Route 76, we had signs like the one pictured below directing our way.

Below are Mike and Bob showing their happiness that we made it to our sleeping spot for the night in Palmyra, Virginia, which is a quaint, quiet Virginian village.

Speaking of our sleeping spot, and coinciding with the random acts of kindness by complete strangers that I mentioned yesterday, I must tell you this story.

As I was sitting on the steps of the Methodist Church in Palmyra, a guy named Overton pulled up next to me in his car and was inquisitive about my trip on my fully loaded bicycle.  Since Palmyra is on Bicycle Route 76, and his home, and garden, is right next to the route, he was familiar with long distance bicycle riders.  I explained to him that I am riding with 2 others and that we were riding from Maryland to Roanoke.  He invited us to pitch our tents at his house, and even offered for us to sleep inside the house.  We set up our tents on his front porch.  He also allowed us to take a shower, which is a huge perk when on a bicycle trip.

Overton allowed us to use his car to go to the grocery store to buy some hamburger meat, chips, and baked beans, and we cooked supper for him and his wife, Teresa.

Below are pics of Chef Mike and Grill Master Bob preparing the meal.

Below are our fabulous hosts for the night, Overton and Theresa.  Overton was born and raised in Palmyra and has a wealth of knowledge about the village's history.

Everyone sitting down for a wonderful Friday night meal on the back deck.  A night of great conversation with some wonderful folks.

As a bonus, Theresa has an app on her phone that indicated the International Space Station's location, and we got to watch it flying over our heads while eating our burgers.

The bonuses never seemed to cease tonight... As an additional bonus, Overton had made some delicious apple crisp that he shared with us for dessert.  Also, Theresa washed my and Mike's dirty bicycle clothes, therefore, the shirt and shorts I have worn everyday of this trip are now legitimately clean.

Total miles for the day:  66

Fredericksburg, Virginia - 10/11/18

This morning started out in the rain.  It rained several minutes while we were breaking camp, but quit by the time we headed out.  We were thinking it was going to rain on us most of the day, but it actually just sprinkled on us a couple of times during most of our ride.  At about 4:30 p.m., about the time we made it to Fredericksburg, the bottom fell out of the clouds and the wind picked up.  We rode on busy streets in a driving rainstorm for about the last 1.5 hours of our ride today.

The rain was so bad that Bob and Mike decided to get a hotel room in Fredericksburg.

Our ride today took us on some nice Virginia country roads like the one pictured below.

We were primarily on U.S. Bike Route 1 today, and the route was pretty well marked with signs like the one below.

If you have had much of an extended conversation with me about bike touring, I'm sure you have heard some of the stories about the random acts of kindness from complete strangers that I've experienced.  Eric (pic below with Bob and Mike) pulled up beside us in his car and rolled down his window, and asked about our trip. We told him we were cycling to Roanoke.  He then drove ahead and pulled over, opened the back of his vehicle, and began pulling out cookies and granola bars to give to us.  We gratefully accepted his kindness.

I finally made it to the Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue Station Number 10, and walked up, soaking wet, to the Captain who asked if I was one of the cyclist camping at the facility for the night.  Bob had previously contacted the Chief and got permission for us to camp there.  The Captain went above and beyond with his kindness.  He allowed me to pitch my tent on a covered patio (pic below) so I would be out of the rain, and provided me with several towels to dry off my saturated camping gear.  He also let me take a warm shower.

All in all, it was another excellent day of bike touring.  As I'm laying in my tent typing this, the wind (and towels) have pretty much dried out my tent and my body has warmed up to a comfortable level after the warm shower.  All is good:)

Total miles today:  77

Washington, DC - 10/10/18

Well, last night was interesting.  Being close to the Potomac River, the night was filled with the sounds of crickets, frogs, and other creatures of the night that will serenade you to sleep.  However, since we were close to the river and fairly close to DC, we were obviously near the flight pattern for planes landing at Reagan National Airport.  Every few minutes throughout the night, up until about midnight, I could hear the roar of a plane approaching. As it got closer it would drown out all of the enjoyable sounds of the night.

This is how close a plane feels like it is flying overhead when you are trying to sleep.

However, there was even more excitement.  At about 10:45 p.m., about 8 older teens or early 20s males and females arrived at our campsite.  There were 7 touring cyclists already in their tents trying to sleep when these young revelers arrived. They announced their arrival by yelling something about smoking weed.  They went to a picnic table and sat there continuing their loud conversation. They also started playing loud, raunchy music.  This continued for about 20 minutes and I got out of my tent, approached them, and asked them to quieten down because several people were trying to sleep.  They apologized for being loud and cut off the music.  They continued to talk for about 5 minutes at a lower volume and then got up and left. They all looked stoned as I was talking to them, and there were several beer bottles on the picnic table where they were sitting.  Oh well, all part of the adventure.

