We ate breakfast at the same diner and Mike ordered the biggest bowl of grits they had to offer. He paid $8 for the bowl, we all had a pretty good laugh about that one!
We had a climb early in the morning and then it was pretty much all rolling hills on a downhill slope for the majority of the 77 mile ride. We were given a business card about a week or so previous to stay with the Lee Family in Radford and thats what we had planned to do. The boys made me call Dr. Lee and I am happy I did because he offered me the guest room with a queen size bed as well as a lovely view from the second floor and all the boys pitched their tents on the front lawn! Yay!!
We arrived at the Lee's and Sarah, Thad's wife offered us cold drinks and showed me to my room! I knew we would get along because she was a Volvo driver! We got cleaned up and did some laundry and after, Sarah offered us her car to drive to dinner! Mike played guitar for us and the boys went outside while I went upstairs to my comfortable bed! The Lee's were so generous and we all appreciated their hospitality!!
Night Kristen
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Day 76 UMC to Troutdale
As we woke up on the comfy church pews, we gathered our belongings and headed out for an early start. Now as there were five of us, we set off into the early morning and enjoyed the rolling hills through the countryside. I will always remember this ride because it was one of my favorites. If I could wake up every morning, drink a cup of java, and take a ride in that exact same place I would be in heaven! However, it didn't last too long before we had to start climbing, climbing and more climbing.
We reached the peak of the mountain and got ready for the biggest descent toward Hayters Gap, we had had in awhile. Usually I would be more than excited to fly like the wind down the hill, but with only one brake working I was a bit more hesitant. The boys let me go first, because they said that I would be going the fastest, ha. I think it was because they wanted to get a good look at me wiping out if that was the case! What sweet men!
We stopped at a diner for breakfast and after the food was brought out, we had to split up on two tables because the boys ordered sooooooo much food! After we all had food babys, we stopped in Damascus at the bike shop to remedy a few problems on our bikes. Mike had a shredded tire, myself, one brake, and Mark needed to get his tire trued. After about an hour or so, we were ready to head up the hill and begin a 13 mile climb, however it was POURING! We had a meeting and although probably not the smartest decision, we decidied to keep treking!
So up we went, laughing and sheilding our eyes from the painful rain drops. It was a beautiful ride and we made it! We got to the bike hostel which consisted of two rooms equipped with bunk beds, a nice little porch and a nice shower! We ate dinner and crashed!
Kristen
We reached the peak of the mountain and got ready for the biggest descent toward Hayters Gap, we had had in awhile. Usually I would be more than excited to fly like the wind down the hill, but with only one brake working I was a bit more hesitant. The boys let me go first, because they said that I would be going the fastest, ha. I think it was because they wanted to get a good look at me wiping out if that was the case! What sweet men!
We stopped at a diner for breakfast and after the food was brought out, we had to split up on two tables because the boys ordered sooooooo much food! After we all had food babys, we stopped in Damascus at the bike shop to remedy a few problems on our bikes. Mike had a shredded tire, myself, one brake, and Mark needed to get his tire trued. After about an hour or so, we were ready to head up the hill and begin a 13 mile climb, however it was POURING! We had a meeting and although probably not the smartest decision, we decidied to keep treking!
So up we went, laughing and sheilding our eyes from the painful rain drops. It was a beautiful ride and we made it! We got to the bike hostel which consisted of two rooms equipped with bunk beds, a nice little porch and a nice shower! We ate dinner and crashed!
Kristen
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Day 75 Breaks to UMC of Rosedale
I woke up in the morning, thanking God that I survived the night and wasnt supper for the raccoon, however my towel wasnt so lucky. Yup, thats correct, the fury little guy ate my towel.
It was a misty morning and we packed up our things and while dining at the same restaurant as the night before, we met a man who approached us and showed us some pictures from the previous year of his cross country ride. We also met a group of three couples who donated both to our cause as well as Rob and Dans ride for cancer. People are so generous, I tell ya!
Today's ride wasn't too long but we had a pretty long hike up one of the taller peaks. It was hot but we reapplied our 50 spf sunscreen!! I tried beating Mark up the mountain but was unsuccessful!
