Day 10

First of two half-rest days

Mileage: 69
Cumulative mileage: 731

Today marked my penultimate day of riding in Appalachia, where every city is flanked on both ends with steep 2 mile climbs.  I also got to spend another day with the MS crew, every minute of which I'm savoring before I jump out on my own again.

I managed to get a 6:30 start after fixing a flat this morning, which was definitely the way to go. We're on the receiving end of a record breaking heat wave this week, so I've been trying to get as many miles as possible in the morning before it heats up. There was a decent climb 10 miles in, but it was between me and breakfast, so it didn't stand a chance.

A side note about the diners around here, it's crazy how you can roll up and order a big breakfast for cheap. Today I got two eggs, four egg sandwiches, hashbrowns and buttered toast for 7 dollars. You also get to meet the requisite 4 sixty year old farmers who're sitting around talking all morning like they've got nothing to do all day. Which, come to think of it, they might not.

The rest of the day was a gorgeous alternation of steep climbs, fast downhills and a few gentle rollers. On top of one of our taller climbs, I was trying to find a hose to snag some water when the leader of the MS crew caught up to me. His name is Mike (pictured, writing in his journal) and he is an absolute beast. I pushed hard to stay near him on the rest of the day's climbs but couldn't stay close on the flats. I felt quite accomplished rolling the tops the of the last few climbs with him still in sight.

To give some perspective on the land we're riding through, we crossed one of our biggest towns today (Hazard, population 3,000). Every other 'town' has been pretty much a tiny little collection of buildings, most of them abandoned or run down. I included a picture of the town Dwarf that I rode through this morning (population 110), and tonight I'm staying in Boonesville (population 81).

I also wanted to include a little bit about one of the guys in this group named Jeph (guy in the hammock), so you have a general idea of some of the people I've been riding with for two days now. Jeph hiked through the Appalachian trail last year and decided off the cuff this year that he wanted to support the US for MS charity, even though he had very little cycling experience. So he bought a bike, loaded it with panniers and rode from New Jersey to Virginia to get his legs, camping and tindering for showers along the way. He picked me out as a bikepacker instantly by my obscure cottage manufacturer bag in a restaurant at the Breaks, and we've gotten to chat a fair bit since. He's led a crazy interesting life and has an incredible flexibility and resilience that I really admire. Really happy to be traveling with this guy!

Today I ended the ride early, a little after 2pm. Usually I'd keep riding into the evening, but I have to be in Berea tomorrow afternoon anyways and I want to spend one more night with these cool cats.

Also, if I see one more Donald Trump sign I'm afraid I might accidentally vote for the guy.

Early start tomorrow to beat the heat, so G'night!