Today we finished riding the C&O Towpath. Below is a pic of a boat that is supposed to be used in 2019 to give rides on the canal.

We also went by the Great Falls of the Potomac River (pics below)

We had a hearty breakfast at Johnny Rockets in Georgetown.

We rode on several bike paths around the DC area including the Capital Crescent Trail, the Rock Creek Trail, and the Mount Vernon Trail. Below are Bob and Mike burning up the Mount Vernon Trail.

A marina along the same trail.

We also rode around The National Mall in DC (pics below).

We made it to our campsite at Pohick Bay Regional Park where we were able to shower for the first time this trip.

We also sink washed some clothes and found a way to dry them with a fan in the bathroom.

Tomorrow we are expecting a full day of riding in the rain.

Total miles today:  53

C&O Canal Towpath - 10/9/18

Bob planned a bicycle tour from Dickerson, Maryland to Roanoke, Virginia, with his high school friend, Mike.  He asked me if I was interested in joining them, and I jumped at the opportunity.  Bob drove us to his niece's home in Dickerson, and we stayed there Monday night.  Mike drove from Owego, New York, to Dickerson on Tuesday and we left enroute to the C&O Towpath, which runs along the C&O Canal, also known as the "Grand Old Ditch," and the Potomac River.

Our route to the Towpath was on some very nice country roads in Frederick County, Maryland. (pics below)

We went by Sugarloaf Mountain, which was used as a signal station by Union forces in 1862 (pic below).

We got on the Towpath at Monocacy Aqueduct (pic below).  From 1833-1924 this aqueduct carried boats on the C&O Canal across the Monocacy River.  (A boat overpass)

Below are some pics from the Towpath.

Pic below shows the canal to the left of the path and the Potomac River to the right.

Below is a pic of one of the many locks along the canal.

White's Ferry, pictured below, is the last operating ferry that crosses the Potomac River .

We made it to our campsite next to the Potomac River at Swain Lock on the Towpath.

Below is a picture of the sunset from our campsite.

After I arrived at the campsite, I walked to a building nearby to charge my cell phone.  When I returned to my campsite, I walked up on a theft in progress.  There was a squirrel tearing into my trail mix bag.  I shooed him away and decided to hang my food from a tree limb.  Hopefully that will keep him at bay, or at least make him work a little harder to get my food.

Total miles today:  35

Franz

On my way to my regular Walls of Jericho campsite on September 30, I ran across this touring cyclist standing on a street corner in South Pittsburg, TN, looking at his cell phone. I rode up to him to get his story, and, man, does he have a story.

His name is Franz, and he is from Hamm, Germany, which is a sister city to my hometown, Chattanooga.

He wanted to participate in the Seniors World Championship Table Tennis Tournament in Nevada, so he decided to make a bike tour out of the trip.

He did not want to fly with his bike in baggage compartment of an airplane, so he decided to take a cargo ship from Germany to San Francisco.  The trip to the US took about 4 months due to the ship stopping in numerous ports along the way.  When the ship stopped, it was usually for about 12 hours and he would get his bike out and ride it around the city.  The ship he was on went thru the Panama Canal to get to San Francisco.

He rode his bike from San Francisco to Las Vegas and participated in the table tennis tournament.  He is now enroute to Wilmington, NC, where he will catch another cargo ship for his return to Germany.  When I met him, he had already been away from home for 7 months on this trip.

The night before I met him, he stayed at a Warm Showers (touring cyclist lodging) host in Sewanee, TN.  The hosts were out of town, but told him to go ahead and stay at their home.  When he arrived at the home, he was met by a dog that seemed to want to protect the property, so he went and spoke to a neighbor.  The neighbor helped him safely get into the residence, and also invited him over for supper, which he accepted. This is the sort of human kindness that just about every touring cyclist experiences.

HEY!!!! Bang!!!! Ouch!!!

On August 29, 2017, I planned to do a through ride from Chattanooga to Huntsville, Alabama. My riding buddy, Bob, planned to ride with me to Stevenson, Alabama, where he would turn around and return to Chattanooga. We made plans to meet at a McDonalds in Tiftonia, just west of Chattanooga, to start our ride together.

I was on my bike enroute to meet Bob, and was on West 40th Street approaching Pirola Street that intersected from my right.  Pirola Street has a stop sign and traffic on 40th Street has the right of way. West 40th Street has a designated bike lane on it, but since I was approaching an intersecting street, I moved left into my lane of traffic so I would be more visible to any approaching vehicles. I had checked my rear view mirror and knew there were no vehicles approaching me from the rear. There were  also no vehicles approaching from the intersecting street. The only vehicle in sight was an approaching minivan heading in the opposite direction on West 40th Street with no turn signal on. So I thought everything was cool and there would be no problem passing by the intersecting road.