We asked a couple if they knew where a grocery store was and they said it was 5 miles down the road. We got a second opinion and are happy we did because we came to find out it was actually 12!! Thats a huge difference when you are on a bike! We decided to eat at the gas station and to my surprise, I had a really nice salad!
We made it to the United Methodist Church and found the sign that said Cyclist's Welcome! The door was open and we made ourselves at home! There was a kitchen for me to use and really comfortable pew cushions that were reccommended for us to sleep on. There was also a huge cabinet full of food for all the cyclists! We were ecstatic and used the hose out back to take showers. I even took some girl time (by myself) and napped on the swinging bench outside in the hot sun.
The boys tightened my back brake because the front one was out of order while I cooked dinner! I made a plethera of pasta, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti and we had a feast. A guy pulled up to the church by the name of Michael Henry. He was pulling a bob trailer and was from Portland , Oregon, surprisingly headed East! That meant that he had been riding like a crazy man in order to catch up to us, at least 100 miles a day! He turned out being really cool and we all had some good laughs! From that moment on we were like a little family (I was like a mom with 4 boys) and we all decided to finish off the trip together and ride into Yorktown as a posse!
We crashed and set our alarms for 6 am! Yikes!
Kristen
It was a misty morning and we packed up our things and while dining at the same restaurant as the night before, we met a man who approached us and showed us some pictures from the previous year of his cross country ride. We also met a group of three couples who donated both to our cause as well as Rob and Dans ride for cancer. People are so generous, I tell ya!
Today's ride wasn't too long but we had a pretty long hike up one of the taller peaks. It was hot but we reapplied our 50 spf sunscreen!! I tried beating Mark up the mountain but was unsuccessful!
We asked a couple if they knew where a grocery store was and they said it was 5 miles down the road. We got a second opinion and are happy we did because we came to find out it was actually 12!! Thats a huge difference when you are on a bike! We decided to eat at the gas station and to my surprise, I had a really nice salad!
We made it to the United Methodist Church and found the sign that said Cyclist's Welcome! The door was open and we made ourselves at home! There was a kitchen for me to use and really comfortable pew cushions that were reccommended for us to sleep on. There was also a huge cabinet full of food for all the cyclists! We were ecstatic and used the hose out back to take showers. I even took some girl time (by myself) and napped on the swinging bench outside in the hot sun.
The boys tightened my back brake because the front one was out of order while I cooked dinner! I made a plethera of pasta, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti and we had a feast. A guy pulled up to the church by the name of Michael Henry. He was pulling a bob trailer and was from Portland , Oregon, surprisingly headed East! That meant that he had been riding like a crazy man in order to catch up to us, at least 100 miles a day! He turned out being really cool and we all had some good laughs! From that moment on we were like a little family (I was like a mom with 4 boys) and we all decided to finish off the trip together and ride into Yorktown as a posse!
We crashed and set our alarms for 6 am! Yikes!
Kristen
Day 74 Hindman to Breaks
Today we had planned a 65 mile ride, but somehow it turned into 80. Lets just say that if we had planned to ride 80 miles, it would have been fine, but to be on the bike for an additional hour....that can get annoying. Anyways, we finally left Kentucky and made it to our last state, Virginia!!!
In the morning we climbed Pippas Pass as well as 5 other peaks. I think we all agree that one of those peaks was the hardest pass on the ENTIRE map. Although it only lasted for about 2 miles, this was the steepest thing I have ever seen for the longest amount of time. Without stopping, because if I did I wouldn't have been able to get back on my bike, I met Mark and Dan at the top, who both looked like they had just taken showers. My face was about as red as a tomato, possibly even turning into a purple shade, (red onion status).
As we descended into Lookout Valley, I was in the back of the pack, seeing that I only had one working brake at the time, I was taking it as slow as I could. Thats when it happened, a huge black rot weiler put his turbo boost into gear and was inches away from taking a big juicy bite out of my calf. I quickly grabbed my spray bottle full of extreme hot sauce and shot that sucker in between the eyes. While still pedaling as fast as I could, I heard wimpering and right as I turned back to look, the dog was down, he took a faceplant in the grass and I was home free with a heart rate that was off the charts.
