May 28, 2002
4 min. read
This post is part of the Trans-Am series.
The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.
–Thomas Arnold Bennett
I woke up at 6 AM, reset my alarm, and went back to sleep. Then I woke up a 7 AM and I felt a little better about it, so I didn’t reset the alarm and I got up. I had partially packed up last night, but left the panniers empty. I maneuvered the bike out of the bike house (not an easy task, but much easier when unloaded) and started filling panniers.
I then did a once through the house and straightened up anything I had disturbed in my stay. I locked up the house and dropped off a note, a donation, and the key under June’s front porch mat. I started climbing just before 8. I stopped as I passed behind Hope and Jim’s house and got a better overall pictures of the labyrinth and a few shots of the view.
The hill going out was as bad as the 2 miles up to Afton. Luckily there wasn’t too much distance on 6 up to 250, where the grade lessened. Highway 250 climbs up into Rockfish Gap. There both the Blue Ridge Parkway starts to the South and Skyline Drive to the North. I stopped at the visitors center at 8:40, which opened at 9. I didn’t mind sitting, eating breakfast, and resting from my 2 mile, 3.5 mph climb. (This will be a recurring theme today. Climbing, not eating breakfast.)
I’ve heard so many good things about The Blue Ridge Parkway. Mostly from people on motorcycles or cars or anything thing else with a motor. The reason for this is the views are great. However, the hills were not. Strong motors are a good thing, mine is a little weak.
I stopped at Humpback Rocks Visitors Center and Farm Museum. There were some nice displays inside, regarding early farming and life in the Appalachian Mountains. After spending 20 minutes inside, I walked through the log cabins, barns, and other structures adjacent to the Visitor’s Center. I thought the spring house was interesting. Old day refrigerator.
The rest of the day involved no more major stops, but many minor ones. Every hill you climb doesn’t seem like much of a victory, because you almost immediately head down hill. I did have one victory, passing the 45 mph speed limit on a bicycle. I met a Japanese family who were very interested in my trip. They asked if they could photograph me and then burned almost a complete roll. There were some fun places to climb and repel, but I had no gear to hook into the strapping.
Today, I crossed the Appalachian Trail for the first time. This is a backpacking trail spanning many states and it crosses the Trans-Am bicycle route a few times in Virginia. I met my first hikers, where the trail crossed the Blue Ridge. Each time is stopped, the bugs really started coming out. I snapped one photo with all of them swarming around my head.
Today was tough. I passed up a few places I could stop to camp, because I would have to ride quite a bit to get back on route. I finally made it to a campground along the route, just after the route left the Blue Ridge Parkway. I won’t have too much riding to get back going, but it was a serious descent into the Tye River Gap Campground. I pitched the tent in a nice spot, next to a stream and left to take a shower. Then I cooked some food. In the process, I ran out of fuel. The noodles got done, but there wasn’t enough residual heat to activate the sauce, so it didn’t thicken. I’ll tell you, that was the best macaroni, tuna, and cheese juice I have ever eaten. I didn’t mind it a bit, I was that hungry! It is one serving for a cyclist that climbed the Blue Ridge all day.
When there is no forecast for rain, I leave off the rain fly. This allows fresh air to cycle through the tent. There was one problem with this all night. A flowing stream sounds very similar to rain following through the high tree tops. I woke up a couple times fearing of rain. I finally just got up and put it on to ease me mind.
Two panoramas of points on The Blue Ridge Parkway I made from stitching together a bunch of shots.
Part 13 of 48 in the Trans-Am series.
Series Start | Day 8 - June Curry's Bike House | Day 10 - Vesuvius to Lexington