We'll, was I ever wrong. About the time I got almost even with Pirola Street, the van that was approaching me in the opposite direction decided to turn left, and headed straight for me.  I commenced to shouting and veering right to hopefully get his attention and give him time to avoid me.  All my attempts to avoid a collision failed, and the front passenger side of his van struck the front of my bike.  

I and the bike both hit the pavement hard.  I jumped up and gave the van driver a "What the heck?" sign with both my arms raised. He got out of his van and apologized for hitting me.  He stated he could not see me because the sun was in his eyes.  My right thigh was bruised from hitting the pavement, and was sore for a few days.  The bike had about $600 damage to it, and his insurance paid for the repairs.  Below are pics of the bike damage. 

I called my wife, who was in Huntsville, and told her, "I'm fine, but I got hit by a car and would not be making it to Huntsville."  Of course, she was ready to jump in a car and return to Chattanooga, but I was able to convince her that I really was fine. I called Bob, who was waiting on me at McDonalds, and he came and picked me and the bike up and took us home.

All in all, it could have been a lot worse.  A police report was filed, and to my knowledge the van driver was not cited for anything.  I have a feeling he would have been cited for something had the accident involved another vehicle.  Oh well.  

Bike, Hike, Bike Tour - February 18-20, 2018

I was wanting to go on an adventure before I started working weekends again at Dollywood in March. My first thought was to walk from my home in Chattanooga to my in-laws’ home in Huntsville, Alabama. I figured this 120-mile trip carrying about 25 pounds of gear would take me about 6 days. I guess I’m a fair weather hiker because I was only going to attempt it if I had a week of no to low rain chance. The weather did not cooperate so I decided to nix this plan. It was probably a good thing I decided not to do this trip because I could not even make it out of the community I live in walking and carrying a backpack without arising suspicions and having the police called on me.  No telling how many times I would have had the police called on me walking 120 miles.

With this plan axed, I decided to turn to my reliable ole bicycle for an adventure. I do not mind biking in the rain, so a forecast with rain in it would not cancel the trip. I called my cycling buddy, Bob, and he was up for a trip to the Walls of Jericho in Jackson County, Alabama, that would involve biking and hiking.

We cycled to the primitive campsite near the Walls of Jericho trailhead using the same route we used in October. Bob and I have biked to this campsite numerous times, and I regularly stop at this campsite when I bike from Chattanooga to Huntsville. It was starting to sprinkle rain when we arrived at the campsite, but we were able to get our tents pitched and get inside the tents before the steady rain arrived. We heard the yip-howls of coyotes that night in the distance. Also, an owl landed on a limb close to our tents and started communicating with another owl in the distance. It’s amazing how loud an owl’s “hoot” is when it is close. Below is a pic of our campsite. 

The next morning we got up ready for our 4-mile, each way, hike into the canyon to the waterfall. Since we would be gone for several hours, Bob decided to hide his nice touring bicycle in the woods near our campsite to keep it from possibly being stolen. He laid it on the ground, put a tarp over it, and then put some twigs and leaves over the tarp. His plan worked as the bike was still there when we got back. Amazingly, we were even able to find it upon our return. Below is a pic of camouflaged bike. 

I decided to ride my $15 yard sale Viscount bicycle on this trip since I would be leaving it at the campsite for several hours. I would not want to lose this bike, but it would not be as great of a loss as it would if my nicer touring bike was stolen. Below is a pic of the Viscount. 

On the hike down, I ran across this tree that has an amazing resemblance of Bob. (Look closely at the lower knot hole in the tree.)

At the bottom of the canyon, we had to use a log bridge to cross a stream. 

There is an old cemetery near a primitive campsite on the canyon floor. Below is a pic of Bob checking out a headstone at the cemetery.

Below are some pics of a stream and the waterfall.

Watch out for the low hanging sharp rocks near the waterfall or you might end up with one of these on your head.

Since it rained the night before, the trail at the bottom of the canyon was muddy in places. I wore my Vibram Five Finger shoes on the hike, and mud squishing up between my toes brought back good childhood memories. 

It is rumored that Davy Crockett hunted in the area surrounding the Walls of Jericho when his family lived close by. In the pic below, you might initially think it is the ghost of Davy Crockett, but it’s just Bob. 

We got pretty warm hiking back up the mountain.  Bob found this perfect little babbling brook to cool off in.

We made it back to our campsite, camped another night, and then biked back home to Chattanooga the following day. This was a very enjoyable and relaxing trip. If you find yourself looking for a good place to hike, the Walls of Jericho might just be what you’re looking for.