Last night Mike and I decided all we wanted to do today was Kick @$$ and chew bubblegum and we woke up this morning and realized we were all out of bubblegum. So, that summarizes what kind of riding we had today. It was, well, "kick..."
Truly, today was a PHENOMENAL day of riding. We got an early start and finished before the rain came through. Stephen Janes joined us for the day's ride and it was a pleasure riding with him. Stephen is a strong rider and I am thankful he was riding his mountain bike that was weighted down by 60 lbs, we were able to stay up with him only because of the added weight he was lugging. The three of us:
On a side note, Stephen leads Trip for Kids out of Western North Carolina. It is a non-profit cycling organization that has a wonderful cause. Their mission is to use bicycles as a vehicle for lessons in confidence building, achievement, health, fitness and environmental awareness through the development of practical skills and the simple act of having fun.Please check out their website at: http://tripsforkidswnc.com/
Today's route had us leaving Little Switzerland for our biggest day of climbing yet. We covered 77.8 miles with 10,400 feet of total climbing today. We traversed mountainous terrain up to and past Mount Mitchell, through Craggy Gardens, had a maddening fun descent down into Asheville (speeds reached just under 50 mph today), and then another epic climb to the top of Mt Pisgah. Just prior to reaching the Craggy Gardens visitor center we were met by two other riders, John Paxoy and Tom (sorry buddy, I didn't catch your last name.) They both accompanied the three of us while we bombed down into Asheville. On the descent we all took turns pulling to the front and pacing a wide-open line down to the bottom of the mountain. The only negative from the day was that the GoPro battery died seconds into our maddening descent. I was hoping to post the descent but alas, we outlasted the GoPro today.
Close to the end of today's route Mike and I spent some time reflecting on this adventure. It has been an epic time. This trip has made a permanent mark on my soul. (Thanks Stephen for the eloquent word) For me, tomorrow is a melancholy event. I miss Halle Grace and cannot wait to see her, but as for the cycling, it has been tremendous, almost spiritual at times. To see and experience God's world in this way is fantastic and describing it, sufficiently, is beyond my ability. Even the pictures I have taken, and will be posting after the ride is totally over, don't do the vistas justice. It is something you simply have to experience. If I have to explain it to you, I probably can't explain it to you.
So, we now are down to one final day of riding. We finished today on top of Mt Pisgah at mile marker 408. We will complete our journey tomorrow at mile marker 469. Don't let the limited mileage fool you. The elevation profile tomorrow is probably our second toughest day, today being the penultimate day. So, it is time for bed and much needed rest. I plan to try and type up my thoughts and experiences, with pictures, once we finish the ride. As for now though, it is time to put my legs up and close my eyes and get some rest. One more day of riding and then plenty of time to post material.
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