Looking back at this moment, I realize I could have seriously injured the dogs sight however, my life was endanger! I really do love dogs but not when they are about to eat me. I consider this act as taking the necessary means to keep my leg, thus it is justified.
So after that additional hour of riding, up and down hills, we found a campsite at Breaks National Park. It was so beautiful!!! We set up our tents and took showers. I took some of the boys clothes to the sinks and began hand washing them, they all called me Cinderella. Thats the thanks I get for washing their dirty clothes. Anyways, come to find out, on our way to the restaurant, they had a laundry room!!! Another hour of my day wasted. After dinner we rode back to our campsite, but this time in the pitch black darkness. It was about a mile ride and we couldnt see a darn thing. Rob was hit in the face with a bat!!!! That had me laughing for a long time!!!!!!!
We went to bed and in the middle of the night, I woke up to a breathing sound right next to my head. I turned my head around to find a raccoon practically in my tent. I was speechless. Literally, I couldn't speak and I really did try. I was terrified! I didnt move and finally fell back asleep.
I can't believe we are in our last state! WOOO-HOO!!!!
Kristen
In the morning we climbed Pippas Pass as well as 5 other peaks. I think we all agree that one of those peaks was the hardest pass on the ENTIRE map. Although it only lasted for about 2 miles, this was the steepest thing I have ever seen for the longest amount of time. Without stopping, because if I did I wouldn't have been able to get back on my bike, I met Mark and Dan at the top, who both looked like they had just taken showers. My face was about as red as a tomato, possibly even turning into a purple shade, (red onion status).
As we descended into Lookout Valley, I was in the back of the pack, seeing that I only had one working brake at the time, I was taking it as slow as I could. Thats when it happened, a huge black rot weiler put his turbo boost into gear and was inches away from taking a big juicy bite out of my calf. I quickly grabbed my spray bottle full of extreme hot sauce and shot that sucker in between the eyes. While still pedaling as fast as I could, I heard wimpering and right as I turned back to look, the dog was down, he took a faceplant in the grass and I was home free with a heart rate that was off the charts.
Looking back at this moment, I realize I could have seriously injured the dogs sight however, my life was endanger! I really do love dogs but not when they are about to eat me. I consider this act as taking the necessary means to keep my leg, thus it is justified.
So after that additional hour of riding, up and down hills, we found a campsite at Breaks National Park. It was so beautiful!!! We set up our tents and took showers. I took some of the boys clothes to the sinks and began hand washing them, they all called me Cinderella. Thats the thanks I get for washing their dirty clothes. Anyways, come to find out, on our way to the restaurant, they had a laundry room!!! Another hour of my day wasted. After dinner we rode back to our campsite, but this time in the pitch black darkness. It was about a mile ride and we couldnt see a darn thing. Rob was hit in the face with a bat!!!! That had me laughing for a long time!!!!!!!
We went to bed and in the middle of the night, I woke up to a breathing sound right next to my head. I turned my head around to find a raccoon practically in my tent. I was speechless. Literally, I couldn't speak and I really did try. I was terrified! I didnt move and finally fell back asleep.
I can't believe we are in our last state! WOOO-HOO!!!!
Kristen
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day 73
Booneville to Hindman
Today is the second day in the Appalachians. There has been a lot of hype over the Aps, but I personally don't think they are too hard. I think the hardest mountain range we crossed was the Ozarks in Missouri! The Aps are similar to the Ozarks, but the only difference is the climbs are a bit longer, but not as steep!!
Our experience in Kentucky has been excellent. The people have been accommodating when we had questions on directions and gave us some good recommendations on restaurants to eat at. We rode about 35 miles with the heat index reaching around 90 degrees and our stomachs telling us we needed some serious calories ASAP! We were in luck and noticed a church was having carnival and had FOOD STANDS! We chowed down on some cheeseburger and listened to live Christian rock music.
