Today I biked 74.8 miles from Catawba, VA to about eight
miles southwest of Vesuvius, VA. It was
scenic, but ultimately it was a bike ride between the Appalachian Mountains and
the Blue Ridge Mountains. I lost sight
of the Appalachians yesterday, and today as the day went on I began to make out
the Blue Ridge Mountains ahead of me.
Today’s ride had a little bit of everything. I went through some larger towns (Lexington)
and at times the roads I biked paralleled busy and noisy Interstates, so that
got a little old. But at other times, I
found myself on quiet, peaceful country roads filled with beautiful
landscape. I biked flat areas and I
biked a good amount of hills. I saw
forests, pasture land, fields, streams, and rivers. When the day was done, I stopped in the middle
of nowhere along the side of the road.
There was a very peaceful little creek I waited by and when Jill picked
me up we spent some time soaking in the picturesque setting. On the way back to the hotel we saw hot air
balloons and hang gliders out over the Blue Ridge Mountains. I made a mental note to put that on my list
of things to do.
I had one little adrenaline rush today. It was the end of the day, about a mile left.
I was going slightly downhill at a little under twenty miles-per-hour, and I
was spending more time looking at the creek to my right than the road. All of a sudden I saw fast movement to my
left, and out of the trees a deer ran across the road in front of me. I would guess she was not more than ten feet
in front of me when we crossed paths. I
can now tell you from first hand experience, it is just as startling when a
deer jumps in front of you while riding a bike as it is while driving a car.
If all goes as planned, tomorrow I will ascend, bike
through, and descend the Blue Ridge Mountains; the last mountain range of my
journey. I have been told by some
passing bikers that this may be the biggest challenge of the journey. I will ascend close to 2,500 feet with some
of the steepest grades thus far. I have
also been told by some passing bikers that these are the most scenic mountains
on the journey. All I know is that the
Blue Ridge Mountains are the last mountain range on this journey. So I intend to savor them with all that I have!
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Scenery from today. I start to see The Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. |
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More Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. |
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Scenery from today. |
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One of the roads biked today |
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For a good portion of the day I biked along side a railroad track.
I finally gave in to the urge to take a picture of it. |
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Jill and I enjoy the scenery at the spot I ended today's bike ride. |
Love the pics! Especially the one of Jill with the reflection in the water!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie. I thought of you when biking the Appalachians a couple days ago. As I was riding down a steep mountain with switchbacks I saw four Harleys coming toward me up the switchbacks. A woman on the back of the last Harley was holding her cell phone up in the air. I assume she was taking a video as they went rumbling by.
DeleteAwesome. I'd love to do the Appalachians on the bike! (HD Bike that is - I'd never be able to do what you've accomplished!)
ReplyDelete