May 28, 2001.
Mallard Duck Campground to Buchanan, Virginia. (42 mi.) Mile 373
More
rolling through southern Appalachia
We are getting discouraged at our
low mileage days, but this looks like par for the course until we get out of
the hills. Perhaps part of the problem is that we keep calling them
"hills" and that the Appalachians are determined to earn our respect
as mountains, even though we come from a state where mountains are Mt. Rainier
and the North Cascades. Riding a bicycle changes your perspective.
Soggy start to the day
It rained most of the previous
night, so we got a wet
start, and made it to historic Lexington by noon, where
we had lunch at an Inn while our clothes were in the laundromat next
door.
Lexington, VA
One of hundreds of red brick Baptist churches with cemeteries
We are writing this
from another motel. It rained all the previous night, and it is raining again,
even though the days have been sunny and the countryside scenic. We have exploded all the contents of our panniers over the room to dry
out, and are trying to reorganize our loads so Mike carries more and we send
home as much excess as possible. Some of the "luxuries" that add to
our weight include kickstands, camp pillows, and too many cameras. Our son
Colin was right about the cameras, so we are sending one home. Anything to
save weight, short of getting another haircut.
As I was puffing up
another climb yesterday on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I contemplated if we really
were nuts or not. A big tour bus had just pulled out at a scenic overlook and
disgorged its passengers, so I checked out how I was doing by asking myself if
I would trade places with them, and the answer was still no.
In a motorized vehicle much is
missed, including almost all of the sounds and smells. This route has been
notably sweet with bird song and fragrance. The many interactions we have had
with friendly strangers and the fleeting images that would be missed from a
car give the trip more depth for us.
As for the dogs, things are going
better with the Halt dog spray. Yesterday a dog chased us for much longer than
was comfortable, interfering with our concentration and safety. Mike simply
took the Halt out of the holster and aimed it at the dog, "Go ahead, make
my day!". The dog closed its eyes, ducked its head, and turned tail. That
was an experienced dog on a bike route. TransAm cyclists have been bitten and
had their panniers torn by dogs on this route before, particularly in
Kentucky, until they invested in pepper spray.
People have also been very curious
about how our Saddle Areas are holding up. We can tell we've been in the
saddle all day but it hasn't been a big problem. Besides padded bike shorts,
Marilyn is using a Performance Women's Century Saddle, the winner over a dozen
others tested for fit, plus a Nashbar shocked seat post, a worthwhile
investment. Mike's new Terry Liberator saddle has not caused any
problems.
Marilyn's Bruce
Gordon BLT has a slight wheel wobble on rapid downhill descents. We're
pretty sure Bruce Gordon would deny it is the design of the bike, so we are
going to take some weight off the handlebar bag and see if it improves. Mike's
bike has fallen over and broken his mirror twice in a 24 hr period. Since we
are between bike shops, he has patched a mirror arrangement together with duct
tape. One shouldn't even leave the house without duct tape.