Back on the road another 35 miles to the small town of Hindman. The 35 miles went by fast because our new English friends, especially the stand up comedian Rob kept us laughing with his Seinfeld commentary! As we arrived in the town we heard from other cyclists that there was Historical Society which allows cyclist to spend the night and warm showers. The only downfall for this lodging situation was we had to climb the steepest hill of this entire trip. No exaggerations the grade was 18%. Rob, Dan, and me tried climbing up with grade, but failed halfway up! I thought my chain was going to snap! As we arrived at the Historical Society we were greeted by a nice man with ice tea. The owner in the lodge was nice, but his price was a bit ridiculous. He wanted to charge 30 dollars a person...to expensive for our tight budget! Instead we parked our bikes next to a creek and decided this was the best place for camp. Kristen knew she wouldn't be having a shower, but she's getting better these days with not having a warm shower. She has become content with other means of showers such as gas station sinks, water hoses, ect.. Today she was in luck because the creek was 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep! The only negative about this creek was that it was heavily polluted with fertilizer runoff from agriculture. When we were showering one of the town's residents yelled at us "Tomorrow you are going to wake up with rashes all over your bodies from all that pollution!" We just laughed it off and continued bathing.
We went out for pizza and now going to sleep at 9pm cause I will be waking up at the crack of dawn!
Night Mark
Today is the second day in the Appalachians. There has been a lot of hype over the Aps, but I personally don't think they are too hard. I think the hardest mountain range we crossed was the Ozarks in Missouri! The Aps are similar to the Ozarks, but the only difference is the climbs are a bit longer, but not as steep!!
Our experience in Kentucky has been excellent. The people have been accommodating when we had questions on directions and gave us some good recommendations on restaurants to eat at. We rode about 35 miles with the heat index reaching around 90 degrees and our stomachs telling us we needed some serious calories ASAP! We were in luck and noticed a church was having carnival and had FOOD STANDS! We chowed down on some cheeseburger and listened to live Christian rock music.
Back on the road another 35 miles to the small town of Hindman. The 35 miles went by fast because our new English friends, especially the stand up comedian Rob kept us laughing with his Seinfeld commentary! As we arrived in the town we heard from other cyclists that there was Historical Society which allows cyclist to spend the night and warm showers. The only downfall for this lodging situation was we had to climb the steepest hill of this entire trip. No exaggerations the grade was 18%. Rob, Dan, and me tried climbing up with grade, but failed halfway up! I thought my chain was going to snap! As we arrived at the Historical Society we were greeted by a nice man with ice tea. The owner in the lodge was nice, but his price was a bit ridiculous. He wanted to charge 30 dollars a person...to expensive for our tight budget! Instead we parked our bikes next to a creek and decided this was the best place for camp. Kristen knew she wouldn't be having a shower, but she's getting better these days with not having a warm shower. She has become content with other means of showers such as gas station sinks, water hoses, ect.. Today she was in luck because the creek was 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep! The only negative about this creek was that it was heavily polluted with fertilizer runoff from agriculture. When we were showering one of the town's residents yelled at us "Tomorrow you are going to wake up with rashes all over your bodies from all that pollution!" We just laughed it off and continued bathing.
We went out for pizza and now going to sleep at 9pm cause I will be waking up at the crack of dawn!
Night Mark
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
WE JUST BIKED ACROSS AMERICA!!
Sorry for the delayed updates on the blog. We have been riding 80-90 mile days and didn't have time to update the blog. It was great to finish with a group of people. We literally rode our bikes into the ATlantic with Dan Rob and Mike.
Kristen mom is flying across the country CA to VA (only takes a 5 hr flight instead of 11 weeks haha!) and meeting up with us to celebrate this great accomplishment!
We are going to drink some victory champagne right now. Check back in 2 days for complete update of our trip
Thanks for all your support!
Mark
Sorry for the delayed updates on the blog. We have been riding 80-90 mile days and didn't have time to update the blog. It was great to finish with a group of people. We literally rode our bikes into the ATlantic with Dan Rob and Mike.
Kristen mom is flying across the country CA to VA (only takes a 5 hr flight instead of 11 weeks haha!) and meeting up with us to celebrate this great accomplishment!
We are going to drink some victory champagne right now. Check back in 2 days for complete update of our trip
Thanks for all your support!
Mark
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)